Red Dot meets Baselworld 2016: Outstanding luxury watches
In March, designers, manufacturers and the specialised press met at the trade show of the international watch and jewellery industry Baselworld 2016 to present the trends of the future. Among the renowned luxury watch manufacturers like IWC, TAG Heuer, MB&F, Maurice Lacroix or Rado are also numerous laureates of the Red Dot Award: Product Design from the past years. On regular basis they create exceptional and elegant timekeepers, which fascinate the Red Dot-Jury.
A mysterious movement in time
Watches of the Maurice Lacroix brand attract followers with their quality. It is in particular the Masterpiece Collection of mechanical watches, established in 1990, that has repeatedly surprised the market with new design details. In character, the Masterpiece Mystery seamlessly follows in the footsteps of this collection and impresses with its mysterious seconds indicator. Driven by a durable and reliable movement with a self-winding mechanism, this second hand marks out a linear reading in alternating horizontal and vertical cycles. The direction appears to change every 15 seconds. Users gain the impression of movement. This is the result of an optical illusion caused by the blued or rhodium covered hand, which appears to rotate weightlessly on its own axis.
Futuristic worlds
Inspired by the world of science fiction, this wristwatch stages its own cosmos. Its organically shaped case and the four indicated “eyes” make it appear almost like a friendly alien from outer space. Having a case made of shimmering titanium alloy that is also used in aircraft design, the watch can withstand temperatures of up to 400 degrees Celsius. Despite this, the case is outstandingly light and offers good wearing comfort thanks to its rounded edge design. The watch’s exoskeleton is a fascinating element that signifies a bold reinterpretation of familiar watch design. Two of the four semi-spherical indicators in the corners display the time in hours and minutes – the other two are related to the automatic winding mechanism of the watch to reduce wear and tear.
The time in words
The watch Qlocktwo W from Biegert & Funk turns the concept of “reading the clock” into a whole new experience. The square dial of the extraordinary watch features a uniform grid of 110 letters which is initially visible only as a matrix of seemingly randomly arranged letters. When the stainless-steel button is pressed, words light up on the display giving the current time. Also the calendar date and the seconds are likewise shown in written text. The time measurement in words is not only original, but also practical and comes in seven languages.
Baselworld 2016
March 17 - 24, 2016
Messe Basel, Switzerland
www.baselworld.com
Opening hours
Daily from 9 am - 6 pm (except Thursday, March 24: 9 am - 4 pm)
The featured watche manufacturers are represented at the Baselworld 2016
MB&F – Hall/stand 0.F / P02 A&C
Maurice Lacroix S.A. – Hall/stand1.1 / E63
BIEGERT & FUNK – Hall/stand 0.F / Palace 6A
