Before we bring you the latest from the watch world in Basel, let’s take a look back at some of the best watches released at Baselworld. Here are our top picks – four of the most iconic watches ever made.

 Rolex Submariner

The first ever Rolex Submariner was released publically in 1954 at Baselworld, which was known as the Basel Watch Fair at the time. Part of the brand’s Oyster Perpetual line, the watch was an instant hit tanks to its superb water resistance. It has since become a classic, and that’s why it’s actually one of the most counterfeited models out there. The model with a green bezel shown here was also pioneering; it brought in an era of bold colours in the design of watches.

 TAG Heuer Monaco

TAG Heuer followed that bold colour trend in the 1960s, launching the iconic Monaco wristwatch in 1969. An homage to the Monaco Grand Prix, the watch was made even more famous by actor Steve McQueen in his movie le Mans. The TAG Heuer Monaco was a leader in its day, as the first square cased automatic chronograph.

Grand Seiko Spring Drive

At Baselworld in 1998, Seiko reminded everyone that they can do more than just affordable quartz watches. That year, the Japanese brand released the Grand Seiko Spring Drive, which introduced to the world a revolutionary new movement that provided a truly continuous movement of the second hand. The technology was actually developed back in 1977 and resulted in hundreds of new patents. It would take two decades for the public to learn of this engineering feat, which firmly established Seiko as a player in the luxury watch space.

 Omega Speedmaster “Dark Side of the Moon”

This is the newest timepiece on the list by far – having been presented at Baselworld only last year. But the new Omega Speedmaster was an instant classic. The brand’s new take on the legendary Speedmaster – the first watch that went the moon – also has a bit of a sense of humour, as the name suggests. And the “Dark Side of the Moon” was true to its name, featuring a matte black ceramic case, and powered by the in-house made Co-Axial caliber 9300.

Stay tuned for the best new releases from Baselworld 2016 in the next Baselworld Brief!