Baselworld is like Spring Break for horologists. It’s the single largest calendar event in the world of luxury watches. Baselworld is an annual trade show in Basel, Switzerland where every high-end watchmaker on the planet is able to debut their latest and greatest.
The event runs all week long, from March 22-27, but I thought now would be a good time to look at the best new watches from Baselworld 2018 so far including the Rolex GMT-Master II Pepsi In Stainless Steel, TAG Heuer Carrera ‘Tête de Vipère’ Chronograph Tourbillon Chronometer, Omega Seamaster 1948 Limited Editions, Patek Philippe 5270P Perpetual Calendar Chronograph, and a whole lot more. There have already been some instant classics debuted at Baselworld 2018 so without further ado, let’s check out the best new watches from Baselworld 2018 before I start rambling any more:
Breitling Chronomat B01 Chronograph 44
The satin-brushed case and new dial treatment are the latest upgrades to Breitling’s Chronomat line. This watch has a 44mm diameter and is 16.95mm thick. It features a steel ‘pilot’ style bracelet and is water-resistant up to 500 meters. It has a power reserve of 70+ hours and an automatic winding.
Patek Philippe 5270P Perpetual Calendar Chronograph With Salmon Dial
Patek Philippe makes arguably the most revered luxury Swiss watches on the planet. They say you never own a Patek Philippe because they’re timeless, you’re just holding onto your timepiece for the next generation. The Patek Philippe 5270P Perpetual Calendar Chronograph With Salmon Dial will retail for CHF 165,000 which is around $173,000 USD. You can buy multiple BMW cars for what this watch is selling for so you really need to be in love with watches to make this purchase.
Tudor Black Bay GMT
The Tudor Black Bay GMT has a very familiar look to it and I love that about this watch. It’s the first old-school GMT sports watch release ever from Tudor and it will retail for $3,500+ USD. Features include a 41mm diameter, stainless steel case, water resistance to 200 meters, the hand and hour markers are luminous, the caliber is Manufacture Caliber MT6552, and the winding is automatic.
Omega Seamaster 1948 Limited Editions
I love Omega and always have. To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Omega Seamaster they’re releasing two limited edition watches that mix classical style with modern technology. Only 1,948 pieces of each watch (there are two styles) will be released to commemorate the year the Omega Seamaster was debuted. These watches will retail for $6,000+ USD. Features include a dial made from Opaline silver, Omega Caliber 8804, 60 hours power reserve, 35 jewels, and automatic winding in both directions.
NOMOS Glashütte Autobahn
The NOMOS Glashütte Autobahn will come in three styles (silver-plated, midnight blue, and sports grey) and each features a 41mm diameter. They feature 42 jewels, have power reserves of 42 hours and are water resistant up to 100 meters. These watches are only 3.6mm thick which is amazing.
Patek Philippe Ref. 5740 Nautilus Perpetual Calendar
This might be the hottest watch at Baselworld 2018. It will retail for over $100,000, as is the case with many/most timepieces from Patek Philippe. It’s made with 27 jewels, 240 Q caliber, 27.55mm diameter, 3.88mm thickness, a white gold case and an integrated white gold bracelet. This is is luxury embodied into a watch.
TAG Heuer Carrera ‘Tête de Vipère’ Chronograph Tourbillon Chronometer
This is the very first of Tag Heuer’s watches to carry the Besançon Observatory’s designation and it’s absolutely stunning. The Tag Heuer Carrera turned 55 this year so they wanted to do something special to commemorate the occasion. Only 500 watches have ever received the Besançon Observatory’s designation so this is something special alright. It features a 45mm blue ceramic case, black skeleton, rhodium-plated indexes, Heuer 02T caliber, 32mm diameter, and 33 jewels. Pricing on this watch hasn’t been released yet but I assume it’ll be $$$$$.
Patek Philippe Aquanaut Chronograph Reference 5968A
Patek Philippe keeps bringing the heat and the Aquanaut Chronograph Reference 5968A has turned a lot of heads at Baselworld 2018. It features an 11.9mm thickness, composite rubber strap, 35 jewels, and it retails for around $40,000. Patek is branding this as a great buy for younger purchasers who are looking to test the Patek Philippe waters.
Rolex GMT-Master II Pepsi In Stainless Steel Ref. 126710 BLRO
The Rolex GMT-Master II reference 126710BLRO Pepsi bezel with Jubilee bracelet in stainless steel is probably the most anticipated release from Rolex in years. This stunning watch will retail for around $9,000, and instead of me giving you a few minor details about this watch you can read a full review of it by following that link over to Hodinkee.
If you want to learn any more about the watches above you can CLICK HERE to see extremely in-depth reviews over on Hodinkee who are at Baselworld 2018 and bringing the best watch news of any other blog around.