The Coolest Watches from Baselworld 2018

It’s been just over a week since Baselworld 2018 concluded. While the fair was both shorter and smaller than past editions, it’s still largest watch fair in the industry. Among the thousands of new releases, we’ve handpicked what we think are the coolest watches from Baselworld 2018. Read on to discover what they are.

Rolex GMT-Master II Pepsi

Perhaps not surprising, but at the top of our list is as one of the coolest watches from Baselworld 2018 is the brand new Rolex GMT-Master II Pepsi. With this beauty, Rolex brought back so many traits that made the GMT-Master pilot watch a classic, yet modernized it.

First, there’s the traditional choice of stainless steel for the construction of the 40mm Oyster case. However, Rolex now labels the material as Oystersteel. Then there’s famous red and blue “Pepsi” rotating bezel—the colors on the inaugural GMT-Master. But now it’s crafted from modern Cerachrom ceramic. This is the first time that a blue and red ceramic bezel is offered on a steel GMT-Master. It was previously only available on the white gold edition. There’s also the five-link Jubilee bracelet instead of the three-link Oyster bracelet on the GMT-Master II ref. 116710BLNR, which adds a dressier touch. And finally, there’s a brand new movement, the Cal. 3285 with a bumped up 70-hour power reserve and improved -2/+2 per day accuracy rating.

Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight

Also part of our coolest watches from Baselworld 2018 list is the new Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight. Perfect for those who want a vintage-inspired dive watch with a smaller and slimmer case, the new Fifty-Eight sports a 39mm steel case with a black unidirectional diver’s bezel. Underlining the retro appeal are the gold details found throughout the new Tudor watch from the bezel markings to the snowflake hands to the gilt text on the dial.

The new Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight watch is also powered by a new automatic movement, the in-house Cal. MT5402 with 70-hours of power reserve. In terms of bracelet choice, the new Black Bay Fifty eight is offered with a riveted steel bracelet, an aged brown leather strap, or a black and gold-striped fabric strap.

Patek Philippe Nautilus Perpetual Calendar

If you have plenty of cash to spare, then the brand new Patek Philippe Nautilus Perpetual Calendar is one of the coolest watches from Baselworld 2018 to covet. Marrying the iconic Nautilus watch silhouette with a quintessential Patek perpetual calendar, the new white gold Nautilus ref. 5740/1G is sporty, practical, and ultra precious.

Maintaining the hallmarks of Patek’s most recognizable sports watch, the new Philippe Nautilus Perpetual Calendar includes a 40mm porthole-shaped case, a blue dial with horizontal indentations, and an integrated bracelet. Driving the time, day, date, month, leap year, 24-hour, and moon phase indication is the famous Patek Philippe 240 Q automatic movement with a mini rotor.

Omega Seamaster Diver 300M

For 2018, Omega refreshed its ever-popular line of Seamaster Diver 300m dive watches on the occasion of the collection’s 25th anniversary. Design-wise, the new Omega Seamaster Diver 300M models include a new 42mm case size, new ceramic bezels, the revival of the wave pattern on the dial, and reshaped skeleton center hands.

Along with the new design, the latest Omega Seamaster Diver 300m models also come with the Master Chronometer Cal. 8800, thus improving precision, accuracy, and durability. Plus, the date window has moved to the 6 o’clock position. In true Omega fashion, the latest Seamaster timepieces are offered in a wide range of metals, colors, and strap options. As a diver’s watch, this is definitely one of the coolest watches from Baselworld 2018.

Breitling Navitimer Automatic 38

With a new CEO at the helm of Breitling, the Swiss watch brand is enjoying plenty of refreshing changes. As a result, this translates to some new intriguing models. At Baselworld 2018, Breitling focused mostly on their iconic Navitimer aviation watch with a ton of new iterations. One of our favorite ones is the new Breitling Navitimer Automatic 38 collection of watches.

In a surprising move, Breitling pared down many of the details that made the modern Navitimer what it is today. However, it’s done in a clever way without sacrificing the spirit of the model. First, they scaled down the size to 38mm, which sets it squarely in the unisex watch space. Furthermore, the Navitimer Automatic 38 is not a chronograph, but rather a simplified time and date model. Finally, the smaller Navitimer brought back the beaded bezel from vintage Navitimer models. Available in stainless steel or two-tone rose gold and steel, this is a contemporary Navi that will surely attract a whole new audience for Breitling.

An overriding trend that we witnessed at Baselworld 2018 was that brands mainly concentrated on revamping their iconic models rather than introducing brand new models. While this may seem as playing it safe by some, for watch enthusiasts it’s fun to see a new crop of timeless classics built to modern standards.