Trends of Baselworld 2018

Baselworld is an event unlike any other and 2018 has been nothing short of a show stopper. Yet as new timepieces have been announced, we can’t help but notice some emerging trends. Luxury timepieces hold personal significance to the men and women who wear them. It’s always interesting to see how major brands are able to tap into the minds of their customers and design timepieces that evoke deep and meaningful emotion. Here are a few trends we’ve witnessed at Baselworld 2018:

Vintage

Many major brands have reinvented iconic timepieces and the sense of nostalgia has been verily welcomed. Rolex rolled out the Pepsi GMT Jubilee with a new movement in homage to the first GMT’s created for Pan Am Pilots in the 1950s. Omega revisited the Speedmaster Moonwatch with the Dark Side of the Moon to celebrate the anniversary of their iconic Moonwatch’s first mission to the moon. While these timepieces evoke memories of the past, their updated movements and growing audiences will propel them into the future.  

Class and Color

In 2018 we are seeing watchmakers cavort with color. Salmon dials have taken center stage with the Patek Philippe 5270P Perpetual Calendar Chronograph, and the Laurent Ferrier Galet Minute Repeater to name a few. One cannot argue with the beauty of this salmon dial, and luxury watchmakers seem to have embraced this hue.

Releasing watches with bold colors, such as the Patek Philippe Aquanaut with orange accents,  opens the door for many watch enthusiasts wishing to amplify their collection with unexpected style.

Rolex also made waves with color this year. The release of a Pepsi instead of Coke GMT shocked enthusiasts around the world and the announcement of the New Cosmograph Daytona in Everose further solidifies the fact that color can transform a classic timepiece.

Expanding Audiences

Watchmakers at Baselworld 2018 seem to have worked very hard to expand their reach to eager yet underserved audiences. This year we’ve seen an emergence of ladies’ watches and timepieces perfectly suited to young people beginning their luxury watch journey. Patek Philippe released the glamorous and sophisticated 7150R Chronograph while Rolex announced the arrival of several elegant Datejusts. Further, Tudor released the Black Bay Fifty-Eight which seems to open the door for smaller sport watches for those who want to make a powerful statement with a smaller wrist.

Tudor’s “Pepsi” GMT provides the opportunity for those new to timepiece collecting to begin their journey with a powerful story. This year watchmakers seem to be reconnecting with their younger audiences and providing them with timepieces that will initiate a lifelong fascination with luxury timepieces.

Baselworld 2018 so far has been an exciting example of how we come to appreciate luxury timepieces. Our favorite brands resonate with our desires and interests. They provide unimaginable engineering with timeless elegance and create masterpieces we can wear every day. Seeing what is new is just one of the exciting parts of Baselworld and is what keeps us coming back every year.