STYLE & SUBSTANCE
If there's anything we can thank the financial crisis for, it's that it sounded the death knell for the bigger-is-better macho watch arms race. Today's masculine pieces marry form with function in a far more sophisticated package. For example, by encasing its beautiful ref 5960 annual calendar chronograph in stainless steel, Patek Philippe has transformed the watch into a sporty, high complication piece.
BACK TO THE FUTURE
In recent years, dipping into the back-catalogue has been a major source of inspiration for any watch brands lucky enough to have a heritage worth shouting about. And it's all very well making a nod to the past, but in 2014 the best examples are looking to the future, too. Omega made waves last year with its Pink Floyd-referencing, all-black take on the iconic Speedmaster – the Dark Side of the Moon. This year the Moonwatch gets a lunar module-inspired makeover, with brushed titanium case, high-tech Sedna gold accents, a matt grey dial and NATO strap.
CLASSIC STYLE
Part of the beauty of any mechanical watch is that it provides an escape, however fleeting, from the inevitable march of digital technology. This year, watches with unashamedly classic looks are as much in evidence as ever. Glashütte Original's Senator Chronograph Panorama Date uses a new column-wheel chronograph movement in a design that borrows from German watchmaking's rich heritage.
Read Jon Hawkins' full round-up of Baselworld 2014 in May's Power Issue here.
