Best watches of Baselworld 2017

The watch industry’s fascination with timepieces of the past has continued in 2017 – and Patek Philippe’s latest watch is a perfect example of how to get retro right. Celebrating 20 years of the Aquanaut, often overshadowed by its cousin the Nautilus, the Swiss giants have created the Aquanaut Jumbo 5168G. Sporting an embossed night-blue dial in a new larger 42.2mm case, this is Patek at its preppy-chic best. patek.com

In development since 2009, Breitling’s Navitimer Rattrapante is well worth the wait. The Swiss brand’s first in-house split seconds chronograph, Breitling joins only a small handful of elite brands in producing one of the most elegant complications in horology from scratch. With a classic Navitimer aesthetic, available in either a limited 250-run 18ct red gold or steel, it looks the part, too. breitling.com

The iconic El Primero movement, first created in 1969, is the bedrock upon which Zenith was built – and in 2017 the Swiss brand finally has a rightful heir. The Defy El Primero 21 is a chronometer-certified 1/100th of a second chronograph, with a hand that covers a full rotation of the dial per second. Housed in a 44mm openwork ceramicised case, it really makes us tick. zenith-watches.com

First designed in 1966, and rebooted for 2017 after a public vote, the Autavia Ref 2446 is a Heuer classic. Perfect for today’s vintage-obsessed watch buyers, the original was worn by Formula 1 champion Jochen Rindt. Its reverse panda dial showcases a three-register chronograph, while a wide and bold 12-hour bezel adds to its masculine appeal. Perfect at-the-wheel wristwear. tagheuer.com

Tudor hasn’t disappointed in following up the triumph of last year’s Black Bay Bronze. The new Black Bay Chronograph is a beauty, with aesthetics faithful to Tudor automotive chronographs of the 1970s. But best of all is what’s inside: adapting Breitling’s B01 movement, Tudor has created a robust column-wheel chronograph caliber MT5813 for a price that’s almost too good to be true. tudorwatch.com

The Aquis dive watch is Oris at its best: quality watchmaking at an excellent price. A mechanical dive watch with 300m water resistance, the 2017 update boasts a sleek ceramic bezel and a more refined silhouette, perfect under a cuff or over a wetsuit. oris.ch

The Ahoi Neomatik is design-focused Nomos’s answer to a dive watch. First released in 2013, it gets a major update this year in the form of a smaller 36mm size and a DUW 3001 calibre ultra-thin automatic movement. Certainly worth the plunge. nomos-glashuette.com

First seen on the Blancpain Mil-Spec 1 in 1957, the watertightness indicator on this vintage timepiece makes for one of the most unique launches this year. Taking its design cues from the brand’s earliest combat-issued dive watch, this is one for the collectors. blancpain.com

Rolex has created a moonphase timepiece for the first time since the 1950s. In the horological world, this is big news. The watch in question, the Cellini Moonphase, is as dressy and elegant as they come, but the kicker is that the moon cycles should be accurate for the next 122 years. The ideal watch for any besuited lycans out there, then. rolex.com

Few watches compare with Fabergé’s Visionnaire Chronograph in the style and innovation stakes. Teaming up with famed movement specialists, Agenhor, the brand has created the revolutionary automatic calibre 6361 – aka the AgenGraph. In place of three sub dials, the chronograph is read through one central dial. Departure from the norm rarely looks this good. faberge.com

When it comes to ambitious watches utilising the world’s finest materials, few match Harry Winston’s eye for the avant-garde. The Project Z11 continues this trend with a case made from Zalium – a zirconium-based alloy, with origins in the aerospace industry. Its modern openwork design flips the simple date functionality on its head to create something out of this world. harrywinston.com

Avante-garde design is nothing new to Hublot fans, but the Swiss brand’s latest Big Bang Unico GMT delivers on the practical front, too. Beneath the openwork dial, you’ll find an in-house caliber HUB1251, with fully integrated dual time zone complication, but it’s the easy-to-read day/night disc used to indicate whether it is AM or PM in the second time zone that will appeal most to stylish travellers. hublot.com

More than a decade after the Railmaster slipped off its roster, Omega has revamped its utilitarian favourite for a new generation. Buy it for the vertically brushed steel dial and herringbone strap, keep it for the in-house Master Co-Axial chronometer movement. omegawatches.com

Bauhaus watch design is once again at the centre of Junghans new collection, which draws inspiration from the world of design and shape. Form A is the automatic of the line-up, and proves that while form may be temporary, class is permanent. junghans.co.uk

Breguet’s 2017 novelty – the Marine Équation Marcante 5887 – is a rare example of the equation of time complication. This basically acts as a mechanical sundial, measuring time according to the position of the sun. In addition to this, it also boasts a tourbillon and perpetual calendar. Next time you’re late to your next meeting, just explain that your still running on solar time. breguet.com

Frederique Constant has a habit for creating gorgeous complications at absurdly low prices – and its first in-house flyback chronograph is no exception. Six years in the making, the new FC-760 calibre measures seconds and up to 30 minutes at nine and three o’clock respectively, while the elegant guilloché dial also houses a date function at six o’clock for even more bang for your buck. frederiqueconstant.com

Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2017, the Italian watchmaker is marking the occasion with a new camouflage chrongraph in its Militare Alpini series. A subtle guilloché camo pattern is the star attraction on the engraved dial, while the 43mm cushion case is made from a bronze alloy designed oxidise over time to further enhance the robust vintage effect. anonimo.com

Believe it or not, the iconic Bell & Ross square case shape has never made it into a dive watch – until now. Powered by a self-winding mechanical movement, this professional-grade diving instrument is water resistant to 300m for all your aquatic adventure needs. bellross.com

Louis Erard has perfected the art of blending modernity and classicism in its latest model, the Excellence Guilloché Regulator Power Reserve. At the centre of the silver-toned guilloché dial are two sub dials for hours and minutes, with a power reserve indicator at nine o’clock. Its minimalist aesthetic, along with its excellent price point, contribute to an appealing entry-level dress piece for all tastes. montres-louiserard.ch

Seiko has faithfully recreated its first ever dive watch, the Ref 6217 diver, from 1965. While its retro aesthetics are identical, inside a self-winding movement brings the timepiece into the modern era with a 60-hour power reserve. Limited to 2,000 pieces, we suggest you dive in before it’s too late. seiko.co.uk

When it comes to glamorous timepieces, English-based diamond specialist Graff proves why you shouldn’t do things by halves. The striking MasterGraff Minute Repeater is available in both non-diamond and diamond-set versions, it features a minute repeater complication alongside a flying tourbillon. Mother-of-pearl bridges and an openwork dial blue smoked acrylic only add to its charm. graffdiamonds.com

While Raymond Weil’s collection of music-inspired watches has continued to grow in popularity, behind the scenes the Swiss manufacturer’s R&D department has collaborated closely with Sellita to produce the brand’s first in-house movement. The result is the Freelancer Calibre RW1212, a watch that proudly shows off its new interior through a skeletonised bridge. raymond-weil.com