Whole 46 millimeters in diameter, the Edox Geoscope GMT (ref. 07002 3 C1) is designed with heroically proportioned people in mind. On the other hand (no pun intended), the timekeeper doesn’t make an impression of a watch whose single purpose is to look big. In fact, its massiveness stems from its function: there is a dial that needs to be large to ensure adequate legibility and so there is a large case to house it. That’s probably the main reason why it doesn’t look stupid: its form follows function.
Swiss Brands
Breitling Chronomat Airborne 30th Anniversary 41/44
Breitling, the company that likes to be associated with anything that has an even passing relationship with the sky, greatly appreciates its long-standing partnership with Frecce Tricolori, the Italian Air Force aerobatics team.
It was less than 18 months ago that the brand introduced the limited-edition Chronomat Frecce Tricolori 44: a member of the family that differed from its siblings only with the team’s logo printed on its black dial. This year, they introduce their 2014 Chronomat Airborne 30th Anniversary: another limited edition that, as the name implies, celebrates the 30th anniversary of their relationship. Available both in a compact 41 mm body and in a more impressive 44 mm case, the chronograph looks a lot more original, comes with two colors of its dial, and is equipped with a high-grade, in-house chronograph movement.
Chopard Grand Prix de Monaco Historique Chrono 2014
Chopard is known for its endless love for all things automotive. During the last two or three years, they have introduced several beautiful sporty timekeepers, and it doesn’t look like they are going to stop churning out new racing-inspired chronographs and three-handers any time soon.
Coming in a flashy black-and-yellow (a color scheme, which is often associated with Chevrolet’s Corvette Racing team, although I am not sure whether the similarity is intentional or purely coincidental), the Chopard Grand Prix de Monaco Historique Chrono 2014 (ref. 168570-3001) will not go unnoticed even if you plan to wear it with a Hawaiian shirt.
Ball Watches Fireman Storm Chaser Pro
Ball Watches has released the facelifted version of the Ball Fireman Storm Chaser Pro (ref. CM3090C-L1J-BK) during the Baselworld 2014 show. The refreshed watch features a finely executed telemeter scale and packs within its medium-sized 42 mm stainless steel body the same cal. RR1402 automatic chronograph movement, but now looks a lot more elegant than the previous iteration of the timepiece. It’s almost as if Porsche has released its current-gen Cayenne performance SUV with its gorgeous exterior and plush interior without sacrificing all the off-road goodness of the first-gen model.
Royal Ebony: Breitling for Bentley 6.75 Midnight Carbon
The limited-edition Breitling for Bentley 6.75 Midnight Carbon first appeared on March 5, 2014. Created in partnership with the German-owned, British-based maker of ultra-luxury cars, the monstrous timepiece features all the usual design elements and, as usual, comes in a fairly small lot of 1000 individually numbered pieces. It sports a sexy black (or very dark grey) finish that, unlike models treated with the PVD coating process, is a lot more durable in the long run.
Oris Big Crown Timer Chronograph 675 7648 4234 LS
Based on their 2011 Big Crown X1 Calculator, the Oris Big Crown Timer Chronograph (Ref. 675 7648 4234 LS) features only subtle cosmetic changes that, however, make all the difference: as cluttered as the base version is, the gadget still somehow manages to look cleaner and is easier to read.