Baselworld 2018

Baselworld 2018

For the watch and jewelry industry, Baselworld, which has been held annually in Basel, Switzerland, since 1917, is an extremely important event for presenting brands and products in the best possible way - after all, the company's future success is only ensured if the new products are well received by the public. For fans, the event is therefore an ideal opportunity every year to take a close look at the watchmakers' ideas, as well as to stay up to date with developments in the industry and put one or two models on their personal wish list. It is therefore not surprising that Baselworld was well attended again in 2018. This year's exhibition is now over a month ago - so it's high time to review the event of the year in terms of watches and jewelry and summarize the current trends and most interesting highlights of your favorite brands!

The Renaissance of Cult Pieces

The annual public viewing of the watch industry was once again an absolute success this year. Every brand tried to present its products in the best possible way and to convince fans with its new products - and of course to stand out from the competition as much as possible. This was no easy task in 2018, because when it comes to fashion, the industry is largely in agreement this year: models with a retro look are all the rage. To this end, the well-known luxury brands like to use the design of tried and tested and ever-popular classics , increasingly models from between 1930 and 1970, and equip them with the latest technology - a revival of cult watches. This "heritage" wave is particularly popular with long-established collectors who appreciate the piece of history behind the old-school jewelry.

Rolex is a perfect example: The Swiss watchmaker has been around for an impressive 110 years. So it's no wonder that the popular luxury brand fits the above pattern so perfectly. So instead of creating completely new anniversary editions, the creative team is simply reissuing a legend from the 1950s: the Rolex Pepsi, aka GMT-Master II, is available for the first time with a Jubilee bracelet, even harder Oyster steel and the new automatic caliber 3285, more than 60 years after its market launch. In addition, the brand has recently caused a stir in the watch world with nickel-phosphorus alloys and completely new laboratory developments to perfect new models.

Bright authenticity is the trend of the year

In keeping with the earlier days, the case sizes are also being kept smaller again. Elegant timepieces for men with a diameter of less than 40 millimeters exude understated elegance. Eye-catching, bulky XXL chronographs seem too intrusive and deliberate this year. For this reason, the brands are happy to give their 2018 collections a "downgrade". The same applies to the dial: the focus is on the essentials, and unnecessary frills are deliberately avoided. The clean design ensures that the time is clearly legible at first glance. Distractions are out of place! Despite the simplicity, the new models are by no means boring, because in keeping with spring, strong colors could be admired at Baselworld. Refreshing blue, trendy green and bright red are in. Despite their slim and simple design, the new watches are real eye-catchers without appearing overloaded. Omega and Frédérique Constant are just two of many well-known representatives of the watch industry who are jumping on this bandwagon.

Frédérique Constant, for example, has released its world time watch with a dial and strap in a modern shade of green. The more extravagant case of the Classic Worldtimer Manufacture, however, still houses the FC-718 manufacture caliber with automatic winding and world time mechanism. This allows the time, world time and date to be set using the crown alone. This makes operation much more practical and easier than with timepieces with many different setting features.

Old Meets New

In addition to discreet designs in striking color nuances, timepieces inspired by old cars, diving and pilot's watches remain on trend. Omega's diving icon Seamaster Diver 300 M celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. To celebrate, the company has redesigned several models. But that's not all: Discover other exciting new anniversary collections this year, such as those from the Speedmaster or Trésor series.

The large fan base of the military look can also breathe a sigh of relief, because the cult surrounding the special design continues. In the future, the finest modern mechanics will be added, and these will also be shown off using skeletonized dials and calibers. This great watchmaking art can still be found at Tag Heuer, for example. The top Swiss company is currently offering a more affordable alternative to comparable models with the Carrera Heuer 02 chronograph, including a new engine.

The attractive watch is available for less than 5000 euros. And OMEGA is also continuing its great leap in watch movement technology with the 12th and 13th Master Chronometer calibers, which can of course also be found in the anniversary collections mentioned. Patek Philippe has also been making a lot of technical changes recently: the Swiss team combined a world time watch with a minute repeater for the first time. This combination is unique in the watch industry and the development process took several years. Last summer, the "5531" finally celebrated its premiere at the manufacture exhibition in New York. Since this year's Baselworld, it has also been available to buy in unlimited quantities.

Clash of the Titans: Analog vs. Digital?

The well-known special flair of luxury wristwatches should of course be preserved. Perhaps the trend towards the vintage look is a countermovement to the rise of the smartwatch and the general rapid advance in digitalization in the area of ​​watches. So is the current trend largely a protest by traditional watch lovers?

The fact is, anyone who thinks that the analogue timepiece has seen its day is wrong. The "legacy" of the classic wristwatch remains intact, and iconic pieces are in demand. However, that does not mean that digitalization is being put on hold: Patek Philippe, for example, launched its new products this year for the first time via social media. In his opening speech at Baselworld 2018, WELT editor-in-chief Ulf Poschardt appealed to welcome digital change, but without losing sight of the industry's origins: "[...] in times of change, we must not forget where we come from." In the future, it will therefore be a matter of reconciling the two sides. We are excited about the upcoming trends and developments in this area and can hardly wait for Baselworld 2019!

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