The Best of Basel

Another head-turner from arguably the most popular and recognised watch brand today, is the latest iteration of the Oyster Perpetual Milgauss, whose green sapphire crystal first wowed the watch world in 2007. This time around, this green sapphire crystal looms mightily over an electric blue dial, giving it quite an astounding shade of blue. Rolex first launched the Milgauss in 1956, designed primarily for professionals who are constantly exposed to magnetic fields, which as we all know enemy number one for precision timekeeping. Way ahead of its time, the ground-breaking piece was built to withstand interferences of up to 1,000 gauss (thus the name, mille, being French for thousand) while keeping the accuracy of the watch. This noteworthy piece stands at 40mm, and is waterproof up to 100 metres. Comfort was likewise ensured, many thanks to an “Easylink rapid extension system” that allows the wearer to adjust the bracelet to his or her desired length. If a journey to the centre of the earth were possible, this watch sounds like it would be your most qualified companion.

Omega likewise had its fair share of testosterone-filled watches, which are, much to the delight of the nostalgic and space dreamers out there, commemorative pieces celebrating man’s achievements in space. With the Speedmaster Mark II, Omega revisits the original Speedmaster 45 years after it equipped the first humans to land on the surface of the moon. The brand came out with the Speedmaster Mark II in the same year, with a more stylish case but features the same movement found in the original moon watches. This year, Omega resurrects this piece, which while made more contemporary and efficient, kept many of the original’s details. Improvements were introduced; for instance, to the watch’s tachymeter, which thanks to Superluminova, can be read even in very poor lighting. The 2014 version was also given an automatic movement, the Co-Axial Calibre 3330, featuring a Si14 silicon balance spring and a column-wheel chronograph mechanism. The watch is available in a matte black or ash grey dial, with the latter featuring a fluorescent orange central chronograph seconds and minute track.