The Best Watches of Baselworld 2016

Our favorite new timepieces from the world’s biggest watch event, Baselworld 2016.

best-watches-of-baselworld-2016-gear-patrol-lead-full-v2

There was more elbow room at Baselworld this year. Chalk it up to a skittish economy or the emergence of the smartwatch but whatever it was — it sure made for easier walking in Hall 1. Watch brands showed signs of caution too, many dropping prices and reducing new models. But there was still a whole lot of horological goodness to enjoy.

While it’s tempting to look for trends in the watch world, the fact is, product development takes years rather than months. So reacting to fashion fads or customer tastes is a slow process. But we did see a lot of red and black, more bronze cases, blue dials and smaller diameters this year. Some companies pushed the boundaries of style and engineering, and others scaled back to the basics. After 60 appointments over five days, gallons of espresso and a lot of chocolate, we’ve distilled a list of our favorite new timepieces from Baselworld 2016.

Rolex Cosmograph Daytona

Daytona-Basel-Gear-Patrol

ORIS Diver 65 Carl Brashear Limited Edition

Oris-Basel-Gear-Patrol

TAG Heuer Monza

Monza-Basel-Gear-Patrol

OMEGA Speedmaster Moonphase

Speedy-Moonphase-Basel-Gear-Patrol

Bremont Regatta OTUSA

Bremont-Basel-Gear-Patrol

Citizen Eco-Drive One

Citizen-Basel-Gear-Patrol

Bulova Moon Watch

Bulova-Basel-Gear-Patrol

Ressence Type 5B

Ressence-Basel-Gear-Patrol

Frederique Constant Manufacture Perpetual

FC-Basel-Gear-Patrol

Sinn 910 Anniversary

Sinn-Basel-Gear-Patrol