Omega Trilogy
Among the most talked about watches at Basel this year, Omega scored a big hit with the release of a trio of watches inspired by three iconic models released in 1957. The 60th anniversary editions of the Railmaster, Speedmaster and Seamaster are faithful recreations of the originals, right down to the printed vintage Omega logos. These watches have been given some technical upgrades though.
To recreate these models, Omega used digital scans of the originals to recreate the dimensions of the original. These scans along with drawings of the original models, served as design templates for the trio, which, though slightly revised for the 21st century, remain true to the spirit of '57. Read more here.
Grand Seiko SBGW25 Series
Seiko has spun off its flagship luxury range Grand Seiko as an independent brand now. To underline this change, it launched three new watches based on the original Grand Seiko. The trio is a fairly accurate re-issue of the 1960 original. Seiko also unveiled a new model that reinterprets the original for the modern era.
The watch case is identical in shape to the original, but the width has been increased from the 35 mm of the original to a more contemporary 38 mm now. It also uses a dual-curved sapphire crystal instead of the plexiglass of the original. The platinum version uses a special alloy Platinum 999 and has 18k gold hour markers, just as on the original. The re-issues are also available in gold and stainless steel. Click here to read more about this trio.
Seiko SLA017
Seiko had an illustrious history of producing great diver’s watches. At this year’s Basel fair, it launched a new diver’s watch that pays homage to the iconic reference 62MAS, Seiko’s first diver’s watch released in 1965. The reissue (Ref. SLA017) has been given some important updates - the case has been treated to make it more durable and scratch resistant, it is fitted with a box-shaped sapphire crystal, a modern movement and is paired with a silicone strap.
The watch is now depth-rated to 200 meters and is a limited edition of 2,000 pieces available from July 2017 at $4,100 (AED 15,000 approx.) Read more here.
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms MILSPEC Tribute
The “Tribute to Fifty Fathoms MIL-SPEC” pays homage to a late Fifties model that Blancpain developed for the US Navy. The watch is a faithful recreation of the original in style but has been tweaked to fit in better in today’s world. It uses a 40 mm stainless steel case with a uni-directional rotating bezel coated in scratch-resistant sapphire that protects the luminescent indications underneath.
The matte black dial and the hands and indices are coated with Super-Luminova that resembles the radium of the historic models. The watch is fitted with Blancpain’s in-house automatic winding caliber 1151. Read all about it here.
Rado Captain Cook
The new HyperChrome Captain Cook family offers a trio of diver’s watches for men and women with vintage design codes and some modern updates like the use of high-tech ceramic on the bezel and updated movements. These watches are inspired by the Rado Captain Cook, a diver’s watch the brand produced in 1962.
The revival series is available in two case sizes – the 37 mm models are available both in men’s and women’s styles while a bigger, more masculine 45 mm option in grade 5 titanium is available for those with bigger wrists. While the 37 mm watches are water resistant up to 100 meters, the 45 mm is good for 200. Read more here.
Tag Heuer Autavia
The design for TAG Heuer’s revival of a classic vintage chronograph was chosen via the online Autavia Cup campaign that saw collectors and enthusiasts picking their favorite Autavia model from 16 vintage references.
The 55th anniversary edition is inspired by the Autavia "Rindt" from 1966. The original was famously worn by F1 champion Jochen Rindt. More than 50,000 votes were registered over two rounds; resulting in four finalists and one overall winner: the Autavia Ref. 2446 Mark 3. Read more about the new Autavia here.
Longines Heritage 45
Longines has a Heritage line where it brings back updated versions of some of its past classics and very rarely do they miss the mark. The latest is a revival of a dress watch made in 1945. Originally called the Longines Calatrava by collectors, this is a departure from the usually military-inspired timepieces that the brand introduces in the Heritage Line.
The Longines Heritage 1945 features a 40 mm polished stainless steel case which is 2 mm more than the original watch from 1945. The 2017 version also features an automatic movement as opposed the hand-cranked charm of the original Caliber 12.68Z movement. Click through to read more.
SUGGESTED READING: 10 Notable Chronographs from Baselworld 2017. Click here.
