We're back into the thick of it again after a short period on the sidelines but rest assured we have the rest of the highlights from Baselworld 2015 ready to go for you so here are our highlights from Day 4 of the Watch and Jewellery fair.
There is no getting around what one of the standout and most talked about works of art was at Basel this year. The Jacob & Co introduced their ridiculous Astronomia Baguette that marks a new high for the art of watchmaking. The timepiece has been built to animate a four-part demonstration of the Earth's connection to the expanding universe and time's relationship to the dance of the solar system's celestial bodies. Spinning on a three axis mechanical system, the hand-wound calibre JCEM01 achieves the effect of weightlessness as it rotates around its vertical axis. If that wasn't enough then Jacob & Co also decided to include Jacob Cut 288-facet spherical diamonds into the case. It really is a marvel and probably the most outrageous Novelty at this year's show. It's great to see Jacob & Co back in the watch game and not shying away from doing the outrageous so soon after making its presence felt again.
Revived by the esteemed watch manufacture, Arnold & Son, Angelus has returned from the dead and made itself known to the world once again. First introduced in the late 19th century, Angelus set numerous milestones in the history of Swiss watchmaking, such as its famous travel clocks that display their various indications on multiple dials. The brand has taken that rich heritage together with the industrial designs of the 1960's and 1970's to deliver an evant-grande wristwatch for the modern world. Seven sapphire crystals, including the four that frame the flying tourbillon, allow light to flood the mechanical inner workings and create a beautiful three dimensional effect that needs to be seen in the metal to be believed. It took four long hard years of development for Angelus to find its way to Baselworld 2015 and we're ecstatic to see this once great company return from the dead.
To celebrate their 10 year anniversary, MB&F decided to commemorate their anniversary in true MB&F fashion, by creating another killer piece. Not your standard wristwatch, Melchior is a beautiful mechanical table clock that really sets your imagination alight especially for fans of old Japenese Anime's and comics. Conceived by Maximilian Büsser's in his quest to revisit his childhood hankering for a robot friend, Melchior was born. Together with the famous clockmaker L'Epée and famed concept designer Xin Wang, MB&F were able to deliver this horological marvel and a true testament to haute horology at its finest. Comprising no fewer than 480 component parts, 50 movement jewels and armoured bodywork, he is the robot friend all kids wanted as they watched R2-D2 protect Luke Skywalker on his journeys across the galaxy. There is so much to love and talk about with Melchior but there's nothing more to say than he has a Gatling gun and Rocket launcher if you ever decide not to get out of bed. You would be foolish to try and disobey his orders!
Bausele is the first Australian watch company to feature and represent us at Baselworld. It really is a wonderful achievement in itself to be accepted into the show, but what they brought with them is the real reason why they have made it onto the list of standouts from Day 4. The Bausele Terra Australis is the signature piece of the new novelties and it is definitely clear why that is the case. Partnering with Flinders University in South Australia, the two have created something wonderful, a new martial called Bauselite (patent pending) that will be incorporated into the case of each Terra Australis timepiece. For a company only a few years old, this is on another level. The material is ceramic, lightweight but most importantly designed and developed here in Australia. Coupled with the fact that the watch looks damn cool and comes with a choice of various Australian materials in the crown makes it a massive hit for me. The crown has been repositioned to the 12 o'clock position and the case also features a five pronged diamond clasp that holds the case together. Finished on a kangaroo leather strap it doesn't get much more Australian than this and with its bold size and innovative case, Bausele is set to make waves both here and around the world after its showing at Baselworld 2015.
And that's a wrap from our adventures on Day 4 at Baselworld 2015.
