Basel stories: the best of the new
Timothy Barber picks the highlights from BaselWorld 2012, the watch industry’s love-in
EVERY spring the Swiss city of Basel hosts the great gathering of the watch industry, at which thousands of luxury brands coalesce to impress retailers, distributors, collectors and journalists with their latest creations.
Venerable Patek Philippe is always a star attraction, with a stand the size of mansion towering over its neighbours. Of its many novelties, one of the most interesting was the cushion-shaped perpetual calendar, Ref 5940 (Patek relies on reference numbers, being too smart to use names). Generally when you think of Patek you probably beautifully refined round watches, but Patek’s cushion-shaped watches – or you may call it a “tonneau” (meaning “barrel”) shape – are among its most valued by collectors. This one is a typical beauty. It’s a perpetual calendar – a speciality grand complication for Patek – in a beautiful ultra-slim gold case. The generous spacing the designers have managed in such a busy dial is remarkable – another Patek speciality. It costs £61,530.
Meanwhile, Patek’s basic Calatrava range has an elegant new edition, given zest by the sword-shaped hands and cross-hair subdial. It’s £18,060.
www.patek.com