Keith W. Strandberg, contributing writer:"I visited with Oakley today and the company is getting serious about watches, committing that its entire product range will be completely Swiss Made in the near future. Some lines which are not currently Swiss Made will either be upgraded to Swiss or discontinued. Oakley, a truly cutting edge line in terms of design and materials, is introducing the Oakley Time Tank this Basel. The Time Tank is a huge sports/lifestyle watch that is very striking on the wrist, big but not overbearing with a very interesting design and execution of the bracelet. There is really nothing out there like it and I was impressed by it.
The good news from Carl F. Bucherer is that the Patravi TravelTec GMT is finally finished and ready to be delivered. The watch was introduced at BaselWorld last year, but the watch is so complicated and uses so many new technologies and developments, it took quite some time to get it right and to make sure it stood up to the demands of the watch buying public. Now, it's ready to go and it really is a very attractive watch and should be a huge seller.
“At Dubey & Schaldenbrand, I saw a great new watch called the Spiro-Verso VIP, where the entire case can be picked up and turned over, all the better to showcase the company's beautifully decorated movements through the sapphire crystal exhibition back.
”Breitling has a great new watch, the Flying B, in their Bentley collection which is a great departure in case shape for the company. The company felt they could do something different within the Bentley collection and the watch really looks good.
“Zenith showed off its newest collection and it is stunning. The most unforgettable collections were the Defy Extreme and the Ladies Star Sky Open and the Star Sea Open. In the Defy Extreme collection, Zenith has a bold new design that includes new architecture, new materials and a tough new attitude. There are styling cues that the watches are still Zenith, but it's definitely an interesting direction for the brand.”


Malcolm Lakin, Managing Editor: “It's been one of those days! No breakfast, no lunch and I get the feeling nobody loves me! Be that as it may, I paid a visit to Fortis, a brand exhibiting outside the fair, but with some superb models that not only look great but that are actually used by Cosmonauts working in space. This was following by a brief look at Gucci's new collections and I can assure you there is a dramatic change in their designs. There's a new lady's bangle with a pivoting watch, the Twirl, and a delightful men's watch called Guccio Gucci.
”British Masters has come out with a new Chronofighter and Swordfish in their Graham collection and a couple of superb new pieces in their Arnold & Son collection, which includes a magnificent tourbillon.
“Volltime extended quite dramatically their line of reversible watches, some brilliantly set with diamonds. To add a touch of elegance and sport to the day, Adriana and Christian Karembar, glamorous model and ex-professional international footballer, attended the brand's reception in the Hall of Inspirations (Halle 4).
”An Englishman by the name of Roger Smith, based in the Isle of Man, who had a close horological relationship with George Daniels, has started his own brand, everything hand made and in precious metals (the only thing he doesn’t make is the spring). This is definitely going to be a name to watch. More on this later..."