Baselworld 2019: The Return of Vintage, New Releases & Brand Partnerships
It’s hard to believe that another Baselworld has come and gone. Jamie and I recently returned from Switzerland where we had the chance to meet with many of our brand partners and check out this year’s newest products. While this year’s show was a little quieter than year’s past, it was no less exciting or successful in terms of products.
Vintage was certainly a wide theme throughout the week, from Bulova and the Computron watch to Zenith and the 50th Anniversary El Primero timepieces.
TAG Heuer’s new Autavia launch should be quite successful. It’s a great blend of vintage style with today’s modern technology. Timepieces are ISOGRAPH equipped with a state-of-the-art oscillator featuring a carbon composite hairspring and a tailor-made balance wheel for improved chronometer precision.
In the under $1,000 arena, Seiko Prospex had clean and concise products that are right on the money for anyone looking to get their first great watch.
Breitling is sure to see success with the latest vintage re-edition of their Navitimer Ref. 806 model. The timepiece pays homage to, and almost perfectly replicates, one of the most iconic early designs of the Navitimer that was released 60 years ago.
Bulgari broke its fifth world record with the Octo Finissimo, the thinnest Chronograph GMT Automatic. The brand also released the all new Serpenti Seduttori collection for women in yellow gold, rose gold and white gold.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of their Spring Drive technology, Grand Seiko released a number of new timepieces including a new design in its sports collection and a new series within the Elegance collection.
NOMOS Glashutte announced their new sports watches, Tangente Sport (in a light and a dark version) and Club Sport with all new bracelets that are extremely strong, water resilient, super slender and long-lasting.
In terms of partnerships, Alpina has partnered with the National Park Foundation in support of America’s Rivers and Trails and as part of their ongoing ocean conservation projects, Oris released their Aquis Great Barrier Reef Limited Edition III as well as additional models that support their mission.
We’re continuously impressed with the innovative products our brand partners release year after year, and can’t wait to share them with all of you in our store and on our website in the months to come.
Is there a new release you’re most excited about? Tell us in the comments section below and as always, feel free to reach out to us with any specific questions.
About The Author: Scott Meller
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Scott joined Feldmar Watch Company, Inc. under the tutelage of his father, Sol. As a fourth generation family member, Scott’s forward-thinking business acumen has placed Feldmar on the cutting edge of the luxury timepiece market. Scott’s favorite part about working at Feldmar is being a part of his family’s multi-generational business and having worked alongside his father. His accomplishments are many, including the expansion and remodel of the Feldmar flagship store, as well as a second location inside The Beverly Hilton.
Since attending Santa Monica College, Scott has become an expert in the technical aspects of the timepieces sold at Feldmar. Each year, he travels to Switzerland—the watchmaking capital of the world—to attend the Baselword Watch & Jewelry Fair and build upon his extensive knowledge of this quickly-evolving industry.
Scott is very proud of the way Feldmar customers are put first: “We regularly go out of our way to meet the needs of our clients. A client once purchased a rather significant watch as a birthday gift for his brother who lived in New York. Our client asked how we were going to deliver the gift and we responded with the typical answer, we would ship it by FedEx. After we answered his question, we could tell that he wanted a more personalized experience for the delivery and offered to have it hand-delivered by one of our associates. He lit up at the thought, and so off went one of our associates to New York City for the day to hand-deliver the gift.”
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