During my five days at Baselworld 2014 I saw dozens of watches, so choosing my favourites is always a challenge. But having given the matter plenty of thought, here are my top six watches women’s watches from Baselworld 2014.
The Ref 7121/1 by Patek Philippe on a gold bracelet and with a Moon phase on the dial has to be one of my top choices as it is a watch that has it all: impeccable mechanics, with the addition of a Moon phase indicator in a gold officer-style case on a link bracelet, with a few diamonds to add extra sparkle.
Louis Vuitton’s Emprise watch stood out for its bold design, inspired by an early steamer trunk. It is simple and stylish but, most importantly, it is original and fresh, which makes it stand out from the crowd.
The Dior VIII Grand Bal Fil de Soie watch is both arrestingly beautiful and technically advanced, marrying the house’s couture heritage with clever mechanics. The fully functioning rotor of the movement, which winds the watch, is on the dial and in is decorated with a delicate lattice of silk thread.
Hermès’ new Cape Cod is now available in silver, which may not sound like big news, but there are very few watches made of silver. Hermès has got around the problem of oxidation by using a patented alloy that keeps the silver shiny and bright. This noble metal will age graciously, and I think silver is a far more appealing choice than ubiquitous stainless steel.
De GRISOGONO’s big watch launch for women this year is the Allegra. Like the jewellery collection, the watches are on colourful multi-strand leather bracelets. And, of course, there is a generous amount of diamonds and coloured gemstones on the cases too making this a fun and very bright choice.
Finally, Omega’s DeVille Prestige Butterfly watch, with its decorated mother-of-pearl dial, also caught my eye, and I like the fact that behind the pretty dial is Omega’s very reliable Co-Axial calibre.
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Louis Vuitton Emprise watch in yellow gold, with or without 76 diamonds surrounding a silver opalescent dial, with a padded grosgrain strap.
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The Louis Vuitton Emprise gold model features a dial resembling the quilted fabric found on the inside of the brand’s old steamer trunks.
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De Grisogono Allegra collection watch with a canary yellow multi-strand leather bracelet.
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Hermès’ latest Cape Cod watch is now available in silver, which may not sound like big news, but there are very few watches made of silver.
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The new Dior VIII Grand Bal Fil de Soie watch is available with either green or pink silk thread. Only 88 of each version will be produced.
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The new Dior VIII Grand Bal Fil de Soie watch is powered by an automatic movement wound via the rotor on the dial and surrounded by a pink gold bezel.
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The Patek Philippe Calatrava Moon phase watch Ref. 7121 reappeared at Baselworld 2014 with a sumptuous gold link bracelet and a new reference number, 7121/1J-001.
