Bulgari
"If you don't think of Bulgari as a serious watch company, think again. This year's Octo Finissimo Automatic isn't just sleekly elegant -- it's also currently the thinnest mechanical timepiece made anywhere in the world." -- Jack Forster
Seiko
"This model is a near-perfect reproduction of the very first dive watch Seiko ever made, in 1965 -- but upgrades like a tougher case, better water resistance, and improved accuracy, make this a thoroughly modern watch." -- Jack Forster
patek philippe
"A perpetual calendar from Patek Philippe is always something to pay attention to, but this year's new introduction offers something for the connoisseurs. It has several traits only seen before on vintage watches -- luminous hands, a cream dial and center seconds. The mono-block stepped case is sure to delight all vintage watch lovers." -- Benjamin Clymer
chanel
"Last year the star of the fair (at least in my eyes) was the Monsieur de Chanel with new in-house caliber 1 movement. This year Chanel followed up with the Première Camélia Skeleton watch with the caliber 2, an in-house movement designed to look like a Camélia flower. A fashion brand taking its watch movements seriously? Yes, please." -- Cara Barrett
Grand Seiko
"This year was a big one for Seiko, having turned Grand Seiko into an independent branch of the manufacturer. Kicking off the new Grand Seiko collection are three 38mm time only watches with a vintage feel, the SBGW251, SBGW252, and the SBGW253 in platinum, yellow gold, and steel respectively. The steel version is my favorite -- not only for its simplicity, wearability, and accurate manual-winding movement, but because it costs $5,700." -- Cara Barrett
Breguet
"Breguet holds onto tradition, hopefully and stubbornly, with a new version of the Classique 7147. A time-only dress watch powered by an ultra-thin movement, it now comes with a grand feu enamel dial. The hours and minutes are delicately painted by hand with a fine paint brush. We love it. It may not be very novel, but it's what Breguet does best." -- Arthur Touchot
rolex
"The Datejust is arguably the most well known watch, made by the most well-known watch manufacturer, and our familiarity guarantees very little in the way of superficial changes. But where Rolex can make improvements, Rolex will. Last year, the Datejust 41 welcomed a new in-house chronometer-certified movement guaranteed to minus two and plus two seconds per day, but it was only available in precious metal cases. Rolex gives us a stainless steel version this year with a more friendly price tag." -- Arthur Touchot
Hermes
"This year, Hermès doubled down on the elegant Slim collection and released a stunning perpetual calendar with blue dial, and the less expected Heure Impatiente. The latter presents a unique take on the alarm complication, in order to highlight a special moment worth celebrating -- it is quite a poetic interpretation of time." -- Louis Westphalen
"Vintage-inspired watches were plentiful this year, with Omega at the forefront of this trend. The Limited Edition Railmaster kept the look and dimensions that I loved in the 1957 original, while embracing the latest technologies available for its anti-magnetic movement. It is safe to predict that the 3,557 pieces will be gone fast." -- Louis Westphalen
Romain Gauthier
"This tiny independent brand makes fewer than 100 watches per year and every piece is a work of art. The combination of legitimate engineering innovation and some of the finest aesthetic finishing you'll find on any watch anywhere makes Gauthier's latest creation truly special." -- Stephen Pulvirent
NOMOS Glashütte
"When you talk about watches that offer value for money, NOMOS is always a part of the conversation. I've long liked the Club collection, but to me this is the logical conclusion of where the watch has been going for years, with a slim automatic movement, balanced 37mm case, and tasteful colors." -- Stephen Pulvirent

Editor’s Note: This is part of a series dedicated to Baselworld 2017. Cara Barrett is editor of online specialist watch magazine Hodinkee.

CNN  — 

Each year, just as the snow below the Swiss Alps starts to melt, over 120,000 people descend on a little town called Basel, for the world’s largest watch and jewelry fair.

Collectors, journalists, retailers, and plain old watch geeks, all flock to Baselworld. All of them are packed in to a 1.5 million square foot arena filled with temporary luxury boutiques (where you can’t actually buy anything) showcasing tons of the latest models.

Despite this edition being slightly quieter than previous years, there was still a lot to see and plenty of trends to be examined.

Trending timepieces

Vintage-inspired pieces were everywhere. Omega, TAG Heuer, and Seiko (to name just a few), all released major timepieces with cues from their vintage predecessors.

One that was particularly exciting was the Longines Heritage 1945, a time-only model inspired by the personal watch of Hodinkee founder, Benjamin Clymer.

Longines
Longines Heritage 1945

The second most notable vintage-inspired collection came from Omega, which released a trilogy of piece-for-piece remakes of watches that were originally launched in 1957.

The set includes a Railmaster, a Speedmaster, and Seamaster, and collectors were swarming around Omega’s booth from the moment the show doors opened.

Facing a fall in sales

Much like at SIHH in January, it was clear that brands were feeling the burn of declining sales. Consequently a lot of watches we saw had lower price points and offered great value for money.

Grand Seiko
Grand Seiko SBGW253

One particular star was the Grand Seiko SBGW253 in steel, which features an in-house caliber 9S64 movement and old-school good looks for $5,700.

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NOMOS Glashütte, ever the favorite among minimalists, added the Club Campus to its line-up.

Available in either 36mm and 38mm, the watch features an unusual dial with both Roman and Arabic numerals and flashes of bright color. It retails for approximately $1,500, depending on which model you choose.

The world’s biggest horological bonanza had some clear highs and lows. But, despite experiencing some doom-and-gloom of late, the watch industry is looking optimistically into the future.