The best of Baselworld’s affordable watches

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The best of Baselworld’s affordable watches - Baselworld 2019
2 minutes read
The watch industry is pursuing its drive to make fine watches (somewhat) more accessible for the masses. Alongside their superior models, most brands also offer at least one collection at a “reasonable” price point, without compromising on quality or creativity. We take a look at some of the best of the affordables.

The new Aikon Venturer by Maurice Lacroix

This exercise has been attempted many times, and promises to be a staple for some time to come. The quest for the ultimate watch for millennials continues. It must be sporty and elegant, perfectly finished, with plenty of character, and affordable at the same time. Maurice Lacroix’s proposal is definitely worth a second look. The Aikon has found its feet, its identity. We love the satin-polished surfaces and polished edges, the logo on the strap (which can be changed without tools), the caseback with the original “Jura waves” design, the automatic calibre, the modern styling, and the price of CHF 1,850. Well done!

The best of Baselworld’s affordable watches

The Nautilo by Anonimo goes vintage

Anonimo’s flagship Nautilo collection is taking a detour into vintage territory, with a vividly coloured dial in an original shade of blue-green. Its magnificent sunburst finish draws the eye into the dial, where we find the 12, 4 and 8 o’clock markers subtly highlighted with double strokes. The crown at 4 o’clock adds to its originality. The ceramic bezel guarantees resistance to shocks and scratches, and the case is water resistant to 200 metres. Despite the minor quibble that the power reserve last only 38 hours, for CHF 2,290 this Nautilo Vintage Blue will nevertheless be the ideal companion for a glorious summer.

The best of Baselworld’s affordable watches

Buy a Nautilo?

Unbeatable Alpina

The sports brand of the Frédérique Constant group, which has now moved into Citizen’s orbit, continues to pursue its goal of increased affordability, as its CEO recently explained to WorldTempus. This has translated into more aggressively priced models from the company’s flagship ranges. The direction was confirmed at Baselworld, with the release of a quartz version of the famous Alpiner. This tool watch par excellence offers a colourful, dynamic aesthetic, with a boldly trendy vintage strap, for just CHF 670. Go on, you know it makes sense!

The best of Baselworld’s affordable watches

Buy an Alpiner Quartz?

Seiko, porcelain perfection

The Japanese manufacture continues to confidently tread the path between tradition (artistic crafts, inspiration from nature) and modernity (manufacture calibres). The new Presage Arita Porcelain is a perfect illustration of this synthesis. This boldly original model has a dial made of porcelain, a centuries-old Japanese craft. While from a distance it could be mistaken for a simple white lacquered dial, a closer examination reveals the beauty and smoothness of its surface texture, its uneven reflections and the delicate painting of its markers. Genuine aesthetic pleasure, a manufacture calibre, and an original approach in an often predictable watchmaking landscape, for around CHF 2,000.

The best of Baselworld’s affordable watches

TAG Heuer scores a hole in one

And finally, while connected watches were not particularly in the spotlight, the TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 “Golf” deserves an honourable mention. Linked to a dedicated app, its main feature is to provide a 3D rendering of golf courses – more than 39,000 of them! The watch indicates the course layout, measures the distance to the greens and indicates the location of bunkers and hazards, in 2D or 3D, tracks shot distances and records matches with up to 4 players, for a price of CHF 1,950. The timepiece comes with a generously sized touch screen, but the light titanium case makes it easy to forget its size.

The best of Baselworld’s affordable watches

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