When it comes to watches, men are spoilt for choice. There are not only watches of every conceivable size and shape, but the selection ranges from the most elegant timepieces, with uncluttered dials and just two or three hands, to watches with endless additional features. New models are introduced each year in Basel and just when it seems that everything that could be designed has been designed, a new raft of ideas is introduced by watchmakers who seem to be endlessly creative. Men's watches fall into many categories. There are those which appeal purely because of their classical good looks, while others are popular because of the name on the dial and the reputation of the manufacturer. Some men are influenced by design, some by functions and others, often the collectors, by the movement inside the watch. For pure elegance and classical styling, Patek Philippe is one of the first brands that comes to mind. In Basel this year it introduced new interpretations of some of its flagship models by underscoring their personalities, optimising their readability and subtly updating them. The celebrated World Time watch, considered unmatched in terms of ease of use, is now in a slightly larger case, which helps make the dial legible. The Calatrava, with the distinctive hobnail (Clous de Paris) pattern on the bezel, also has a slightly larger case, emphasising its ultra-thin profile. The Annual Calendar Chronograph 5960P is the first new chronograph introduced by Patek Philippe for some time but the wait has been worthwhile, because this new model is equipped with the first automatic chronograph movement crafted entirely in-house. This year Chopard has provided an enviable lesson in elegance with the introduction of its ultra-thin L.U.C Haute Horlogerie collection. It is available in white or yellow gold with a choice of two dials in contrasting styles. Breitling adds a surprise with a new, rectangular-shaped watch added to its Breitling for Bentley collection. The Flying B is the first time the brand has made a rectangular case. The Calibre 28B movement has a jumping hour mechanism, is self-winding and is officially chronometer-certified by the COSC. Rolex watches change little over the years because they are based on such a strong concept, the Oyster. But the company is not afraid to embrace the latest technology. This year there is a new regulator watch, the GMT Master II, which features the use of ceramic on the bezel. Having been bombarded for the past few years by ultra complex watches with cluttered dials, some men are beginning to yearn for simplicity and elegance. Longines has come to their rescue with the Clous de Paris collection, an addition to its top-range mechanical models. In this new collection the pyramid-shaped decoration has been used on men's power reserve and chronograph models in round, stainless steel cases. The de Grisogono brand unveiled two noteworthy watches in Basel this year: the Instrumento Grande Open Date in 18-carat rose gold and the FG One. It has an automatic movement and makes a bold design feature of the date rings, with the date appearing in a window at 6 o'clock. It has a sapphire case back and lateral window and is water resistant to 30 metres. The FG One - FG being the initials of Fawaz Gruosi, the owner and chief designer of the company - has a rectangular case with bold ridges from top to bottom. The jumping hour is in a window at 12 o'clock, the minutes are displayed on a retrograde 0 - 60 scale in the upper part of the dial and a second time zone, with a progressive hour change, is displayed in a window at 6 o'clock. The curved, wedge-shaped display at the bottom of the case shows the seconds and, in a circular window on the right-hand side, a day/night indication for the second time zone. Longines also demonstrated it is closely in touch with trends by launching the Spirit collection, based on a chronograph from the 1920s. Several companies anticipated a return to interest in retro styles in Basel this year. The Spirit collection with its skeleton pear hands and distinctive superluminova-coated Arabic numerals is a fine example. In its Timepieces Heritage collection, Burberry has introduced a collection of men's watches that are updated modern classics, complementing the spring 2006 Burberry Prorsum collection, inspired by the late Lord Lichfield from the 1960s. These watches have a barrel-shaped case, clean lines, a textured dial and either a leather strap or an articulated metal bracelet. The Burberry Timepieces Endurance range links back to the days of exploration in the Antarctic, when Burberry equipped teams trying to reach the South Pole. The collection is innovative and sporty and the dials feature a map of the Antarctic. Many men have a preference for sports watches. This year has brought a good crop of new models to choose from. For the sports and travel enthusiast there is Chopard's L.U.C Pro One GMT, which should delight devotees of high performance. Tudor's Sport collection comprises five models including the steel diver's Hydronaut II with an engraved and polished rotatable unidirectional bezel. It features a white dial and luminous hour markers and hands. For those who prefer a macho look, Graham has some chronographs perfect for men who think big. The Chronofighter Oversize Overlord Mark II matches its rugged looks with a new bicompax chronograph movement, Calibre G1732. Zenith likes to spring a few surprises each year: this year it was in the form of the Defy Xtreme range of sport-chic watches. They combine avant-garde technology with unique style and top performance. The cases are made entirely from black titanium and are water resistant to 1,000 metres. This year in Basel, Jacob Arabo, owner and chief executive of Jacob & Co, showed a limited-edition mechanical tourbillon watch called the Quenttin which astounded many watch enthusiasts by offering a power reserve of 31 days, using seven spring barrels - an unprecedented development. The resulting wristwatch weighs almost 0.5kg.