Baselworld is always filled with jaw-dropping sights and sounds, and though some of the industry’s big guns seemed content to showcase mere color variations and subtle updates of existing pieces, the show floor still presented a good number of surprises. We scoured Baselworld from top to bottom and corner to corner to determine which of the year’s latest releases to shop for later this year. Chanel Monsieur de Chanel Though a few years behind the likes of Ralph Lauren and Hermès, Chanel’s freshman foray into men’s luxury watchmaking proves truly exceptional. The Monsieur de Chanel is a stunning though understated piece of hardware boasting a gorgeous in-house movement with jumping hours and retrograde minutes. This piece will garner plenty of attention from those “in the know.” White gold, $36,000; beige gold, $34,500. chanel.com Bell & Ross BR-X1 Hyperstellar Bell & Ross has always done big and bold aviation instrument-inspired watches quite well, but the BR-X1 Hyperstellar takes matters into the upper stratosphere. A combination of titanium and bright blue aluminum alloy makes the piece as visually stunning as it is practical for those entering outer orbit. Bell & Ross went out of its way to make this piece a genuine candidate for astronauts and cosmonauts around the globe by combining lightweight components with the functionality of ultra-wide chronograph pushers you could operate through a spacesuit. That said, plenty of us more grounded individuals would happily add it to our personal collections. bellross.com Seiko Presage Chronograph No doubt at least a few collectors will shake their heads and wonder why Seiko made this list. Before anyone gets too far ahead of themselves, the brand continues to make extraordinary headway into the realm of haute horlogerie with the majority of its Grand Seiko offerings, and this Presage chronograph is nearly impossible to beat in terms of a value-per-dollar proposition. Available in either a traditional white enamel dial or a remarkably deep black handworked urushi lacquer, this sleek 42mm chronograph wears brilliantly on the wrist. With plain mass-produced chronographs in the $4,000–5,000 range saturating the market, this Seiko gem truly provides a breath of fresh air. White enamel, $2,300; black lacquer, $2,600. www.seikowatches.com