The face of luxury

Previous Next

Swiss manufacturer Rolex is one of the most well-known brands and the world's largest luxury watch brand. The privately-held company, founded in 1905 in London, produces around 2,000 watches each day. EQ images

Last preparations are made at Glashütte Original ahead of the opening of Baselworld. The German brand was founded in 1994 but traces its roots to companies founded in 1845. The brand is owned by Switzerland's Swatch Group.

Omega's Speedmaster Moonwatch Apollo Soyuz Limited Edition is on display at Baselworld. The manuel chronograph was introduced in 1957 and used by Nasa for its Apollo Program. It was the first watch worn on the Moon.

Italy's Meccaniche Veloci introduced the Quattro Valvole in 2005. Luxury watchmakers are going back to basics with classic designs, as industry players at the world's biggest watch fair warn that the "years of extravagance" are over. AFP

Swatch watches were first introduced in 1983. The brand currently has five families. The company has worked with numerous designers and its watches reached great popularity in the mid-1980s. EQ images

Omega's first Seamaster was produced in 1947 and the Swiss brand has since introduced numerous models with different colours, bracelets, movements and casing sizes. The company is showing off the the Seamaster Aqua Terra XXL Small Seconds Limited Edition in Basel. Keystone

Switzerland's Century traces its roots to 1929, to the family of Hans Ulrich Klingenberg. The company was founded in 1966 in Biel, the country's watchmaking region, and is now headed by the founder's son, Philip. Century's timepieces are split between five collections. EQ images

Christian Dior released its first watch, the Black Moon, in 1975. The fashion house, founded in 1946, is part of the LVMH luxury conglomerate. Dior Horlogerie has its own production facility at La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. AFP

Napoleon's watchmaker was born in Bourges, France in 1768. The company named after him, Les Ateliers Louis Moinet, is located in the foothills of Switzerland's Jura mountains. This "Jurassic Tourbillon" watch features a piece of dinosaur bone.

Italy's Chronotech produces the Prisma Dark Color. This piece is not the first to feature a skull and crossbones. Swiss brand Bell & Ross also makes a limited edition version of its Airborne watch featuring the same distinctive symbol. AFP

Geneva-based Hublot produces some of the most unique industrial timepieces. The "Big Bang Out of Africa" model incorporates ceramics, white gold, titanium and 48 red spinel stones. The company will donate a percentage of sales to the African Wildlife Foundation.

Patek Philippe traces its roots to 1839, when Polish immigrants Antoni Patek and Franciszek Czapek made their first pocket watch. The company was founded in 1851 and made its first wristwatch in 1868. A Patek pocket watch made for American banker Henry Graves Jr. in 1938 sold for $11 million ($10.4 million) in 1999. Keystone

• Picture 1
• Picture 2
• Picture 3
• Picture 4
• Picture 5
• Picture 6
• Picture 7
• Picture 8
• Picture 9
• Picture 10
• Picture 11
• Picture 12

Stunning timepieces from Baselworld, the largest global watch and jewellery show.

Baselworld brings together exhibitors from around the world in the city of Basel and attracts up to 100,000 visitors each year. The 2010 show runs from March 18 to March 25. (Pictures: Keystone/AFP/EQ Images/Hublot/Louis Moinet)