Their presence is unmistakable at Basel. Taking pride of place in the Hall of Dreams, the Swatch Group wove a web of magic around their brands with larger than life stalls and inspiring collections. Four of their brands that stood out amidst the other stalwarts were Breguet, Blancpain, Jaquet Droz and Omega. Each of them had an exclusive launch up their sleeve and treated watch lovers to specials from the other collections. Here are some prominent ones that caught our attention.

Breguet's classic's in new versions

The hero of Breguet's BaselWorld launches is the Classique 5717 Hora Mundi. The first mechanical timepiece with an instant-jump time-zone display, it allows the traveller to easily display the time in two pre-selected time zones, changing instantly from one to the other by pressing a button, without disturbing the operation of the watch. Made of 18-carat red gold or 950 platinum, three versions of the dial are available, each representing one part of the world. The new version also features a gold dial, hand-engraved on a rose engine with a wave motif beneath a translucent lacquer and is paired with an alligator leather strap. Breguet had some other spectaculars in their collection too. The Classique 7337 (red gold version), Marine Tourbillon 5837 wristwatch in platinum and new silvered dial and a red gold version of the Reine De Naples 8918. For women, the Reine De Naples is a sheer delight to hold. Crafted as a tribute to the wristwatch that the Queen of Naples ordered from Abraham-Louis Breguet, its soft ovoid shape and distinctive strap lug are iconic characteristics that are carried forward in the new version.

A ‘Grande' Jaquet Droz

It's a tourbillon that was a winner for the brand this year in the form of two exclusive timepieces associating one of its most symbolic models – the Grande Seconde. It comes in a white gold case with Cotes de Geneve dial or red gold case with a Grand Feu enamelled dial.

The tourbillon carriage is crafted from sapphire crystal, an innovation from Jauqet Droz and the tourbillon is placed at the heart of the seconds subdial, inside the brand's trademark figure-8 shaped ring, applied to the dial.

Blancpain's smashing new Villeret

A reinterpretation of its 2010 Villeret collection, the Villeret Demi-Fuseau Horaire is Blancpain's first Half-Time-Zone watch that serves to adjust the second time zone in half-hour increments. This new 321-part self-winding mechanism is endowed with a 72-hour power reserve and a pusher located on the head of the crown helps to select fast correction or half time-zone adjustment mode. Housing the precious mechanism is a half-hunter case in red gold, fitted with a sapphire crystal case-back revealing the movement and the guilloche-work oscillating weight. The opaline dial is highlighted with red gold hour-markers and teamed with an alvazel-lined leather strap.

Omega's offering for ‘her' and ‘him'

Omega had two interesting timepieces at this year's edition of BaselWorld – The Omega Ladymatic and Seamaster Planet Ocean collection. The alluring Ladymatic is femininity personified in its fluid “wave” concept that takes the form of a relief wave pattern on the super-durable ceramic ring and dazzling diamonds. But beauty is within and Omega reiterates that with the Co-Axial calibre 8520/8521, said to be the best women's mechanical watch movement in the world.

The new Planet Ocean family is also set to take the plunge like its predecessors with unidirectional rotating bezels, helium escape valves and water resistance to 600 meters. The Seamaster Planet Ocean 45.50mm Titanium and Liquidmetal, calibre 8500 was a favourite with a blue ceramic bezel and matching integrated rubber strap.

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