Powerhouse of Timekeepers

Swiss watchmakers present their latest technical achievements in the newly redesigned Baselworld halls

Rolex Cosmograph Daytona

Blast from the Past

Like the last couple of years, historical pieces were as significant part of many brands’ offerings.

One of the most talked about, even before the watch fair began was Rolex’s Cosmograph Daytona, designed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the model made famous by actor and motor racing enthusiast Paul Newman. As always, many aficionados were expecting Rolex to present a special piece to commemorate the milestone, but didn’t know what it was going to look like. The first Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona came in steel with a manually wound chronograph movement. It was created in 1963 and named after the famous racetrack, and Newman famously wore one when he took up auto racing in the 1970s. His watches are what collectors now refer to as the 'Paul Newman dial', with block indices and crosshairs on the subdials.

Tudor Heritage Chrono Blue

The new commemorative Cosmograph Daytona comes in a 40mm platinum case, with an 'ice-blue' dial and a chestnut brown bezel. The colour scheme and the materials are both firsts in the collection. The tachymeter bezel comes in Rolex’s Cerachrom, and the movement is the self-winding chronograph calibre 4130.

 

Tudor continues on its successful path in reviving old models with the Tudor Heritage Chrono Blue following the black and grey chronographs of 2010. Inspired by the Monte Carlo reference 7169, it comes in a brilliant blue and orange, with applied hour markers that resemble the painted tritium ones of the 1970s. The hands are filled with superluminova, and the dial features two sub-dials, one for small seconds, and the other a 45-minute counter. The bi-directional rotating bezel comes in blue aluminium, while the rest of the watch is in stainless steel. The case, at 42mm, is water-resistant to 150 metres. Powered by an automatic movement, the watch comes with a multicolour fabric strap or a stainless steel bracelet.

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