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The 7 Most Amazing, Risk-Taking Watches from Baselworld 2016

Not for the faint of heart

By Stephen Watson
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They say fortune favors the bold. And if Baselworld 2016 was any indication, the move was either to play it safe or to go all-in and reap the rewards of a riskier, winner-takes-all gamble. Top brands asserted their dominance with incredible complications, independents dazzled with mind-blowing creativity, and a few daring surprises appeared out of nowhere to capture a large portion of the trade show's attention. While the underlying theme of the fair may have been wearable value, a few amazing timepieces debuted that would make any collector's head spin. When the sky's the limit and money is no object, these are the most impressive debuts of Baselworld 2016.

Bulgari: Octo Finissimo Répétition Minutes

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Besides the astounding fact that, at 6.85 millimeters, this musical watch is the world's thinnest minute repeater, the stunning combination of sandblasted titanium and a matte alligator strap propelled this technical marvel directly to the forefront of mechanical watchmaking. The cutaway indices help to project the watch's sound, and the sapphire crystal caseback allows for a full view of the extraordinary 3.12-millimeter movement including hammer and gongs. A limited edition of 50 pieces, the Octo Finissimo Répétition Minutes is priced at approximately $165,000.

Chanel: The Monsieur de Chanel

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For the past few seasons, high-end watch brands have been looking to conquer the women's market by introducing mechanical watches to a relatively untapped audience. Debuting the biggest surprise of the show, Chanel did the reverse and introduced this amazing men's watch. The "Monsieur de Chanel" is a jump-hour watch with retrograde minutes utilizing the brand's own Calibre 1 movement, a big first for the company. A specially designed font reminiscent of the '70s was used on the dial, giving the watch an ultra-modern look that also manages to maintain a slick, retro, digital appeal. It's available in a limited edition of 300 pieces in either white or beige gold, priced at approximately $35,500 to $37,000.

Jacob & Co.: Astronomia Sky

Space, Circle,

Dazzlingly fun, technically amazing, and totally over-the-top in the best way possible—the "Astronomia Sky" from Jacob & Co. is the equivalent of wearing a miniature planetarium on your wrist. The timepiece features a sidereal-time indicator (a method of telling time that uses stars rather than the sun), a sky-chart indicator, a central-globe day/night indicator, a spinning triple-axis tourbillon, orbital-second indication, and hours and minutes displayed with the 12 up top, no matter the rotation. Like a constantly spinning galaxy, a number of features are displayed using four different "satellite" arms that spin around the dial every 20 minutes, including one modeled after the Russian Mir space station. It's available in a limited edition of 18 pieces, priced upon request.

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Patek Philippe: 6300G-001 Grand Master Chime

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A brand-new version of the blockbuster watch that was created for the 175th Anniversary of Patek Philippe is surprisingly back one year later. Compared to the first heavily engraved anniversary model, the pure aesthetics of the 6300G make this new white-gold version look radically different. With over 20 head-spinning complications, the double-faced reversible wristwatch does just about everything a watch can possibly do and is priced at a cool $2.2 million.

Ressence: Type 3 Blue

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Totally ignoring the traditional ideas of how a watch should tell time, the Ressence Type 3 breaks every rule of form and function. The mechanical watch tells time using magnetic rotating disks, with a very attractive dark navy version new for 2016. Oil inside the dial makes for an amazing special effect—the surface of the watch seems almost totally invisible. Wildly creative mechanics monitor fluctuating temperatures, using a fascinating series of interior bellows that compress or expand to keep the liquid-filled dial totally stable. The Type 3 Blue is available in a limited edition of 50 pieces, priced upon request.

TAG Heuer: Carrera Calibre Heuer 02T Tourbillon

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Introducing the concept of "affordable" haute horology to TAG Heuer comes a COSC-certified automatic chronograph with a surprising feature: a flying tourbillon. The "Controle Official Suisse des Chronometers" or "COSC" is an independent-testing organization that guarantees that a chronometer meets the highest standard of accuracy and was a tremendous buzzword used at this year's fair. The tough industrial look of the watch is totally fantastic, and the biggest shock of all is the price: 15,000 CHF (approximately $15,500) for a standard version, or a 250-piece, limited-edition "Black Phantom" version that costs 19,900 CHF (about $20,500). For point of reference, most tourbillons in the market are usually priced around four times this amount.

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Ulysse Nardin: Grand Deck Marine Tourbillon

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Ulysse Nardin, known for its maritime-inspired timepieces, introduced an amazing watch unlike anything seen before at Baselworld 2016. Inspired by the rigging of a naval ship, the groundbreaking "Grand Deck" features a central jump-hour window and a retrograde-minute "mast" that travels back and forth from 0 to 60 using a series of nautical-looking pulleys and winches. A complementary dial created using wood marquetry completes the nautical narrative, replicating the look of a teak deck of a sailboat. Using a nanowire "rope" stronger than steel, the minute hand captures the spirit of sailing in one of the most inventive watches shown at the fair. All that doesn't come cheap, though: A limited edition of 18 pieces is priced at 280,000 CHF (approximately $290,000).

From: Esquire US
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