Baselworld Watch and Jewellery Show is one of the premier showcases within the watch and jewellery industry, and takes place each spring in the Swiss city of Basel. Hosting more than 2,000 exhibitors from more than 40 different countries, the event regularly attracts more than 90,000 visitors to absorb the unique spectacle. The Baselworld 2013 collection of Rolex watches was particularly memorable, and brought together some of the finest timepieces from this titan in the world of luxury watch making.
Here at Banks Lyon, we are extremely proud to have had the opportunity to display this highly prestigious selection of legendary watches. Representing a dream opportunity for horological connoisseurs, the Baselworld 2013 family of watches is entrusted to only a select few official stockists and, with no other stockists to the North of Lancaster until Glasgow, Banks Lyon constitutes one of these elite few venues. The Baselworld 2013 collection consists of an exalted selection of Rolex timepieces including the GMT-Master II, the Yacht-Master II, the Day-Date and the Lady-Datejust Pearlmaster. However there are also a wealth of special edition models on view here at Banks Lyon, including the truly stunning Cosmograph version from the Rolex Daytona family.
The Cosmograph Daytona is an astounding 50th anniversary homage to the emblematic model that was first made famous by Paul Newman, and this brand new timepiece is truly resplendent due to an ice blue dial, a chestnut brown bezel and, astonishingly, it is formed almost entirely out of 950 platinum. Recently modelled by the record breaking 17 time Grand Slam tennis champion Roger Federer, an ambassador that admirably upholds the twin Rolex priorities of excellence and elegance, this iconic piece has taken the world of luxury watches by storm.
However, the Cosmograph Daytona is far from the only attraction to be worthy of note; the Rolex Day-Date collection is also equipped to turn plenty of heads. Notably associated with former US President John F. Kennedy, the Day-Date is well known for displaying the day of the week upon its dial, but the Baselworld 2013 collection pushes this characteristic to unbelievable lengths, creating an extravaganza of white, yellow and rose gold timepieces for every day of the week. The special edition Day-Date is arrayed in platinum with an ice blue dial, and represents a genuine moment of history by making use of a pearl-master bracelet on a gentleman’s watch for the very first time.
An 18 carat yellow gold Rolex GMT Master II is also present, displaying a bewildering array of 30 flawless diamonds. Always a popular model, the utterly unique “Pepsi-Cola” style bezel boasted by one of these special models brings together two world icons into a single wristwatch that really has to be seen to be appreciated fully. Also worthy of comment is the first timepiece to incorporate dual time zones and a 24 hour annual calendar. The rotating ring command bezel of the Rolex Sky-Dweller possesses three unique settings allowing smooth interchanges between the calendar, 24 hour date and original functions, and the model available to view at Banks Lyon also boasts a strap that is only accessible on the rose gold model.
No written work can fully convey the splendour of seeing the Baselworld 2013 Rolex collection with your own eyes, and the only way to truly recognize the value of this gathering of horological royalty is to see them for yourself. The Baselworld 2013 collection is on display until Saturday 21st September, meaning that there are still a few days left to take in this extravaganza of watch making excellence. It is highly unlikely that this stunning collection of timepieces will ever be brought together under one roof again, so make sure you do not miss out on this unique opportunity.
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