Five Timepieces to Look For at the Biggest Watch Show of the Year

Baselworld, the annual watch-industry trade fair in Basel, Switzerland, has seen headier times. The brands of industry giant Swatch Group, along with a host of others, have opted out of this year’s fair, continuing a trend that’s seen the number of exhibiting watchmakers dwindle by more than half since 2017 and the exhibition space drastically reduced. Baselworld, however, remains a rite of spring for retailers, media, and influencers worldwide who ply their trade in the horological world, especially because many of the event’s tentpoles—including Rolex, Patek Philippe, Bulgari, and TAG Heuer—remain.

Hundreds of important new timepieces will make their worldwide debut, continuing a tradition that stretches back to the first Schweizer Mustermesse Basel in 1917. Many of these timepieces, of course, are shrouded in secrecy until their unveiling during the week of March 21-26, but here are a handful of notables we’ve had a chance to see thus far.