General stars at BaselWorld 2010

ATLANTIC

Blackshark

Dressed in black PVD steel, the Blackshark has an impressive array of functions and technical features. These are underscored by the strong character of this all-black timepiece with its wave-decorated dial. Water-resistant to 300 metres, this latest watch from Atlantic is like a call from the sea.

Balmain

Bellafina Chrono

The Bellafina Chrono, the latest brainchild from the Maison de St-Imier, is original in more ways than one. Its name gives it airs of a diva. And the thirty-six Wesselton diamonds lighting up its harmonious curves undeniably boost its prestige. As if to highlight that all wrists can be adorned with luxury at modest price by Balmain, the master of setting into steel.

Despite showing all the firmly sporty and trendy traits of a chrono, the Bellafina Chrono nevertheless has a classical and tremendously elegant air, conveyed principally by the generous figures on its dial and a return to original arabesques. Arabesques found at the end of the 1980s on the very first Balmain watches.

Bellafina Chrono is no different from any other diva. Its original, even extravagant feature, is visually stunning: a strap narrowing near the clasp to wed feminine forms more intimately. A first for Balmain. The strap also has a double-snap clasp, which is more comfortable and convenient. Most new collections will have this double-snap clasp in future.

DOXA

SUB 800 Ti Professional

Using a unique technology for the hourmarkers and hands, the SUB 800Ti guarantees extraordinary luminosity in conditions of the poorest visibility. Constructed in titanium, it is both highly resistant and light and meets the most exacting demands of deep-sea diving.

FREDERIQUE CONSTANT

Maxime Manufacture Lady

With its FC-700 calibre – a Frédérique Constant creation from A to Z – the Maxime Manufacture Lady is as technical as it is elegant. A combination of horological mastery and aesthetic refinement, it will surpass the expectations of the modern woman wishing to return to real values.

HERMES

Clipper 44 mm Mechanical Chronograph

This year, the legendary Clipper has adopted a 44mm case in titanium, undoubtedly an allusion to the world of sailing where this material is highly prized for its high performance and lightness. The reference to the famous three-master that has given its name to this collection is even more striking. Inside the case, an automatic chronograph movement, a marvel of reliability and precision, gives rhythm to time and, for an instant, suspends its flight. Offered in a variety of sizes, the range has not lost any of its original elegance. Nor any of its allure, which evokes the famous sailboat’s porthole