The best of Baselworld: iconic watches through the ages

Watch expert and author of "Icons of Style" Josh Sims, shares his personal selection of the most notable watches at Baselworld over the years. —

Omega Seamaster Diver 300m coaxial --Launched in 1957, this is unarguably one of Omega's design icons. The latest model comes with George Daniels' benchmark co-axial escapement.

courtesy Omega

Ressence Type 3 —

This young Belgian company's watch breaks all the rules. The first oil-filled mechanical watch, an all glass case and signature orbital discs display. This model, the Type 3, was launched in 2013 -

Courtesy Ressence

Bell and Ross BR01 —

Large, square and an homage to cockpit instrumentation, with the BR01, young company Bell & Ross struck gold in 2005 with a counter-intuitive watch that became widely copied.

courtesy Bell & Ross

Rolex Submariner Green Bezel —

This design classic dates back to 1953. This version in green ushered in a new interest in bolder colour in watch design.

courtesy Rolex

Omega Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon —

This 2015 edition, of the only watch to have gone to the moon in 1969 on the Apollo 11, makes an obvious joke into a sophisticated watch.

Courtesy Omega

Jaeger-LeCoultre Duometre —

Take two separate watch movements and make them share a regulating organ. The result? A ground-breaking movement for a dual-time display piece, first seen in 2007.

Courtesy Jaeger Le Coultre

Grand Seiko Spring Drive —

Seiko's pioneering spring drive provided 72 hours of reserve power, then 1998's Grand Seiko line reminded everyone that not all Japanese watches are cheap digitals.

Courtesy Seiko

Glashutte Senator —

I would choose the signature 1911 piece from a brand that disappeared into the wilderness following the Soviet control of East Germany, only to return triumphant again in recent decades.

Courtesy Glashutte

Breguet Type XXI —

Often called the most beautiful of pilot's watches, this piece, with its flyback minute totalizer, follows the Type XX, designed for the French airforce in the 1950s.

Courtesy Breguet

Breitling Chrono Avenger —

Introduced in 2001, the model put forward the use of titanium and re-defined the technical extremities of performance. And they called it the Avenger. It doesn't get more macho.

Courtesy Breitling

Tag Heuer Monaco —

Originally produced in 1969, famously worn by Steve McQueen, Tag Heuer kickstarted a trend for re-issues when it brought the blue dial model back from the archives.

courtesy Tag Heuer

Citizen Eco-Drive Satellite Wave F900 —

A revolutionary idea in 1995, a quartz watch that never needs a battery. The Eco-drive pioneered the use of solar tech to power a performance timepiece.

Courtesy Citizen

Tudor Black Bay —

The watch that, in 2012, relaunched Tudor as arguably the coolest watch company bar none. Often cited as the best investment piece around at the moment.

Courtesy Tudor

Tissot T Touch Classic —

Think smart watches are new? Tissot introduced the first watch with a touch sensitive dial in 1999.

Courtesy Tissot

Zenith El Primero chronograph —

Introduced in 1969, the El Primero mechanical movement was the first to measure time to 1/10th of a second and became a watchmaking legend in its own right.

Courtesy Zenith

Casio G-Shock —

Casio famously tested this digital - first launched in 1983 -by throwing it from the top story of its Japanese HQ. Probably the toughest watch ever made.

Patek Philippe Calatrava —

The 1985 3919 model may be the most popular, but the Patek Philippe Calatrava dates back to 1932.

Courtesy Patek Philippe

Hermes Slim d'Hermes —

Introduced in 2015, this was the first watch to employ a graphic designer outside of the watch industry to devise the numerals.

Courtesy Hermes

Swatch, 'Black and white' —

The most basic of all watches - utmost clarity and a simple quartz movement - yet totally ground-breaking. Having originally launched in 1983, Swatch has become more of a culture than a timepiece.

Courtesy Swatch