The Best of Basel

Evan Rast shares the fantastic finds from this year’s edition of the world’s biggest watch show

Speedmaster Professional Appolo 11 45th Anniversary Limited Edition

Another commemorative piece paying homage to Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s historical lunar walk, and the Omega watch that accompanied them, is the Speedmaster Professional Apollo 11 45th Aniversary Limited Edition wristwatch, with only 1,969 pieces up for grabs. Echoing the colours of the moon and the Apollo 11 lunar and command modules used, this piece comes in a 42mm gray, titanium case that’s been completely brushed, and for that added touch given a dash of gold. Blending perfectly well with this rugged-looking case is a black PVD dial, whose 30-minute and 12-hour recorders and small seconds display were made using a special laser, while the indices and hour, minute, seconds and sub-dial hands were superbly crafted from 18K red gold, and its central chronograph hand, plated in red gold. Its 18K Sedna gold bezel was also further enhanced by a matt black ceramic ring with, of course, a tachymeter scale, which as many of the Speedmaster aficionados out there know, is a vital part of this model. These lavish details against the robustness of titanium and covertness of black PVD, matched with a decidedly rugged NATO-inspired fabric strap, I have to say, render quite an impact.

When talking enigmatic and rugged, bordering on reckless, one would be hard-pressed not to add to the roster, Tudor’s Heritage Black Bay, with which the brand once again shows how remarkably it can meld iconic details with modern designs. The form and very distinguishable domed crystal of the piece remain faithful to Tudor’s first divers’ piece, the Submariner reference 7922 - first introduced in 1954 - so do its iconic angular hands, or "Snowflakes," which were mainstays from 1969 to the early 1980s. Updating the piece is its strong, 41mm steel case, a coloured, anodized aluminium crown tube, and interchangeable bracelets. This second iteration (its debut piece introduced in 2012) comes out sharper and dare I say, more dead serious, than the first, thanks to the striking contrast of the watch’s silver hour markers with white luminescent material, against a jet black dial, all encased in a stainless steel case. Toning down this “harshness” is a midnight-blue bezel, which matches the colour of the crown tube. This touch of blue was also meant to keep things as authentic as possible, as in the second half of the 20th century, the Tudor diver watches that donned the wrists of the French Marines were mostly blue.

The Heritage Black Bay from Tudor

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