A Black Bay… in bronze? Baselworld doesn't do prize givings, but if it did, this would have picked up ‘Best in Show’.
Of course, that bronze watch has not only gone on to become an icon in its own right but it set off a chain reaction with every watch manufacturer in the same sector going on to launch bronze equivalents over subsequent years – such is the influence of this forward-thinking watch brand.
That said, it wasn’t really a forward-thinking move, but rather a retrospective tribute. The first known pocket watch made in bronze dates back to 1574; and the first bronze-cased wristwatch of the modern era was made by none other than design god Gerald Genta with his 1990s Gefica. And when it comes to diving, bronze is as old as time.