Look Book

26 www.thejewelrybook.com A R A I N B O W F O R T H E W R I S S T WAT C H R E P O R T 46 www.thejewelrybook.com 46 www.thejewelrybook.com B A S E L W O R L D WAT C H Y O U R S E L F "It is unlike any trade show you've ever stepped foot in." "Wait until you see Hall 1. Prepare to have your mind blown." "I hope you like giant fi sh tanks." These are just a few of the remarks made to me by colleagues who had been to Baselworld, upon hearing that I would be headed there for the fi rst time in my twenty- year career. I had recently launched a watch blog geared toward women and was excited to have a reason to go, so I ordered some super fancy business cards (thanks, MOO), booked a hotel room in Zurich (because as a newbie, I didn't know any better), and dug out my 1940's vintage Longines (in the hopes of impressing anyone who cared). I was packed! I was ready! I was prepared! But really, I most certainly was not. Ho. Lee. Mo. Lee. Everyone was right. This place was like nothing – and I've been to a lot of places in my forty-three years on planet Earth – NOTHING I'd ever seen. The booths on the main fl oor of Hall 1 were bigger than my elementary school, not to mention they had much nicer lighting fi xtures and served more nutritious lunches. I half expected to see Kylo Ren step foot out of Hublot with its darkened interior and Death Star-like vibe. Those exiting the Hermès booth carried large orange shopping bags, leading me to wonder just how big their new watch dials were being made this year. Tag Heuer verti- cally suspended a Formula 1 racecar from one of its walls – which, by the way, is a wall I made sure I didn't go anywhere near – and built into Breitling's booth was the afore- mentioned giant fi sh tank containing 650 jellyfi sh, as if I didn't have enough to overload my senses to a Willy Wonka-like level. With roughly 150,000 people – 4,000 of who are journalists – passing through the various halls of the 1.5 million square foot space (yes, you read that correctly) it's easy to get overwhelmed and even easier to get lost, but thankfully a 6'6" model is almost always nearby to help guide you in the appropriate direction while simultaneously making you hate your outfi t. Once the initial shock and awe part of the experience passed, it was time for me to get down to why I was there in the fi rst place: to check out what was new, hip, and trending in the watch universe. What I saw, thankfully, was a lot more in terms of women's watches than I had expected to see originally, many of which, to my delight, Watch Yourself Baselworld through the Eyes of a Newbie BY BARBARA PALUMBO There is just something about a pop of color that can brighten the most dismal of days, and when color is displayed in a prismatic fashion – otherwise known as "rainbows" – it can often take us to a place in time that was happy, beautiful, and memorable. The world's fi nest Swiss watchmakers have embraced bright hues more than ever before by offering watches for both women and men in all the colors of the spectrum and containing a variety of movement types. Here are six vivid and vibrant watches suitable for summertime sips of sangria while hanging out by the pool. Six Summer Watches to Color Your World ORANGE Diagono Scuba by BVLGARI Also released prior to the sum- mer of 2017 was the BVLGARI Diagono Scuba watch in stunningly vibrant colors like the orange one you see here. First re-released in 2015, the Diagono Scuba was only available in black or white and with either a stainless-steel case or stain- less and 18K pink gold two-tone case. This version, however, gives a citrusy brightness to a watch that is truly meant to be worn in the water, and with a 300m wa- ter resistance and rotating diver's bezel, it almost beckons you to go as deeply as you're able for the sake of all things fun. RED La Sirène Rubis by Ateliers deMonaco In March of 2017, watch brand Ateliers deMonaco introduced a ruby version of their La Sirène collection watch which was deco- rated in stunningly red rubies, pink sapphires, and white diamonds on both the watch's bezel and its dial. The timepiece – while not having a completely red dial – is still an ideal representation of the sen- sual crimson color due not only to its selected gemstones, but also because of the beautifully hand- stitched red alligator strap. BY BARBARA PALUMBO

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