Baselworld

[Itizme]

So this was the first year I actually sat up to take notice of the event, being new to all this.
By some accounts it seemed a little flat/underwhelming, was this just a bad year or is it this the level it's normally at with the exception of the odd good show?

[Mysqueek]

Admittedly this is the first Baselworld, but after the success of the BLRO last year maybe Rolex have pulled their punches on new releases. After all the huge demand/waiting lists to meet why make any big changes?

[Itsguy]

So this was the first year I actually sat up to take notice of the event, being new to all this.
By some accounts it seemed a little flat/underwhelming, was this just a bad year or is it this the level it's normally at with the exception of the odd good show?

Firstly Swatch Group pulled out, which means a lot of major brands. A whole huge hall was missing in action. Then Rolex had a pretty subdued year with no really big headlines, which as some have noted might have been a good idea before they taunt even more customers with unavailable desirable watches. Tudor offered up a real slap in the face, given the amount of speculation that they'd offer up a Tudor sub, which might make up for the lack of Rolex ones, or else offer some new colours for their most admired recent models. This made the horrific 'POS' even more painful, and left the sycophantic blog writers with little to say other than that they never actually expected to sell any in the first place, they were just 'experimenting'. GS nearly saved the day with their 20th anniversary spring drives, though the highly priced LE format means few will get to even see one in real life. No Swatch Group means no new Omegas, apart from the polarising gold and 'Ron' burgundy Speedmaster released just before the show. Citizen's new high accuracy movement impressed but the price sets a new benchmark for expensive watches that don't look like expensive watches, even GS can only dream of being so under the radar. So once the dust has settled, the most interesting thing that happened is that Rolex very slightly changed the dial on their Datejust 36. And I'm not kidding, for me that really was the most interesting news.

[gcleminson]

Firstly Swatch Group pulled out, which means a lot of major brands. A whole huge hall was missing in action. Then Rolex had a pretty subdued year with no really big headlines, which as some have noted might have been a good idea before they taunt even more customers with unavailable desirable watches. Tudor offered up a real slap in the face, given the amount of speculation that they'd offer up a Tudor sub, which might make up for the lack of Rolex ones, or else offer some new colours for their most admired recent models. This made the horrific 'POS' even more painful, and left the sycophantic blog writers with little to say other than that they never actually expected to sell any in the first place, they were just 'experimenting'. GS nearly saved the day with their 20th anniversary spring drives, though the highly priced LE format means few will get to even see one in real life. No Swatch Group means no new Omegas, apart form the polarising gold and 'Ron' burgundy Speedmaster released just before the show. Citizen's new high accuracy movement impressed but the price sets a new benchmarks for expensive watches that don't look like expensive watches, even GS can only dream of being so under the radar. So once the dust has settled, the most interesting thing that happened is that Rolex very slightly changed the dial on their Datejust 36. And I'm not kidding, for me that really was the most interesting news.

^^^ Brilliant :) ^^^

[Rodder]

Do swatch have a replacement to Basel or will they just release in dribs and drabs?

[number2]

Pity Seiko haven't pulled a Pogue reissue out of the bag.

n2

[ataripower]

Do swatch have a replacement to Basel or will they just release in dribs and drabs?

Not sure about this year but rumors suggest they will be back at Basel in 2020 providing the show delivers on it's promise to become more 'consumer friendly'

[Martylaa]

Firstly Swatch Group pulled out, which means a lot of major brands. A whole huge hall was missing in action. Then Rolex had a pretty subdued year with no really big headlines, which as some have noted might have been a good idea before they taunt even more customers with unavailable desirable watches. Tudor offered up a real slap in the face, given the amount of speculation that they'd offer up a Tudor sub, which might make up for the lack of Rolex ones, or else offer some new colours for their most admired recent models. This made the horrific 'POS' even more painful, and left the sycophantic blog writers with little to say other than that they never actually expected to sell any in the first place, they were just 'experimenting'. GS nearly saved the day with their 20th anniversary spring drives, though the highly priced LE format means few will get to even see one in real life. No Swatch Group means no new Omegas, apart from the polarising gold and 'Ron' burgundy Speedmaster released just before the show. Citizen's new high accuracy movement impressed but the price sets a new benchmark for expensive watches that don't look like expensive watches, even GS can only dream of being so under the radar. So once the dust has settled, the most interesting thing that happened is that Rolex very slightly changed the dial on their Datejust 36. And I'm not kidding, for me that really was the most interesting news.

Well said, just sums up Baselworld 2019 perfectly...

[Onelasttime]

Pity Seiko haven't pulled a Pogue reissue out of the bag.

n2

Even if they did it would be 50mm wide and cost £25,000.

[Itizme]

So it's been an unusually average show by its usual standards then. I did like a few of tudors offerings but the po1 was also a big miss for me, the hype and expectation for something better from them felt particularly deflating.

[j111dja]

Do swatch have a replacement to Basel or will they just release in dribs and drabs?

I've heard today that The Swatch Group are having their own show, somewhere.

[MartynJC (UK)]

I went to Baselworld a couple of years ago and found it genuinely exciting - multiple large halls and Omega was still present. But since then, less and less so. The summary above is very good.