COVER CREDITS
Perpetual Calendar
What do you think of when you hear adventure? A wilderness safari in a beaten-up 4x4? Camping in the woods in some remote hilly vale? Mountains? Deserts? Delving into the depths of the ocean?
The bottom line is that adventure means many things to many people. For me, reaching the Lost City in Columbia was about as hardcore a feat of endurance as I could manage. Hint: it really wasn’t that hard. On the other hand, Kristin Harila smashed the world record for summiting the 14 highest peaks in the world. Who’s to say who’s the greater adventurer? Obviously, her, and you can find out more about her epic, globe-spanning expedition on page 67, along with what was on her wrist at the time.
If you fancy something lighter than clambering up Everest at worrying speed – but still want those epic vistas – you might want to look into heli-running. Get dropped at the top of a mountain, run. It’s that simple and just as spectacular as you might expect. Morgan Tilton runs us through the experience on page 88.
And if you’re getting in the adventuring mood, you’ll need the right gear. On the one hand, this issue’s Aficionado on page 19 celebrates some of the coolest things around to make the most of far-flung vistas; on the other, Charlie Thomas suggests a few rugged essentials for your wardrobe, whether you’re setting out to cross the Arctic via sled or the US via Route 66. Find out more on page 73.
Of course, one bit of equipment you can’t be without is your watch. You’re reading this glorious magazine on the subject, after all. For the consummate adventurer, that means something rugged, something that can stand up to the elements. But in this day and age of digital nomads and everyday adventurers, knowing where you’re going – and where you are in the world – is just as key. So check out our everyday beaters shoot on page 98 (courtesy of the excellent Joe Green) and our round-up of the best watches for the globe-trotting explorer on page 107.
That said, not all hardwearing watches are what you’d call ‘everyday’. Take our cover star for example. It’s ostensibly a pilot’s watch, made from super-hard ceramic to stand up to anything, including a crash landing. On the other hand, it’s equipped with a perpetual calendar, a haute horology marvel that you generally wouldn’t imagine is all too suited to knocks. Well, find out just why the IWC Top Gun Lake Tahoe Perpetual Calendar is our cover star this issue – and why it’s an integral part of the Schaffhausen watchmaker’s heritage – on page 38.
Speaking of heritage watches, it’s easy to stick to the well-trod path when discussing watches and adventure. The Speedmaster on the Moon, Rolex summiting Everest, the usual. But at the same time, there are plenty of watches that managed astounding feats of endurance that we just don’t talk about. Unless, of course, you’re Thor Svaboe and have a few pages to do just that. Check those exact pages out on page 53.
Oh, and while you’re at it, you might want to read into Sarah Fergusson’s Unsung Vintage Hero this issue, all about the brand that put the race to the bottom of the ocean into overdrive: Ollech & Wajs and its seminal Caribbean 1,000. And yes, that is 1,000m.
For now, I’m going to try and persuade my wife I really don’t need to summit Killy. You, as ever, stay safe, stay sane and enjoy this issue.
Sam Kessler, Editor
EDITOR
Sam Kessler sam.kessler@opulentmedia.co.uk
ART DIRECTOR
Hicham Kasbi design@opulentmedia.co.uk
SUB EDITOR Hayley Leaver hello@hayleyleaver.com
DIGITAL EDITOR
Michael Sonsino michael.sonsino@opulentmedia.co.uk
Adventure journalist Morgan Tilton has covered outdoor and travel narratives for more than a decade, receiving more than a dozen awards. When she’s not typing, you can find her exploring the Rocky Mountains, where she lives in Crested Butte, Colorado.
Charlie Thomas is a UK-based writer and photographer. An eternal pessimist, he has an equal love of both fine food and KFC. His work has appeared in The Independent , The Times , NME, the London Evening Standard , Tatler and Esquire
A relative newcomer to luxury watches, Michael is OT’s Junior Content Producer. He’s still trying to tell his balance spring from his tourbillon and as such is a fan of timepieces with a simple design, and who can blame him? But if his obsession with miniatures is anything to go by, he has an impressive eye.
Raised in a home full of antiques, Sarah Fergusson’s passion for vintage lead her to pursue a career in the auction world over a decade ago. Now Head of Watches at auctioneer Lyon & Turnbull, she can also be heard co-hosting the Scottish Watches podcast and seen at RedBar events wearing her Chronographe Suisse, or more recently, her Tudor BB58 965.
As the sole Norwegian who doesn’t like snow or climbing mountains, Thor has honed his florid writing skills at Time + Tide, and is now an editor at Fratello Watches . This Viking would fearlessly go into battle under the banner of independent watchmaking, and his endgame watch would be the unique Greubel Forsey Hand Made 1.
DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER Michael Pepper michael@opulentmedia.co.uk
SOCIAL MEDIA EXECUTIVE & VIDEOGRAPHER Fraser Vincent fraser@opulentmedia.co.uk
JUNIOR DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER Kelly Coombes kelly.coombes@opulentmedia.co.uk
JUNIOR CONTENT CREATOR Phillip Hammond Phillip.hammond@opulentmedia.co.uk
PUBLISHER / CO-FOUNDER Mark Edwards mark@opulentmedia.co.uk
MANAGING EDITOR / CO-FOUNDER Tom Pettit tom@opulentmedia.co.uk
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Between
Pride and Opinion with Nico Leonard -
53 — BUILT DIFFERENT
The hero watches that managed astounding feats
67 — THE INTERVIEW
Bremont’s ambassador Kristin Harila discusses her recordbreaking 14 peaks attempt
82 — FIELD DAY
Practical and pioneering workwear from &Sons
88 — HELI-RUNNING
Taking couch to 5K to new heights
98 — HARD TIMES
The everyday beaters that can survive an adventure or two
107 — THE TRAILBLAZERS
The rugged watches to arm yourself with
115 — MEN OF INFLUENCE
Cult designer King Nerd on the Vacheron 222, Nas and wartime instructions
121 — RESTAURANT AND BAR NEWS
The autumn openings to whet your appetite
127 — WATCH REVIEWS
We get hands-on with watches from Longines, TAG Heuer and Charlie Paris
144 UNSUNG VINTAGE HERO
We’ve delved deep for this one from Ollech & Wajs
152 IN FOCUS
A legacy remembered and two power couples that are creating their own
168 — PRIDE AND OPINION WITH NICO LEONARD
The YouTube star calls out celebrities and counterfeits
“Wearing a fake watch, you’re basically saying I don’t give a fuck about heritage”
p168
Trees, rocks, snow, there aren’t many cars out there you can rely on to get you where you want to go through everything nature can throw at you. The new INEOS Grenadier Quartermaster is part of that survivalist crew. A bigger, more extreme take on the Grenadier Station Wagon, the built-to-order beast exists for off-road, with a ladder-frame chassis around a straight-six 3.0L turbo engine and 3.5 tonnes of pulling power. Need to pull a boat up a near-vertical climb? Not sure why you would, but the Quartermaster has you covered. And as you can customise it from the ground up, you can build whatever best suits your own epic adventures. Or just give it a cool paint job. Either works.
From £66,215, ineosgrenadier.com
Good lenses aren’t just a necessity in cameras. If you want to make the most of the view from the top of the mountain, a pair of Leica binoculars will help you get the ultimate eyeful. It’s not just the 10X magnification either, though that obviously helps. The lenses offer high transmission and ultra-brilliant colours, meaning that you don’t lose any of the clarity, while baffle systems suppress stray light, so that you only see what you’re looking at. Surrounded by a rugged yet lightweight ergonomic frame, they’re an ideal companion whether you’re birdwatching or getting an eagle’s eye view of the landscape.
£2,420, leica-camera.com
Your train running is all well and good but if you want to tackle rough terrain with a bit more adrenaline-fuelled speed, you’ll need a solid mountain bike – and the latest-generation Ripmo from Ibis is more than solid. Defined by a steep, 76-degree seat tube angle, it puts you centrally over the pedals for precise control of the bike which, combined with a balanced construction and a wider chain than the previous version, make for a bike that you can test to its limits all day, every day. You’ll never believe how quickly you can tackle a steep slope on two wheels. Available in a number of builds to suit your needs, there’s no ride quite like it.
From $5,899 (approx. £4,650), ibiscycles.com
Local bouldering wall not cutting it for you? Next stop, El Capitan! If you’re planning to tackle a multi-day vertical climb, you’ll need a good night’s sleep during the ascent. Enter Grade VII’s Pod, the lightest portaledge in the world. Well, calling it a portaledge feels a bit strange given that it’s essentially a hardwearing inflatable mattress with a suspension system to hang from any solid anchor. It’s quick and easy to set up and you’ll barely notice its 1.6kg on your back while you’re clambering up the face. Just add a sleeping bag and you’ll have a room with the best view in the world – provided you don’t roll out of bed in the night.
$950 (approx. £750), grade7.com
Even by watchmaking standards 325 years is some serious heritage, a milestone that Swedish axe maestros Hultafors are rightly glad to be celebrating. To do so they’ve done what they do best and… made an axe. A mash-up of axe designs dating back to 1870, the hickory-handled, Swedish steel headed, red and green tool is a serious bit of kit. Weighing in at 2.2lbs (just under a kilo), it’s the goldilocks weight for a hatchet which, combined with its long-lasting edge, will make sure you get the most out of it. It’s about as classic a proper camping tool as you can get, whether you’re having a weekend away or going full Grizzly Adams.
£177, hultafors.com
Audemars Piguet is expanding its production efforts with the announcement that building work on its new Manufacture in Meyrin has begun. Meyrin, for those unfamiliar with Swiss geography, is a municipality of Geneva and can be found on the outskirts of the city near the airport. The area has a strong engineering history with one of the most famous operators in the area being CERN.
With its new manufacture, Audemars Piguet hopes to increase its industrial space by 9,400m2 by 2025. On top of that, its renewing its commitment to environmental sustainability by making sure it adheres to Minergie® Eco Label, a Swiss certificate of low-energy-consumption buildings. It’s good to see a major brand putting emphasis on growth and investment during a time that has seen uncertainty due to a fluctuating market.
audemarspiguet.com
At the end of September the maritime world descended on Monaco for the Monaco Yacht Show. Similar to the Watches and Wonders event in Geneva where watchmakers reveal their latest models, at the Monaco Yacht Show we get a glimpse of close to 100 vessels, including the latest nautical models, all packed into the beautiful setting of Port Hercule. One of the most exciting reveals was that the first U-Boat Worx Super Sub has finally completed production, the latest generation of luxury three-person submersible. Learn more at monacoyachtshow.com
At the time of publication, the Roger Moore Auction by Bonhams is three days away, an incredible auction featuring 180 lots from legendary actor Sir Roger Moore’s personal collection. Lots include: Sir Roger Moore’s James Bond mohair double-breasted dinner suit worn in A View to a Kill, estimated at £20,000-30,000, as well as his white ski suit, which has an estimate of £15,000-£25,000, and an Omega special edition 50 years of 007 Seamaster, which has an estimate of £20,000-£30,000. There’s also this Omega Speedmaster MK40 triple calendar chronograph, estimated at £5,000-£7,000. Learn more at bonhams.com
Roger Moore’s James Bond collection is to make a killing when it goes under the hammer at Bonhams in London
Just as the weather is turning in the UK, now is a great time to get away to the Mediterranean for a weekend away. If you head over to Italy’s motor valley near Bologna, you can attend the inaugural Concorso D’Eleganza Varignana 1705. A new car show at the Palazzo di Varignana featuring 22 cars handpicked by experts including previous jurors at the prestigious Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, meaning you can be assured of the presence of the highest quality cars. The Concorso is running from October 13th-15th. palazzodivarignana.com
When the blockchain burst into the public consciousness in late 2020-2021 one of the major benefits it was supposed to bring with it was the concept of digital passports. Essentially a digital signature assigned to a physical product that would make it easier to track ownership, details of the product and its service life. However, then blockchain got associated with NFT scams, the crypto crisis and more and so the actual useful parts of it were quietly abandoned as well. Well, Panerai didn’t forget and now its introducing its own digital passport. The new passport works exactly as people theorised it would, allowing you to prove the authenticity of your timepiece as well as its sale and service history. It’s not going to change whether or not a Panerai will suit your wrist but it will let you buy one with confidence in its authenticity. Digital Passports will be provided for all new Panerai watches sold after October 3rd. panerai.com
With a growing number of counterfeits, Panerai is making it easier to prove the authenticity of your watch with digital certification
The new Swatch x Blancpain Scuba Fifty Fathoms isn’t the only reason to keep an eye on Blancpain recently. It’s just announced the winner of the Female Fifty Fathoms Award, part of the Ocean Photographer of the Year competition. The winner this year is Spanish photographer Merche Llobera. This is the third year of Blancpain’s annual competition. If you want to see an exhibition of some important Blancpain photographs, you can head to Cannes where they are hosting a 70th Anniversary of Fifty Fathoms exhibit, charting the watch’s history. The exhibit is open until October 6th. blancpain.com
After news surfaced that Rolex is planning to buy the popular independent watch retailer Bucherer, it left some people wondering if that meant Rolex would be battening down the hatches and reducing its involvement with other retailers. This possibility was so concerning that some retailers (Watches of Switzerland, in particular) experienced substantial share price drops. However, Watches of Switzerland and Rolex have renewed their commitment to working together with the news that the retailer’s UK stores are now part of the Rolex Certified Pre-Owned Programme.
The programme, launched last year, essentially means that every Rolex watch in the scheme has been serviced by Rolex and given a renewed warranty. Providing collectors with confidence and security in the pre-owned watches. And now those watches are going to be available from Watches of Switzerland, Goldsmiths and Mappin & Webb both online and in their showrooms. rolex.com
Watches of Switzerland, Goldsmiths and Mappin & Webb stores now carry Rolex certified preowned watches
Pretty much the definitive expression of the Explorer, the 14270 was produced for just over a solid decade, between 1989 and 2001. It’s pretty much what Rolex has now gone back to with the current 36mm version, albeit with an updated movement. The last year however has not been kind to the 14270. After a 9K high in 2022, it’s dropped 40% off its value. It’s evened out now, but the high point is long in the rearview mirror.
You can’t touch on adventure without talking about one of the most legendary expedition focused timepieces ever built, the Rolex Explorer. It’s a watch that dates all the way back to the early 50s (1953, to be precise), designed the same year as the Submariner but billed instead of diving as a go-anywhere, do-anything watch.
The pared-back dial, compact dimensions and utilitarian look have made it an icon of the watch world, and an outlier in Rolex’s collection for its smaller size and compact nature. That’s especially true in recent years with the reintroduction of the original 36mm sizing and a retro bi-colour version. The question is, while the Explorer has a certain understated cool among watch lovers (and remains one of Rolex’s more undervalued offerings), how does that actually translate in cold, hard cash? And which Explorer is the one to go for? Let’s take a look and see…
The bi-colour take on the Explorer was a bit contentious when it launched, swapping the practicality of steel for a splash of retro cool. It also has the latest generation of movement, making it the most chronometrically superior on this list. It’s strange then that it’s still gone down in value – though honestly, given the numbers that’s likely more down to a general slump rather than this specific watch. It’s also on the uptick, so now could be a good time to get one.
The addition of a 24-hour bezel and matching hand made the humble Explorer a spelunker’s necessity, great for telling the time of day without needing to actually see the sky. It came in two variations – a polar white dial like this or a more utilitarian black. Again however, the 16570 saw a huge drop back in November 2022 but honestly, since then it’s not really changed much. Still, it’s now at the lowest price it’s been in over three years, so could be a solid investment if it starts to climb back up.
The modern version of the Explorer II with all the modern quality of life touches that includes, the 226570 has actually held its value relatively well, even when other Rolex models have dropped up to 30% in the same timeframe. Over the last year it’s lost under 10%, bucking the trend of a depressed market. Sure, it’s not an increase, but when everything else crashed, it held pretty firm. With these sorts of numbers, this might be the best buy on the list in terms of the raw numbers. After all, it’s Rolex –long-term, it’s not a bad investment at all.
Last issue we kicked off the latest edition of the Oracle Time Community Watch Awards and asked you to have your say by nominating your favourite watches of the year across 10 different categories. Well, we asked and you let us know in no uncertain terms. Now though, nominations are closed and we’re on to the main event – voting!
Voting will take place throughout October, closing at midnight on the 31st and if you want your say, taking part is simple. Head over to www.oracleoftime.com and pick your favourite from the shortlist across every category. Is the Bel Canto worth the hype? Is one of the new TAG Heuer Carreras the ultimate chronograph of 2023? We’re not here to answer that, you are.
And to sweeten the pot more than the satisfaction of choosing the empirically, unimpeachably correct
watches, we’re working with Finnies of Aberdeen to offer some seriously impressive prizes. They are the Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight 39mm, Bell & Ross BR 03-92 42mm, Doxa Sub 200 Professional Chronograph 45mm, Longines Conquest Heritage 35mm and Herbelin Newport Slim 42mm.
All you need to do to win is take part. That’s it. If you took part in the nominations stage, you’ll have a greater chance of winning, but only voting qualifies you to win. Of course, if you don’t want the watch, you can always give it back to us – we don’t mind, honestly. So, head over and get voting. The results will be revealed in our December issue, with the overall winner, the prestigious Reader’s Choice Award, gracing the cover. And good luck to your favourite! They’ll need it – the competition this year is fierce.
According to Stuart Conway, AKA @timeinscotland, his twin passions across the last decade have been watches and photography, something that many if not all of our Oracle Time Out entrants can identify with. But given the not-so-subtle nods to the superb Highland Park, you can pretty confidently add whisky to the list, too. Which is fair; it’s a good dram.
As for what he paired with the black-and-silver Carrera Glassbox that graced our Motoring issue, Stuart has paired the racing watch with an equally modern-retro diver
(with the same colourway) in the form of the Tudor Prince Oysterdate. It’s a design that, fittingly, has aged like a fine whisky – and is fortunately much more suited to driving.
Want to showcase your own eye for a perfectly composed watch shot? Well, get your hands on this issue, get snapping and don’t forget to use #oracletimeout for your chance to nab a page to yourself next month.
For now though, Oracle Time, Out.
THERE ARE MANY WAYS to get your Oracle Time fix. Our favourite is of course within these lovely glossy pages to which you can subscribe via our website. An annual subscription containing 10 issues of the magazine is only £89.50, more value than a serious microbrand watch. Alternatively, you can come and say hello on one of our many digital channels. Instagram is the perfect place to share your wristshots and thoughts with us – remember to use #OTWristshot. Or you can watch our latest video content on YouTube, listening to the dulcet tones of our editor via our website using the QR code in the top right.
In a big move obviously designed to stack up against watches like the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep and Rolex Deepsea, Oris has built its deepest diver to date with a phenomenal 4,000m of water resistance. It’s also a beast, nearly 50mm across and proportionally deep. It’s an uncompromising underwater explorer designed to be strapped outside a wetsuit and put through its paces in the extreme. Equipped with Oris’s own fantastic calibre 400, it’s also got a lot more going for it than ‘just’ its depth rating.
THE DETAIL:
• 49.5mm titanium case with 4,000m water resistance
• Calibre 400 automatic movement with 120-hour power reserve
• £4,900, oris.ch
Custom watches tend to separate into two distinct pools: cheap, mass-produced Chinese pieces or extremely high-end, one-off projects that very few of us can hope to aspire to. Kieser Design’s ubercustomisable tragwerk.T sits somewhere in the middle when it comes to price, even if it errs far more premium in construction. Despite having a plethora of options to choose from, you can rest assured that each case is built by brand founder Matthias Kieser and his in-house goldsmith. The design itself is defined by its patented titanium exoskeleton and powered by a workhorse Sellita movement (with a sleek custom rotor), so while you have a unique piece, it’s one backed by reliability and quality of construction.
THE DETAIL:
• 42mm titanium case with 100m water resistance
• Sellita SW200 automatic movement with 38-hour power reserve
• From €5,490 (approx. £4,700), kieserdesign.de
Rivington 200 GMT
After making a colourful splash with the eminently affordable Verimatic and chronograph-equipped Bolton, British brand Duckworth Prestex are back and this time they’re crossing time zones with a new GMT. Available in a series of colours – including the fantastic gradient orange that’s become a bit of a brand signature – it’s backed by an accessible Miyota movement, slathered with blue lume and boasting 200m water resistance. A lot of watch for the £795 the handsome Rivington will set you back.
THE DETAIL:
• 42mm stainless steel case with 200m water resistance
• Miyota 9075 automatic movement with 42-hour power reserve
• £795, duckworthprestex.com
Freelancer Diver Two-Tone
When it comes to blending casual, sporty beaters and something a little flashier for the evening, nothing quite beats a classic two-tone diver – the definition of boat-to-bar. Enter the latest take on Raymond Weil’s flagship Freelancer collection. Dressed in a sharp mix of black, steel and rose gold with a handsome grey-to-black gradient dial (and 300m water resistance if you insist on putting it through its paces), the Diver Two-Tone is a suitably handsome, welcomely accessible riff on the two-tone formula.
THE DETAIL:
• 42.5mm stainless steel case with 300m water resistance
• RW4200 automatic movement with 38-hour power reserve
• £2,195, raymond-weil.co.uk
THE DETAIL:
• 42.3mm bioceramic case with 91m water resistance
• Swatch calibre SISTEM51 automatic movement with 90-hour power reserve
• £340, swatch.com
Minimalism isn’t something you associate with the less-than-humble minute repeater; most watchmakers just can’t help themselves showing the incredible complication off. And yet Breguet’s latest take on the chiming mechanism is gloriously understated in a way that only that most revered of horological names can pull off. A deep black dial, silver Breguet numerals and the brand’s signature handset, it looks to all intents and purposes like a classic dress watch – if it weren’t for the telltale pusher at 9 o’clock to activate the minute repeater. It’s a stunner and pure, unadulterated Breguet.
THE DETAIL:
• 42mm rose gold case with 30m water resistance
• Breguet calibre 567.2 manual-wind movement with 40-hour power reserve
• £226,900, breguet.com
x Blancpain Scuba Fifty Fathoms
Hoping to catch lightning in a bottle, Swatch has once again leveraged one of its prestige siblings to reinvent an icon in bioceramic, this time the ocean-faring Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. In a similar vein to the MoonSwatch, it has all the signature icons of the elegant, Cousteau era diver – the smooth, curved diving bezel, the pared-back dial with lumed indexes – with splashes of colour inspired by the world’s oceans and said oceans on its automatic rotors. It’s a fun selection of five watches (including a funky orange twist on the No-Rad). Will it set the world alight like the MoonSwatch? No, definitely not. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a seriously fun new launch.
Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 3
THE THIRD STAGE OF BLANCPAIN’S ANNIVERSARY TRIBUTE TO THE LEGENDARY DIVE WATCH SHOWCASES
THE FIFTY FATHOMS’ MILITARY HERITAGE
THE DETAIL:
• 41.30mm bronze gold case with 300m water resistance
• 1154.P2 calibre automatic movement with 100-hour power reserve
• Limited to 555 pieces, blancpain.com
The story of the Fifty Fathoms is one often associated with the golden age of underwater exploration and the figures like Jacques Cousteau who built its reputation for deep diving excellence. It’s a story that started with Jean-Jacques Fichter, the then-CEO of Blancpain, almost running out of air and has led to one of the strongest legacies in watchmaking. But like many an iconic tool watch, there’s more to the Fifty Fathoms than its civilian applications. So, while Blancpain may be celebrating its legacy in a very different way with its Swatch collaboration, the latest act in its ongoing anniversary series takes a very different, military angle.
The original Fifty Fathoms made a splash in 1953, but by 1957 it was the focus of the US Navy. They needed a watch that went beyond capable, a watch that could provide accurate, reliable timekeeping no matter where their divers went or what they had to do. The Fifty Fathoms was to all intents and purposes, the only watch to meet all their criteria – except for one feature that they demanded were added to the watch: a moisture indicator.
Above water, you can usually tell if there’s moisture in your watch from condensation, but deep down it’s much less simple. And so Blancpain added the moisture indicator, something you never want to see go off. On the Fifty Fathoms, it’s the two-part disc at 6 o’clock and shows whether water is getting into your timepiece, thus ruining any semblance of timekeeping. It means that you can cut your losses and get out of the water before you run into trouble – a potentially lifesaving element.
That indicator is the focal point of the new Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 3, a tribute to the non-magnetic MIL-SPEC watches of the US Navy. The black dial and bronze gold case (a version of bronze that won’t discolour your skin) illustrate its prestige nature, but the overall look of the watch is distinctly utilitarian. There’s no superfluous information here, nothing unnecessary.
That case puts 300m of water resistance around the calibre 1154.P2 automatic movement, a 1,000-gauss anti-magnetic calibre with both a silicon balance spring and a superb 100-hour power reserve via its double mainspring. You can see it all through the exhibition caseback.
Seventy years is worth an anniversary – and something like the Fifty Fathoms deserves more than one. It started with a vintage throwback in the Act 1, then delved into modern performance with the Act 2; now Blancpain is exploring its military heritage and the result speaks for itself.
WORDS: SAM KESSLER
IWC RECAPTURE THE MAGIC OF THE FIRST CERAMIC WATCH WITH THE BIG PILOT’S WATCH PERPETUAL CALENDAR TOP GUN LAKE TAHOE
Do you know what the first ceramic watch was? Richard Mille, Hublot perhaps? Surely Rado? The selfproclaimed Master of Materials loves the stuff on every watch it does. But no, it’s a watchmaker that, while it certainly has expertise in materials, it’s better known for its heritage designs. I’m of course talking about those incredibly German Swiss watchmakers over in Schaffhausen, IWC. And it probably wasn’t a collection you might expect.
After all, ceramic is incredibly scratch resistant and hard-wearing. It makes sense that it would be in something designed to be tough, to survive a serious impact. Something like a pilot watch or sports watch – words which encompass about half of what IWC does between the Pilot’s and Ingenieur. Instead, the first ceramic watch ever built was a Da Vinci.
While less high-profile than its other collections, the Da Vinci line has historically riffed on its namesake inventor as testing ground for crazy horological ideas. In 1969, it was the first collection to feature the Swiss quartz would-be Seiko killer, the Beta 21, inside the reference 3501. In 1985, it welcomed IWC’s first mechanical perpetual calendar (designed by the inimitable Kurt Klaus) and a year later the world’s first ceramic timepiece.
Now, quick technical aside. I mentioned Rado in the introduction and the 1962 Diastar was billed as the world’s first scratch-proof watch, made from ceramic. Sort of. Its make-up was actually tungsten carbide, a metal-ceramic mix used for machining. It’s a lot easier to work with than zirconium oxide ceramic, the purest form of the material used in the Da Vinci. Now you know.
The Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar in black ceramic set off a series of ultra-hard, kiln-fired innovations for IWC, including a white edition just a year later – a colour of ceramic that has kicked off a bit of a ceramic renaissance for the brand recently.
When the bright white and forest green ceramic Top Gun pilot’s watches launched last year, there was plenty of discussion in the office about which we preferred. I loved the white version, dubbed the Lake Tahoe after the body of water near the Top Gun base. Most of the others seemed to opt for the green, the slightly safer option. Well, I don’t want to say I told you so, so I’ll just write it here and hope my colleagues don’t read it because the white version was by far the bigger hit.
In fact, I’ve spotted the Lake Tahoe’s magnesium white case in the halls of Geneva’s Palexpo (outside of the year it was launched, of course) and the beaches of Marbella. One of my colleagues even spotted it on a brewery tour of New York. You can barely find them in an IWC boutique and pre-owned they’re going for a solid percentage above retail. Apparently, its big, bold and unapologetic look struck a chord. Now it’s back and equipped with a perpetual calendar, bringing IWC watchmaking full circle back to that 1986 white ceramic Da Vinci model, in the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Top Gun Lake Tahoe.
Side note: this isn’t the first time we’ve seen this watch. Well before its actual launch, there were rumblings of a shiny new watch on Lewis Hamilton’s wrist. It was hard to miss as it was downright massive, enough that IWC must have known word would get out. In fact, they probably hoped for it. Apparently IWC’s design ethos is: does Lewis like it? Now I’ve got
While less high-profile than IWC’s other collections, the Da Vinci line has historically riffed on its namesake inventor as testing ground for crazy horological ideasThe Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar in black ceramic set off a series of ultra-hard, kiln-fired innovations for IWC, including a white edition a year later – a colourway that has kicked off a bit of a ceramic renaissance for the brand.
THE DETAIL:
• Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Top Gun Lake Tahoe
• 46.5mm ceramic case with 60m water resistance
• Calibre 52615 automatic movement with 7-day power reserve
• £34,900, iwc.com
“Between its Da Vinci flavoured heritage and combination of aviation, ceramic and high watchmaking aspects, the Big Pilot’s Lake Tahoe
Perpetual Calendar is the ultimate sum of IWC’s parts”
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It’s a real successor to Kurt Klaus’s groundbreaking 80s calibre
it on my own, slightly less famous wrist, it turns out it’s a solid approach.
A Big Pilot part of IWC’s collection aimed at the Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor programme – better known as Top Gun (yes, the very same) – the new Lake Tahoe Perpetual Calendar is a big chunk of white ceramic. In essence, it’s a recolour of the previous, sandy, Mojave version but while that kept things toneddown, that’s not the case here. The high contrast look covers everything, from the indexes and numerals to the calendar functions. Those functions, just so you know, are date and power reserve at 3 o’clock (date on the outer ring, reserve on the inner), month at 6 o’clock, day and minutes at 9 o’clock and dual hemisphere moon phase at 12 o’clock. The year is nestled out of the way at 7:30.
It’s a lot of information, about as much as can be displayed on a watch face, even when it’s a piece as big as this – a hefty 46.5mm across. But between the size and the high contrast colourway, it’s as legible as can be. And yes, it feels just as big on the wrist as the specs suggest, with its oversized, fluted, cockpit-ready crown. Honestly, while Lewis can pull it off, I cannot. I want to, I adore the eye-catching white and black, the sheer impact of the watch, but it’s just not comfortable for someone whose go-to is 38mm. Still, given IWCs do tend to err large, for most collectors used to the watchmaker, you’ll get on with it nicely.
Onto the movement and it’s a serious heavyweight. I’ve already run down the functions, which goes some way to explaining the amount of watchmaking that goes into a perpetual calendar, one that won’t need setting for 577.5 year – aside from the usual chronometric drift inherent in mechanical movements. It’s a real successor to Kurt Klaus’s groundbreaking 80s calibre.
I do have a slight issue with the inclusion of a perpetual calendar in a pilot’s watch, especially a military one. They’re meant to show only vital information and be easy to read at a glance. The only complication that regularly crops up is a chronograph and even that’s idiosyncratic in what’s generally a field watch for the cockpit. I understand why brands do throw the kitchen sink into their pilot’s watches (there’s a market for them), but I guess I’m just a bit too much of a purist to be entirely comfortable with it.
Personal gripes aside, the real issue with a perpetual calendar is having to set it again when the watch runs down, but with IWC’s calibre 52615 that’s less of an issue. The phenomenal movement has a full seven-day
power reserve and quick, efficient winding with IWC’s signature Pellaton winding system. In short, you only need to wear it once a week to stop it winding down.
Obviously, all this means the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Top Gun Lake Tahoe has a serious price tag: £34,900 to be precise. Though honestly, given the sheer size and high complication here, that’s not as bad as I was expecting. Thanks to the power reserve and winding system of the movement, it’s one of the most practical perpetual calendars out there (albeit one that probably doesn’t belong on a pilot’s watch), while the bright white, Lake Tahoe ceramic is as stunning as it was when we first saw it last year.
You could say that between its Da Vinci flavoured heritage and combination of aviation, ceramic and high watchmaking aspects, the Big Pilot’s Lake Tahoe Perpetual Calendar is the ultimate sum of IWC’s parts. I mean, I wouldn’t, but you could.
The bright white, Lake Tahoe ceramic is as stunning as it was when we first saw it last year
From Rolex to Omega to Ulysse Nardin, antimagnetism is something many a watchmaker likes to boast about, almost as much as water or shock resistance. It’s enough to make it obvious that magnets and watches have a toxic relationship, but it also might have you thinking: why?
The issue comes down to the balance spring. The flat coil of metal sets the pulse of the watch, oscillating back and forth to ensure the escapement regularly releases mainspring energy into the rest of the watch. It’s a necessarily delicate part, responsible for consistent timekeeping, but also the most likely to get an unhelpful dose of magnetism.
The most common problem is that when it gets magnetised and the coils close in, the metal can stick to itself. This effectively makes it shorter, which in turn makes it oscillate quicker and gain time. Just how big a problem this is depends on the level of magnetisation. A few minutes too close to your phone screen might not have too noticeable
an impact; leaving it on a giant loudspeaker will have it running quicker than an Olympic sprinter.
In real terms, it can range from a relatively unnoticeable 15-20 seconds a day to gaining tens of minutes in an hour. If it’s particularly bad, the spring might even lock up, a narcissus unable to resist its own magnetism, stopping the watch completely. This is not good.
It’s not the only problem of course; magnetisation also screws with the spring’s temperature compensation so that a particularly hot or cold day can ruin its timekeeping, and with more complicated watches there are even more things that can go wrong. The balance spring is the most at-risk part of magnetisation but honestly, you don’t want any of your watch getting magnetised.
The problem is that avoiding magnets is easier said than done. Sure, those in speakers and motors are relatively big, but tiny, rare-earth magnets are everywhere: phones, laptops, the front of your fridge, everywhere. Fortunately, fixing the issue is surprisingly easy. You don’t need to open the watch, just get yourself a cheap degausser online. Or, if you’re still hanging on to an old CRT monitor, you can use the degaussing function on that, holding your watch up to the screen. Fixed, sorted, disaster averted. Provided you didn’t miss a meeting or two before you noticed, obviously.
Either way, it’s annoying when it happens, especially if you’ve been losing time for days. Even if fixing the issue is straightforward, wouldn’t it be better if it never happened at all? That’s why watchmakers have been trying to head magnetism off at the pass for centuries.
There are a few ways to combat magnetism. The old-school way is to include a soft iron inner shell. Patented way back in 1884 by C. K. Giles in Chicago, the inner case shields the more delicate components from magnetic interference. It was an inspired idea but one that, back when there were fewer magnets around, didn’t really impact much. It wasn’t until WWII and magnetising radar systems that anti-magnetic watches became a necessity for pilots, with the legendary Jaeger-LeCoultre and IWC Mk 11 commissioned by the Ministry of Defence in 1948.
That said, the most famous anti-magnetic watch in existence is the Rolex Milgauss. It’s in the name, after all, designed to withstand magnetic fields of 1,000 gauss. Developed in 1956 for CERN, the European particle and physics lab, it included a Faraday cage to protect itself. Incidentally, Rolex still works with CERN decades later, even if the Milgauss is a bit of an odd duck in its lineup these days.
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Avoiding magnets is easier said than done. Sure, those in speakers and motors are relatively big, but tiny, rareearth magnets are everywhereLeft: The Rolex Milgauss is the most famous antimagnetic watch in existence, designed to withstand magnetic fields of 1,000 gauss.
Of course, the easiest way to deal with magnetism is to make sure your delicate parts can’t get magnetised in the first place. It’s a technique that Vacheron Constantin attempted as early as 1846 by using a palladium balance spring, though it didn’t build its first successful anti-magnetic pocket watch until 1915.
The biggest leap in anti-magnetism in watchmaking was the introduction of Nivarox. A much more resistant nickel-iron alloy than steel in every way, it quickly replaced steel in even accessible watches. In fact, it’s still the main balance spring material you’ll come across, but it’s not perfect and can still be magnetised. Unlike silicon.
For some collectors there’s no such thing as too much protection. You’re going for a light swim? Best get an Ultra Deep or Deepsea Challenge
Silicon has a ton of chronometric benefits. It’s tougher, never requires lubrication and, while it’s not as easy to adjust, is lighter and harder than steel. It’s also completely anti-magnetic, a benefit that Ulysse Nardin made the most of in the 2001 edition of its phenomenal Freak, the first timepiece in the world to use a silicon balance spring. It’s so good an alternative that Omega and other Swatch Group brands have embraced it entirely, as have Rolex, albeit a touch more tentatively. It’s expensive compared to Nivarox, so don’t expect to see it in every Sellita or Miyota though.
All of this however might be overkill. The Rolex Milgauss is resistant to its namesake 1,000 gauss, while Omega Aqua Terra is resistant to 15,000. It makes you think those levels of protection are necessary for everyday wear. They’re not. Five gauss is considered a safe level and unless you tend to store your watches in an MRI machine, all you’ll really need is something ISO 764 compliant, which is resistant to 60 gauss.
Still, for some collectors there’s no such thing as too much protection. You’re going for a light swim? Best get an Ultra Deep or Deepsea Challenge, then. Over the top claims of elemental resistance are nothing new and, even if it’s fundamentally pointless, it’s still fun to say that your watch can survive an MRI machine. Just hope nobody asks why.
FROM THE DEPTHS OF THE OCEAN TO THE SURFACE OF THE MOON, THESE STYLES HAVE HANDLED THE MOST EXTREME OCCASIONS
We all know about the moon watch, but what about the unsung wrist-heroes that ticked where few dared to tock? There’s nothing like real-life extreme exploits to wake up those horological taste buds. That usually involves a lifesaving booster-timing Moonwatch or the watch that made it to the top of Mount Everest first. But what about the unsung heroes of the watch world, the quietly spoken tough guys who don’t want to make a fuss? We’ve got them here for you in all their scratched-up glory. And in some cases, a temptingly accessible reissue you can get your mitts on, thanks to a missed PR opportunity.
BUILT DIFFERENT: THE HERO WATCHES YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT
Yes, that’s right, it wasn’t an Omega. For some reason, Breitling doesn’t make a big thing of it but we think they should. We all know the deep link that the swoopy B logo has with pilots and the bafflingly complex Navitimer with its slide-ruling bezel. The Navitimer Cosmonaute with its big fat Arabic numerals and 24-hour dial was on Scott Carpenter’s wrist, orbiting our planet in 1959. It did however meet an ignominious fate when they splashed down, ironically tough enough for space but not a dip in the ocean. You’ll find these small-cased beauties for around £3,500 pre-owned, but they’re still current. For a great daily wearer with a big boost of space history, we’d go for the 41mm model at £6,100. breitling.com
The Navitimer Cosmonaute was on Scott Carpenter’s wrist, orbiting our planet in 1959
We all love the evergreen Omega Speedmaster, don’t get us wrong. But did you know about the Bulova Lunar Pilot? It is monochromatically photogenic like the Speedy, with the coolest pushers this side of Cape Canaveral, but what’s the story? The provenance is real, as this formerly US-based brand produced a NASA prototype that was worn in 1971 by Dave Scott. He was a crew member on the Apollo 15 mission, and the Bulova chronograph was his personal backup tool, smuggled onboard. Dave’s Speedy crystal popped off mid-mission, and the rest is Bulova history. If you think it looks similar to the Moonwatch, that’s no accident. It follows NASA legibility and function specs for the appraisal that the Speedmaster ultimately won, and now the latest 43.5mm reissue can be found for a mere £599 with a quartz movement. Fire up the boosters!
uk.bulova.com
Thanks to Andrew McUtchen of Time+Tide for reminding me of this unflinching hero watch from Zenith, and Felix Baumgartner. Andrew also rightfully told me that if another big brand had this to brag about, they’d never shut up. Imagine the gut-pulling rush of standing on a tiny platform back in 2012, bolted to the side of a space capsule while peering down at Earth from space. The parachuting landing spot was 38,969.4 metres below. That’s 24 miles, and we’d still be holding onto those rails today.
“Daredevil wing-suit pilot and parachute ace Felix Baumgartner was wearing a Zenith Stratos Flyback Striking 10th
Legendary daredevil wing-suit pilot and parachute ace Felix Baumgartner was wearing a Zenith Stratos Flyback Striking 10th chronograph. He fell to Earth wearing this spiritual, tough-guy successor to the El Primero Chronomaster we know and love. You might find this 45.5mm madly buzzing 1/10th second Zenith with the calibre 4057 B movement pre-owned, but is there a real successor? We suggest you have a look at its brawny third cousin, the DEFY Extreme. The beefy 46mm version above is available for £15,900, with the recognisable charm of tricolor registers and a high-tech storied calibre. zenith-watches.com
Sir Edmund Hillary wore a Rolex Explorer I on his wrist upon finally scaling Mount Everest. He might and/or also have worn a Smiths, but let’s not get into that debate. While the first Explorer has the stamp of legends, so does the everyday Oyster Perpetual on the same rugged wrist. Two years after his Everest
triumph, Hillary had enough oxygen-starved mountain air and kept his feet, or rather driven belts, on the ground for three years. Sir Ed was the first to cross the entire southern continent of Antarctica in snow tractors. And for the three-year expedition, he wore an O.P. gifted to him by the Calcutta jeweller, J Boseck & Co. So, even if your 36mm silver-dialed Oyster Perpetual looks killer with a navy suit, it packs a tougher punch than you’d think. rolex.com
We can write eloquently about a host of mechanical watches and their frozen, death-defying, space-walking pedigree, don’t get us wrong. But we all know the infinite toughness of a simple G-Shock, a fact proven by a host of astronauts, some bringing them along as personal keepsakes. The DW5600, the most classic of sub-£100 square Gs has actually quietly been certified by NASA. Both in C and E-versions, they have been flown on space missions ever since the iconic Shuttle was still in service. So when those occasional crisp white NASA editions get released, it’s the real deal and not to be scoffed at. As a space-worn watch, it easily trounces the opposition in the value stakes and remains a bulletproof icon.
g-shock.co.uk
The DW5600, the most classic of sub-£100 square Gs has actually been quietly certified by NASA
Ben Saunders refuses to do polar expeditions the easy way, refusing the help of dog sleds or snowmobiles. In fact, he might wear a pair of Hoka trainers traversing the North Pole being chased by a rabid polar bear, he’s that kind of guy. In 2014, he, followed the path of Captain Scott’s 1912 South Pole-crossing attempt, with his partner Tarka L’Herpiniere, and made it. This was noted in the record books as the longest polar journey on foot ever recorded, and for this “Terra Nova” expedition a Bremont was his unflinching titanium wrist companion. Today, the steel S500, for £4,195, is the closest relative with its cheeky crown at 2 o’clock and 42mm case size. With its Trip-Tick case and solid BE-36AE movement, the S500 was Bremont’s first foray into the diver’s watch territory back in 2009, and still sets the British tool watch standard.
bremont.com
That’s right, no big brand boasting, but the 28.5mm thick (not a typo) lesserseen Charmex CX Swiss Military Diver, a bulbous tool rated to a serious 6,000 metres. We’d expect this to have been an event with big brand sponsorship. But instead, the honour goes to a lesser-known brawny tool with a bulbous charm and sub £2K price. In 2014, Ahmed Gabr performed the jaw-dropping feat of diving to the unfathomable (pun intended) depths of 332.35 metres. The 41-year-old Egyptian plunged into the Red Sea after a decade of preparation, setting the current scuba record. That’s a bit deeper than the usual pool dip we put our Ploprofs or Rolex Deepseas through, but it still doesn’t seem impossible, right? That is because, in our insular world of watches, we have been blinded by big numbers like 300 metres, even 600 on daily beaters, and Rolex’s one-upmanship of 11,000 metres. Most certified divers stay above 50 metres, so you’ll be safe with your 300m Longines even if you do get off the sofa and certify yourself.
charmex.ch
We’ll finish in space for the Seiko reissue we’re still waiting for, namely the dazzling golden yellow sunray of the “Pogue”. The cult classic Seiko ref 6139 6002 chronograph has its nickname not for being worn by members of Shane MacGowan’s crew, but by astronaut Colonel William Pogue. That’s it, on the Skylab space station in 1973 there was a Speedmaster on his wrist, but also a stowaway. Pogue brought along his non-NASA-approved Seiko with its multicolored quirkiness. We wouldn’t be lying by claiming this to be an absolute in many Seikoboi’s collections. The solid and big-for-its-day sports watch might today not be quite the bargain we’d like, with prices of still less than £1,000 if you can live with the scratches. But come on, Seiko, we’ve seen every diver under the Sun being reissued, isn’t it time for the space-traveling 6139 to grace our wrists again with its sunny demeanour? seikowatches.com
While it’s in Rolex’s blood to… let’s say, embellish certain claims, it’s hard to doubt that they were the first to the top of Everest on the wrist of the aforementioned Sir Edmund Hillary. But they were very closely followed by what was at the time an upstart Swiss brand – Enicar. Indeed, the Enicar Ultrasonic ‘Sherpas’ the Swiss expedition was equipped with was an off-kilter, if practical choice, with funky numerals built into a rugged case. It did its job – and so well that Enicar dubbed an entire line, the Sherpa. Nowadays, Enicar’s a shadow of its former self. But if you want to try out a modern version of its seminal mountain-beater, Sherpa Watches have you covered, taking that same DNA in the right direction.
enicar.com
Rolex were very closely followed by what was at the time an upstart Swiss brand
The Interview: KRISTIN HARILA
BREMONT’S AMBASSADOR ON HER RECORD-BREAKING CHALLENGE IN THE NAME OF EQUALITY
Back in 2021, a documentary came out on Netflix called 14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible. It charted the trials and tribulations of one Nims Purja in his quest to ascend the highest 14 peaks in the world – all over 8,000m –quicker than anyone before him. Now, I don’t want to spoil the end – and I highly recommend it as a documentary – but he did it and smashed the record in the process. He managed all 14 peaks in just six months and six days.
Earlier this year, Norwegian climber Kristin Harila did the same in three months and one day. Ouch.
Surprising as it was that a second record attempt succeeded so soon after Nims’ seminal expedition, it’s less surprising than Kristin herself. She wasn’t some ex-special forces supersoldier, not some exemplary coming
from a long line of mountaineering excellence. Back in 2015, she was a furniture store manager.
“I was working a lot – like, a lot, and I felt that I didn’t get enough out of the job, out of all the hours I was working. So, I got one email and the next day, went to the office and I said I’m quitting. The next day, I followed through, I quit.”
It’s the kind of thing we’ve all dreamed of doing at one point or another, the kind of Office Space fantasy that nobody actually has the nerves to do. Perhaps with that kind of background, it’s not too big a surprise that Kristin also had the nerve to climb the highest mountain in the world. Though it didn’t start on Everest, of course.
“In 2015, I won a trip to Kilimanjaro,” Kristin explained. “It was my first high mountain, and I was struggling a lot with the altitude. I started to throw up, I lost my sight, everything. So, everyone else went directly up to the nearly 6,000m summit without me. In the end I made it, but after that I wanted to train in the mountains – but we don’t have high mountains here in Norway.”
So, after quitting her job, where was she to go but Nepal? While she was already fit – Kristin was a professional cross-country skier when she was a kid (she is Norwegian, after all) – it was the altitude that hampered her first climb. So, she started training on 6,000m peaks and up before, during Covid, she decided to summit Everest. Because while you were binging Netflix and drinking too many homemade cocktails, Kristin was climbing the highest mountain in the world. Go figure.
However, while prepping for the task, Kristin realised just how underrepresented she was in the climbing world at large.
“I was trying to get a down suit and I just couldn’t. I looked everywhere across Europe and just couldn’t find one in my size. I ended up getting one made in Kathmandu, but it made me realise just how little women are catered for by the big international brands. It’s like they were saying ‘you’re a girl, you can go hiking – but climbing, that’s for the men.’ It’s always been all about men in the books, in history, in films, so I thought to myself – OK, let’s take the record.”
And so, Kristin’s own attempt on the 14 peaks was in the works, dubbed She Moves Mountains. I’m not about to list all the peaks that entails (I tried and it looked silly, so please refer to the box-out for more info), but it’s an incredible task – all the more so that Kristin actually attempted it twice. She didn’t fail through any fault of her own though, but because of the admin.
“I actually climbed 12 but didn’t get the permit for the last two and decided to start all over again this year.” She talks in a way that leaves no room for doubt – she was never going to fall
• Shishapangma, 8,027m, China (Tibet), April 26th
• Cho Oyu, 8,188m, Nepal-China (Tibet), May 3rd
• Makalu I, 8,485m, Nepal, May 13th
• Kangchenjunga, 8,586m, Nepal, May 18th
• Everest, 8,848m, Nepal, May 23rd
• Lhotse, 8,516m, Nepal, May 23rd
• Dhaulagiri I, 8,167m, Nepal, May 29th
• Annapurna I, 8,091m, Nepal, June 5th
• Manaslu , 8,163m, Nepal, June 10th
• Nanga Parbat, 8,125m, Pakistan, June 26th
• Gasherbrum II, 8,034m, Pakistan, July 15th
• Gasherbrum I, 8,080m, Pakistan, July 18th
• Broad Peak, 8,051m, Pakistan, July 23rd
• K2, 8,611m, Pakistan, July 27th
short of 14. “If I was happy to stop there, I’d have quit and not gone back, it’s still an achievement. But at the time we still had five and a half weeks to beat Nims’ record. I knew I could take it, so we decided to start again.”
Honestly, that’s largely the reason more people don’t attempt the 14 peaks. There are a number of climbers out there capable of the physical act of climbing the mountains, but the logistical support, the sponsorship, the nuts and bolts of making the attempt happen, that’s the hard part –according to Kristin, at least:
“It’s that finding enough money, sponsors, social media and media and logistics and the team that you’re working with and clothes and equipment and everything that you need to make it happen is more than half of the job. When it comes to climbing the mountains, it’s just a case of doing it.”
Speaking of sponsors, it’s no secret that Kristin is one of Bremont’s latest ambassadors, a British watch company
with a de facto monopoly on explorers and adventures of all extremes. Indeed, Nims made his attempts wearing a Bremont. In Kristin’s case that watch was a white-dialled S300, Bremont’s rugged all-elements dive watch. It’s a good thing too as time is of the essence when you’re heading to 8,000m up.
“Time is important in a project like this, not just from the first mountains to the last, but during the ascent. You can’t stay up there too long and if time’s running out for you to get from the last camp to the summit and back again, you’re in trouble.”
There’s no hard-and-fast rule for that. As Kristin says, “it’s often down to the
weather and the conditions on the day”, but keeping track of how long you’re taking is invaluable. Though obviously for someone like Kristin, that time is generally a lot longer than most. In fact, “the longest session we had from the last came to summit and back to base camp all the way back to base camp is 41 hours.” That’s nearly two days on the side of a mountain.
Of course, no attempt like the 14 peaks is made alone, as well Kristin knows. When asked what the most important thing she took with her was, the answer was emphatic: “Tenjin Lama Sherpa. I wouldn’t have made it without him, he made the whole experience safer and more enjoyable and I can’t thank him enough.”
So what about if you yourself decided to quit your job, head to Nepal and take up record-breaking, globe-spanning mountain challenges, how would you go about it?
“Call me!”, says Kristin. “Call me, then we’ll talk.” There are worse places to get advice.
If time’s running out for you to get from the last camp to the summit and back again, you’re in trouble
Great pieces for the great outdoors and your next adventure
he’s relied on for his around-theworld motorcycle rides.
leather uppers and robust rubber soles for grip.
> >
What is an adventure without the gear? Whether you’re planning a weekend jaunt to a mountain or a camping trip lakeside, you wouldn’t last long without the appropriate garb. Explorers have been relying on clothing to keep them alive for centuries, from George Mallory and the sturdy tweed jackets he wore in the Himalayas, to Ewan McGregor and his trusty Belstaff looks, which
Regardless of where you’re heading, your jacket, bag and shoes must be functional first and foremost. Outerwear should protect you from the elements with waterproof fabrics, insulated liners and taped seams. Rucksacks must be large enough to store your essentials, with multiple pockets and compartments, all of which should be watertight. With footwear, it’s a similar story. Look for Gore-Tex liners, durable
As a novice adventurer, chances are things will go wrong. You will make a wrong turn and end up momentarily lost. It will rain unexpectedly and you’ll struggle to dig out your waterproof overtrousers before it’s too late. If you’re riding a bicycle or motorbike, you might fall off or need to make a roadside repair. But, with the right gear, you’ll be best placed for success, and you might even look like you know what you’re doing.
> > For jaunts to colder climes, there are few finer jackets than Shackleton’s Haakon parka. Named after the legendary explorer, the brand is renowned for its luxurious approach to expedition-grade outerwear. The Haakon is made with a 100% recycled, watertight 3-layer fabric lined with goose down for ultimate warmth, while its numerous pockets and classic design ensures it looks as good as it performs. shackleton.com
> > When it comes to base layers, merino wool is perhaps the finest choice around. This natural performance fabric regulates your body temperature, ensuring you stay warm in the cold. Icebreaker’s half zip has been designed for maximum versatility and ultimate comfort, with its flatlocked seams, underarm gussets and drop tail hem.
snowboard-asylum.com
MAMMUT
> > If you’re planning on heading anywhere cold, a balaclava is essential. Made from Polartec fleece, this Mammut take is incredibly soft against the skin, while offering impressive protection against the wind and rain.
mammut.com
“When it comes to base layers, merino wool is perhaps the finest choice around”
>——> Danner boots have long been relied upon by US special forces, military and national park rangers. This pair shows why, with their handmade construction, durable 5.5 ounce leather uppers and flexible, lightweight Vibram rubber soles. They’re also waterproof with a Gore-Tex lining, and come with D30 armour for added ankle protection. global.danner.com
>——> The original motorcycle jacket and one that is as practical as any piece of outerwear. Belstaff’s Trialmaster is a design staple, with its distinctive four front pockets, belted waist and durable waxed cotton outer. It may have been designed for the Scottish Six Days Trials, but this is a jacket you can take on any adventure, motorbike or not.
belstaff.com
“This is a jacket you can take on any adventure, motorbike or not”
> > A staple layering piece, a classic gilet is ideal for staying warm and comfortable. This one is made in Scotland by Norton, and comes with a subtle black-on-black wool tartan print for a luxurious finish. Comfortable and easy to style, wear it over T-shirts or under heavier outerwear.
shop.nortonmotorcycles.com
> > Founded by a team of serving and ex-special forces operators, Thrudark is renowned for its fabric innovation and highly functional gear. For these trousers the brand has turned to a carbon-infused ripstop fabric, engineered to draw moisture from the body while also retaining heat in colder climes. Multiple pockets offer plenty of storage solutions, while a clean, monochrome design ensures they work well casually, with tees, polos and knitwear.
thrudark.com
> > When it comes to bottles, few are more practical (or stylish) than Yeti. Made from durable stainless steel, this one is double walled to keep water cold or tea hot all day long, plus it’s 100% leakproof and looks the part with its range of muted colourways. uk.yeti.com
>——> A beanie is one of the most effective ways of staying toasty. For one that looks as good for a walk down the pub as it does mountainside, try this fisherman beanie by Finisterre. Made from a soft, 100% merino wool and with a classic ribbed design, it’s a natural pairing for chunky knitwear and technical outerwear.
finisterre.com
> > For mixed weather conditions, a soft-shell jacket is tough to beat. Arc’teryx’s Gamma MX design is made from a soft, stretchy fabric, which stops wind and rain in its tracks. Great for hikers, climbers and all-round adventurers, it’s a highly functional jacket that promises all-day comfort and weather protection.
arcteryx.com
Whether you’re hitting the road or the trail, your clothes need to be as ready for adventure as you are. You need time-tested practicality, pioneering workwear with style to match its functionality. &Sons has all that and more. Designed by craftspeople, for craftspeople, the label offers vintage style for the modern man, made from the finest, most durable materials –and perfectly paired with one of our favourite, timeless field watches
Words: Morgan Tilton
SUPPORTED BY HELICOPTERS, TRAIL RUNNERS CAN EXPLORE SECLUDED AND SURREAL PASSAGES THROUGH NORTH AMERICA’S MOST ICONIC, DRAMATIC LANDSCAPES.
Crouching with one knee on the scree and my head down, I brace myself for the aftershock of the rotor wash. Hair whips around like a tornado. My hands fly up to shield my ears. As the chopper lifts into thin air above the narrow, chunky ridgeline, the whoomph-whoomph of the dual-blade and acute hum of the doubleturbine engine quickly fade. I watch the Bell 212 helicopter tilt sideways and smoothly dive like a pirouette into the valley of Vowell Creek: a sinewy crystalline channel 3,300 feet below us, fed by the waterway’s sweeping namesake glacier and turquoise tarns in bird’s-eye view across the ravine. The vertical relief beneath us is higher than Dubai’s Burj Khalifa skyscraper, the world’s tallest building at 160 stories. Our group of 10 runners is in the Purcell Mountains on the northeast periphery of British Columbia’s Bugaboo Provincial Park, in southwestern Canada, a place profoundly known as the Bugaboos. To our south rises the 10,420-foot Bugaboo Spire, a captivating shark fin, an alpine climber’s dream listed in Steve Roper and Allen Steck’s “Fifty Classic Climbs of North America”. We all stand up, encompassed by silence.
A thrilling calm surrounds me on the 400-foot wide Grizzly Ridge. The helicopter has left our crew of 10 runners atop this remote apex to explore the surrounding lattice of unmarked soil, shale, and aquamarine high-alpine pools. In six hours, we’ll get swooped by our sky-taxi 11 miles due south on the spine for après, a five-star dinner, and sauna at our luxurious backcountry abode, the Bugaboo Lodge. Fortunate for us, our group is led by two mountain professionals that know the region like the back of their hand: Emily Compton, a certified hiking guide with the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG), and James Madden, an International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (IFMGA) guide. The duo helped blueprint this trip’s conceptualisation.
This is the inaugural running programme of world-renowned heli-ski company CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures: three days of helicoptersupported point-to-point jaunts that link high-altitude meadows, ridges, lakes and
summits sans established trails. Trail running is typically done in the frontcountry on human-established narrow paths of dirt and rocks, in all types of climates and environments around the world and at any elevation from the coastline to the hilltops. This is mountain running. Not so literally, the sport involves any combination of jogging, shuffling, fast-hiking upslope, straight hiking, observing wildflowers, and for the inspired, swimming in snowmelt montane lagoons. Here, crafted singletrack doesn’t exist. Any defined segments are created by shaggy-haired mountain goats plus a few short sections worn in by CMH guides and guests. While the adventure operator leads a
premium experience, CMH isn’t the sole company servicing heli-supported runs. In Sweden, the Run Through the Wild Arctic Circle race kicks off with optional helicopter transport to the start line. In B.C., heli-boosted runs seem to have started in 2017 when Retreat Golden, an outdoor adventure retreat company that recently shuttered, launched a hut-to-hut run programme along the Esplanade Range in the Selkirks, another subrange of the Columbia Mountains adjacent to the Purcells. RunBC Adventures offers a four-day retreat via that same hut system, owned by tour operator Golden Alpine Holidays (GAH), which sub-contracts flights through Alpine Helicopters – an operator founded in 1961, serving the natural resources industry – and Silver King Helicopters Inc. If you have the chops for organising your own backcountry trip, you could directly book the solitary bungalows of GAH: Sentry, Vista, Meadow, and Sunrise, which are each a few miles apart as the crow flies and approximately double by hoof plus close to 2,500 vertical feet, all depending on spur missions. A rotorcraft drops the group at the tail-end cabin and transports cargo to each cabin where you’ll stay, so you don’t need to schlep food or gear (that’d be backpacking). At the close,
The vertical relief beneath us is higher than Dubai’s Burj Khalifa skyscraper, the world’s tallest building at 160 stories.
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Normalising copter drills is one helluva thrill on top of moving by foot among the globe’s most sky-reaching, stunning peaks ”
you’re flown out. CMH’s alpine running programme in the Bugaboos differs in that runners are gifted out-and-back helo lifts to peripheral destinations plus relocation bumps: two to four flights per day. Normalising copter drills is one helluva thrill on top of moving by foot among the globe’s most sky-reaching, stunning peaks.
Five minutes before we were discharged on Grizzly Ridge, our 6,530-pound sky-taxi swooped us up from the backyard staging-pad of Bugaboo Lodge, CMH’s oldest log shelter. Austrian mountain guide Hans Gmoser, CMH founder, pioneered commercial heli-skiing with a slow-moving two-seater Bell 47 helicopter, in 1965. According to “Bugaboo Dreams: A Story of Skiers, Helicopters, and Mountains”, by Topher Donahue, a tank-shaped Nodwell snow machine carried and rope-towed groups of adventurous backcountry skiers 27 miles one-way to reach a sawmill camp, which served as the basecamp, at the foot of Vowell Glacier and the epochal Howser Spire Massif. For seven-day trips, Gmoser rotor-taxied skiers, one by one, to the tops of powder laps. Known as a purist mountaineer and environmentalist, Gmoser was driven to share the wilderness with people while leaving as little impact as possible: heli-skiing avoided the footprint left by a ski resort, ski lifts, and roads. So, after more than a decade of guiding skiers, he saw the future and began the first heliskiing operation.
A cold breeze cuts sideways over the rocky backbone. I welcome it. It’s 10 a.m. and the sun ignites the sparkling quartz and granite beneath our feet. We run south, hopping between cascading step-stones and white mountain-heather. I follow Compton, who moves briskly and fluidly over the terrain. At this point, she’s been a trail and ultrarunner for 16 years, and years prior, she and Madden began crafting routes in this zone for guided runs including steep, 500-foot descents on soft mud shale (Compton loves teaching downhill running on such terrain, which feels like airy skiing in laced-up footwear), basin linkups with glacial travel, and scrambling, all at elevations of 7-to-9,000 feet. A single helicopter ride from Bugaboo Lodge –
which sits at 5,000 feet – can eliminate a one-to-two-day approach through mosquito-infested bushwhacking and 3,000 feet of ascent, to reach a mountainrunning paradise.
In the five years leading up to the 2020 launch of CMH’s alpine running itinerary, “Three trail running stores popped up in Canmore – we used to have none –which demonstrates the market growth,” says Madden. “When Emily and I started brainstorming, we asked runners why they race. Many people enjoy the experience of organised events – they’re not necessarily involved for the race component. I’m excited to see more fun mountain adventures for friends and family, beyond races, that are safely facilitated by guides.” Guided mountain running adventures allows all levels of runners, from novice to experienced and
expert, to access incredible terrain without the stress of risk management, route creation, or performance pressure. It’s a dream vacation for folks with a love of the outdoors and athletic lifestyle.
After three days of running through the sun-glazed meadows, snow patches, below rainbows, across streams and over pillowy moss with CMH, I relish the novel excitement of being delivered to isolated, far-flung locations via heli, where I was committed to human-powered travel for a morning or afternoon. The world over, organised heli-supported recreation, let
alone for runners, remains coveted. In our closing passage on Grizzly Ridge, standing on a perch overlooking the sapphire reflection of Cobalt Lake surrounded by Eastpost, Snowpatch, Bugaboo, and Crescent Spires – an unbelievable backdrop – I feel how wildly uninhabited this place remains. I smile and adjust my trail running pack: I’m carrying two collapsible bottles, a windbreaker, snacks, and a water filter –which I avidly use in Colorado, where the mountains are high-trafficked. I soon learn, I can drink straight from these streams.
Not all watches are built equal and, should your adventures take you off the beaten path, you need something that can take a bit of a beating now and then. Whether it’s an all-elements field watch, militaristic diver or utilitarian tool piece, these six watches will stand up to the hardest of wear. And, as our lume-centric shoot shows, keep you ticking even when the sun has set.
200m water resistance
6R35 calibre automatic movement with 70-hour power reserve
£800, limited to 3,000 pieces, seikoboutique.co.uk
Marathon
41mm stainless steel case with 300m water resistance
Sellita SW200 calibre automatic movement with 38-hour power reserve £1,944, uk.marathonwatch.com
37mm stainless steel case with 100m water resistance
H-10 calibre automatic movement with 80-hour power reserve £965, hamiltonwatch.com
ARM YOURSELF FOR YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE WITH A TRAIL-BLAZING TIMEPIECE THAT’S READY FOR ANYTHING
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Adventure is about exploring and exploring is about going places you’ve never been before, blazing a trail, taking the path less trodden and, quite possibly, getting lost. But then, knowing where you are in the world is the essence of a true explorer, whether you’re midexpedition or a digital nomad travelling the world (but still needing to hold down a job back home).
Fortunately, not all rugged, tool watches are stripped back to the point of utilitarian sparsity. You can still build a timepiece that can withstand the elements – rain, wind, ice… rocks – and help you navigate the intricacies of making your own, unique way across the world.
the globe-trotting adventurer
THE DETAIL:
• 42.5mm super titanium case with 100m water resistance
• Citizen Eco-Drive movement with six-month charge
• £895, citizenwatch.co.uk
Designed to survive sub-zero temperatures and the coldest of elements, the original Concordia crossed the Antarctic on the wrist of explorer Matthieu Tordeur in his record-breaking solo venture. Needless to say, it’s a survivor, a serious tool watch but one that’s as well suited to everyday wear and tear as the harshest environments on Earth – or a nice warm stretch of coastline, given its professionalstandard water resistance. The Kraken version is a Gorpcore-inspired, stealthy take on the formula for a darker, more urban take on the otherwise utilitarian formula. Backed by a solid automatic movement, it’s also a lot of watch for the money.
THE DETAIL:
• 40mm stainless steel case with 300m water resistance
• Soprod P024 calibre automatic movement with 40-hour power reserve
• €923.51 (approx. £800), charlie-paris.com
Half the battle behind building a rugged watch is the material you make it from, and Citizen’s proprietary Super Titanium has everything you need. Not only is it incredibly lightweight, but it’s five times harder than steel, making the Attesa a more-than-solid piece of watch. With a stealthy overhaul thanks to black DLC and an upcycled oceanic dial, it’s a looker too, particularly with the inclusion of a world time bezel. Combined with the Japanese watchmaker’s famous Eco-Drive movement, it’ll keep your timekeeping accurate, wherever in the world your adventures take you.
“
Half the battle behind building a rugged watch is the material you make it from
THE DETAIL:
• 42mm stainless steel case with 200m water resistance
• £2,795, vanbraugewatches.com
Meridian Explorer Americas
The 1950s saw the dawning of the age of aviation, allowing people to travel and explore more than ever before. The Meridian by British watch brand Van Brauge evokes that golden age with both a gorgeous, vintage brown dial and an immensely satisfying compass bezel. It’s cool, evocative and ready to steer you in the right direction (if you’ve read our how-to on using your watch as a compass, of course). That adventure-ready vibe isn’t just skin deep either; the Meridian Explorer is both anti-magnetic, thanks to an inbuilt Faraday cage, and highly shock-resistant.
Expedition 1 Rub’ Al Khali
Pretty much every Boldr is built for adventure to some extent, with field watches being the accessible brand’s hardwearing bread-and-butter. As the name suggests however, the Expedition takes that a bit further by including a rotating inner compass bezel, operable by the Compressor-style dual-crown layout. In this particular version, the style’s amped up with a sandy dial inspired by the Arabian Desert’s ‘Empty Quarter’, easily read by day or night thanks to the fact that the whole dial is lumed. If Lawrence of Arabia was around now, he’d be wearing something like this.
THE DETAIL:
• 41mm stainless steel case with 200m water resistance
• Sellita SW200-1 automatic movement with 38-hour power reserve
• £571, limited to 300 pieces, boldrsupply.co
“
Pretty much every Boldr is built for adventure to some extent
THE DETAIL:
• 42.4mm stainless steel case with 200m water resistance
• 4R35 calibre automatic movement with 41-hour power reserve
• £650, limited to 1,400 pieces, seikoboutique.co.uk
The exploration focused, land-lubbering version of the superb Seiko Turtle, this version of the Tortoise is a European exclusive and, for once, it’s seriously cool. The main change between turtle and tortoise is the bezel and here that compass-equipped rotating scale has been given a two-tone look in greeny-brown and black. It’s been paired with a textured dial like igneous rock and the result is a darker, Icelandic feeling watch that, with 200m water resistance, is as good in water as it is on land.
This version of the Tortoise is a European exclusive
Low light reading is always a consideration on a long expedition, especially if that trek takes you to places where the sun refuses to rise for weeks on end. In that way, Ball’s signature H3 gas tubes are the ultimate nighttime solution, glowing brighter than any lume. Paired with a rugged 40mm stainless steel case and manufacture traveller GMT calibre in the Engineer III Outlier – not to mention serious anti-magnetic resistance – this is a watch designed to take you to the cold, polar extremes of the world and back, and look good doing so.
THE DETAIL:
• 40mm stainless steel case with 200m water resistance
• RRM7337-C calibre automatic movement with 80-hour power reserve
• From £2,860, limited to 1,000 pieces, shop.ballwatch.ch
the globe-trotting adventurer
Adventure MA1 Urban Black
Many worldtimers go the classical route, with delicate timing rings and ornate maps of the world. Not so the Monro Adventure MA1 Urban Black. This is a big, serious watch for big, serious adventures, that just so happens to let you know the time across 24 time zones. If you need to know what time to tune into a meeting via satellite phone from the wilderness –the ultimate digital nomad experience –then this is the one for you. Set in a rugged stainless-steel case and on a sporty rubber NATO strap, it’s set to be a hard-hitting debut from Monro.
THE DETAIL:
• 44mm stainless steel case with 100m water resistance
• Seiko NH34A calibre automatic movement with 41-hour power reserve
• £399 (£199 Early Bird), limited to 500 pieces, kickstarter.com
THE DETAIL:
• 37mm stainless steel case with 100m water resistance
• H-10 automatic movement with 80-hour power reserve
• £965, hamiltonwatch.com
The Khaki Field is an adventuring staple and has been since its roots as the quintessential military watch of WWII. The newest take however moves a step away from its strict, utilitarian roots and embraces the ethos of exploration with a new compass bezel, marked with the cardinal points. With a brief primer on how to use your watch as a compass, it makes following north using the sun that much easier, wrapped in a handsome 37mm (or 41mm if you’re after something a bit beefier) case and protected by a screw-down crown. Underneath it all is the superb H-10 movement with a weekend expeditionproof 80-hour power reserve.
Upham
In case the military inspirations behind this macho take on the Explorer II formula aren’t clear, its blacked out case and striking typography hammer it home. The Upham pairs a bold, stealthy aesthetic with the genuine usefulness (to soldier or civilian) of a second time zone, while the DLC coating ups the damage resistance for a proper tool watch that can take a proper beating. And yes, that beating has been tested out by Stirling’s founder – who’s still a serving soldier. If that’s not a guarantee that the Upham is more than fit for purpose, nothing is.
THE DETAIL:
• 42mm stainless steel case with 200m water resistance
• Seiko NH34 movement with 41-hour power reserve
• £550, stirlingtimepieces.com
C63 Sealander GMT
Christopher Ward’s answer to the Explorer II isn’t just a solid take on the well-worn formula, but one of the best value propositions in the game. The fixed, 24-hour bezel is paired with a GMT hand for tracking two time zones, while the rugged, tool watch aesthetic makes it a tried-and-true go anywhere, do anything timepiece. If your travels find you spelunking underground, then this is the watch for you. If not… well, you could do a lot worse than the C63’s handsome Lightcatcher case and pared back, utilitarian look, all in Christopher Ward’s usual, worryingly accessible price range.
THE DETAIL:
• 39mm stainless steel case with 150m water resistance
• Sellita SW330-2 calibre automatic movement with 50-hour power reserve
• £905, christopherward.com
Words: Scarlett Baker
CULT DESIGNER AND ENGRAVER JOHNNY DOWELL ON WARTIME INSTRUCTIONS, NAS AND THE VACHERON 222
Born Johnny Dowell but renowned by his moniker, King Nerd, Dowell began to garner a cult fanbase for his intricate engraving work for the famed gunmakers, James Purdey & Sons. Since then, this London born and raised artist and creative director revels in the power of collaboration, from Dr. Martens to Bamford Watch Department. Talking about his collection of ephemera, from toys to trainers, and his love of Campari Spritz, meet the capital’s Man of Influence.
What was the last watch you bought?
The last watch I got was the Unimatic U4 Classic with a custom dial featuring the King Nerd logo below the 12 o’clock marker. I’ve always liked the quality of the Unimatic watches and I already had a couple. The guys were very kind and put the King Nerd logo on the dial and sent me the U4 after I helped them create the 1/1 bronze “William Tell” watch we did together with Massena Lab for the Phillips watch auction. The watch sold for nearly £13,000.
If money was no object and he had the confidence to wear it, you’d find the Vacheron Constantin 222 on Johnny’s wrist. For the designer, it has the most perfect connection between the bracelet and watch case ever.
Do you collect anything outside of watches?
I collect comics, toys, sneakers, coffee table books and some football shirts. I’m basically still a big kid at heart and would argue the moment you stop loving toys and comics, you become very grumpy. I’m pretty grumpy already, especially in the mornings!
What’s at the top of your wishlist?
Whether I’ll ever be able to afford one remains to be seen, also whether I’d even have the confidence to wear it out is another, but if I had both those things I’d choose the Vacheron Constantin 222. I’ve always loved that watch, it’s in my top three watches ever. The 222 has the most perfect connection between the bracelet and watch case ever, it flows so perfectly together and from a design point of view it’s perfect. Believe it or not though, of all the watches I’ve been lucky to either see in person or try on, I’ve never tried on a 222, so whether it’s as good on my wrist remains to be seen.
What is a recent find or discovery?
I recently found a “Metropolitan Police War Instructions” book from 1939 in a charity shop. It was only for inspectors and sergeants and featured all details of what to do if there was a war. It’s a piece of history and really interesting. I always find these kinds of things interesting, moments in time that fascinate me. The past is out of our control, the same way space and sea fascinate me; they can’t be controlled either and we have no real power over them.
What inspires you?
Most things inspire me. People, nature and anything to do with design really. It’s a hard question to answer because I feel like I get inspired by so many different things. I guess I see myself most inspired when I focus on something in particular. So, if I’m working on the designs for a motorbike collaboration, I get my inspiration from the people who buy this particular bike first, then the place the model of bike is used most, the city it’s used most in,
I’m still a big kid at heart and would argue the moment you stop loving toys and comics, you become very grumpy
the people, who they are, what they like and what I think they would like as a design on the bike they love and ride every day. My mind then tends to run through a thousand really unorganised ideas I’ve had in the past. I try to picture these ideas on a bike or shoe, or whatever the project is, and from there I write a few notes and draw the idea in my mind before throwing the best few ideas I think would work onto paper and working from there. It’s a very, very unorganised way of working, but it seems to be the only way I know how to work.
What is a book, podcast or album that changed the way you think?
Again this is hard for me to answer. If I think of an album then Thriller made my imagination run wild at an early age because it came with such groundbreaking videos and timeless music, it was something I had never seen or heard before. Nas’ Illmatic album also did this, it’s basically a book describing 90s New York but in music form, possibly the greatest hip-hop album of all time. As far as books go, I’d say Philip K. Dick’s “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”, mainly because it got my imagination going and also made me fall in love with Blade Runner and sci-fi in general.
Who is a celebrity or person of note that you admire?
I can’t think of any one person specifically, but I like Stephen Fry, he seems pretty cool and I could probably listen to him talk all day. Louis Theroux also seems like a nice person and very interesting. David Attenborough, too. I’d love to spend time with him, he’s definitely an inspiring, amazing person. That man has literally seen the world twice over and all its most beautiful things. The likes of Jay-Z, DJ Premier and KRS-One, to name a few, are idols of mine and people I really admire, too.
What is your ideal long weekend?
My ideal weekend could be many things, but off the top of my head I’m thinking maybe listening to music by a pool somewhere in Italy or strolling
around Venice drinking Campari Spritz all day.
What would we always find in your fridge? Erm, apart from all the usual things like milk and bread (yes, I keep bread in the fridge). The things you’ll always find in my fridge are dark chocolate, cappers, jalapeños, palm hearts, oat milk, chorizo and sparkling water.
What is a rule or mantra that you live by?
I don’t know if I have one, but in an ideal world I like the idea of everyone being kind to each other. A little bit of kindness can change someone’s whole day in a good way.
What does the year ahead look like for you? A couple more cool releases with my friends over at Leica, a bike collaboration I can’t mention just yet and a project with a whiskey brand.
Thriller made my imagination run wild at an early age because it came with such groundbreaking videosA perfect weekend for Johnny Dowell would see him sipping a Campari Spritz by the pool in Italy with Nas’ Illmatic playing in the background.
After an unseasonably warm September, autumn is well and truly here, and with it a flurry of new restaurant and bar openings to get excited about. Top of the list should be the arrival of legendary sushi chef Masayoshi Takayama in Knightsbridge.
EDITED BY MICHAEL SONSINOCalling EVE a restaurant doesn’t quite do it justice. From 7am to 4pm it’s a lovely café serving pastries, cakes and freshly made sandwiches before converting to a rich south Mediterranean restaurant in the afternoons and a slick bar in the evening. The Mediterranean atmosphere is fully realised in the dinner menu that includes Za’atar fried chicken, herb falafel and charred mushroom skewers grilled to order on the plancha, Zhoug stonebass and ras el hanout lamb belly.
Book now at evekensington.com
30 Marylebone Lane, Mayfair, W1U 2DR
Part of the Tao Group, the arrival of LAVO marks the brand’s London debut and joins its already impressive number of fabulous Italian-style restaurants around the world.
Located at the BoTree, it offers an atmospheric environment in which to enjoy your meal. The menu includes dishes such as tagliatelle al limone infused with marjoram, sweet butter and Kaluga caviar, whole-grain, single-source flour pizzas and a showstopper Wagyu meatball.
Book at taogroup.com
87–135 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, SW1X 7XL
Back in June we themed this Restaurant & Bar section around the “Most Expensive Fine Dining Experiences Across the World” and one of the restaurants we included was Masa in New York by Masayoshi Takayama, one of the world’s most famous sushi chefs. Well, it turns out you don’t need to travel to New York after all because he’s coming to London to launch Sushi by Masa in the Harrods dining hall. The menu, naturally, centres around omakase, a Japanese concept where the chef is in full control of choosing the food placed in front of you.
Opening October 7th, book at harrods.com
GEODE
14-15 Beauchamp Place, Knightsbridge, SW3 1NQ
Geode, just like the rock it’s named after, is all about hidden treasures and gorgeous design. That’s why they bring a fusion of Mediterranean and Asian cuisine to the table to surprise your taste buds. This is a menu where “beef tartare on a bone marrow landscape” sits next to “King crab gunkan”, reaching all the way from the Med to Japan. The interior décor is inspired by a geode as well with a terracotta and lavender theme showcasing the earth and gemstones. Book now at geode.london
You don’t need to travel to New York after all. Masayoshi Takayama, one of the world’s most famous sushi chefs, is coming to the Harrods dining hall.
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6 Sackville Street, Mayfair, W1S 3DD
London Stock is upping roots and moving location from Wandsworth to the centre of Mayfair, taking over the site that used to be Amethyst (a restaurant we covered the opening of with a crazy central table that has since closed when its chef moved on). London Stock is a tasting menu specialist with an 8-course seasonal menu with dishes such as glazed rabbit leg and barbeque beef fillet. With prices at less than £100 per person, it’s one of the less bank-breaking Mayfair tasting menus out there. Opening October 4th, book at londonstockrestaurant.co.uk
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RAFFLES LONDON AT THE OWO
57 Whitehall, Whitehall, SW1A 2BX
I was tempted to make this entire article about the following opening but that would feel a little bit like cheating because when Raffles opens its first-ever hotel in London at The OWO (Old War Office), it’s opening nine new restaurants and bars too. There’s Café Lapérouse, Langosteria, Paper Moon, Mauro Colagreco, Mauro’s Table, Saison (pictured), Creative Restaurant, The Drawing Room, The Guards Bar and The Spy Bar. There’s a wide range of cuisine across them all, from Paris to Italy to a speakeasy type bar in an old MI5 bureau. The John Le Carré vibes are immaculate. Book at theowo.london
“With prices at less than £100 per person, it’s one of the less bank-breaking Mayfair tasting menus out there”LONDON STOCK → DAROCO Soho
The incredibly trendy Parisian restaurant Daroco is set for its debut in London, coming to a location in Soho that at the time of writing is undisclosed. While Daroco may be French, the menu is Italian with baroque pizzas and fresh pasta. The setting is vibrant and colourful, inspired by the iconic artistic movements following the renaissance. The centrepiece to the restaurant will be its ginormous mirrored ceiling. Opening October 2023, book at daroco.com
EL PIRATA
5-6 Down Street, Mayfair, W1J 7AQ
It’s always heartwarming to hear stories of Oracle Time readers going to the restaurants recommended in these pages and having a fabulous time. We had the opportunity to do so ourselves when we took a trip to El Pirata, a restaurant whose post-lockdown grand reopening we included in the October 2021 issue of the magazine exactly two years ago. It’s the Mayfair take on tapas, with a wealth of Spanish food and good wine in a surprisingly relaxed atmosphere considering the locale. Grilled seabass, chicken croquettes, patatas bravas, the menu is diverse and delicious. The perfect fusion of Mediterranean seafood and Spanish spice. Book now at elpirata.co.uk
“The incredibly trendy Parisian restaurant Daroco is set for its debut in London, coming to a location in Soho”
As its superb Spirit Zulu Time last year showed, Longines has a surprising pedigree in GMT watches. It has been doing dual time zone timekeepers for going on a century, if predominantly for use as cockpit instruments – which, honestly, is the place that makes the most sense for it. If you’re regularly crossing meridians these days, you’re going to be doing it by plane. But that hasn’t stopped dive watches getting in on the action, ubiquitous as they are, and DiveGMTs have become a niche though well-represented sub-genre of wider ocean-dwelling watches. So, it’s not too much of a surprise to see that Longines has now jumped right in with its new HydroConquest GMT.
The HydroConquest is the most modern of all Longines watches, its answer to the pricier Submariners and Seamasters of the world. In fact, it pretty much nails the archetype, with a rugged 41mm stainless steel case, unidirectional rotating bezel and 300m water resistance, offering a professional, ISO-standard tool watch. It’s all relatively formulaic in conception, which is no bad thing given the stringent necessities of an actual dive watch.
That formula has also left Longines plenty of room to offer a bit more variance throughout the collection, with plenty of different coloured dials and bi-colour options aplenty. Until now though, it had no complications, keeping true to the utilitarian vibe it’s designed for – which, as the addition of the GMT shows, was overdue for a shake-up.
I’m more than happy to see it. At 41mm the HydroConquest is a nicely-sized diver for my wrist and I’m a fan of GMTs in general and Dive-GMTs in particular, pieces like Tudor’s Black Bay GMT. However, where that particular watch sacrifices its diving usefulness for a day-night indicator bezel, the HydroConquest GMT does not. That’s good news for anyone that actually wants to dive with it but makes the functionality a touch less intuitive for anyone that doesn’t.
Colourwise, there are four different variations that are all very Longines. The blue and black are relatively standard in the pantheon of dive watch colours, with a few orange red highlights to make the black more interesting. As if to signal that these are the more old-school divers, they both come on rubber straps along with the bracelets. Not so the other two.
The other versions are a gorgeous chocolate brown and this, Longines’ answer to the Hulk in its signature olive green and a black bezel. These two feel a bit more vintage, not just in their lovely colours, but in the fact that they come on military style NATO straps instead of rubber. I much prefer this look, and the green and black is by far the standout of the collection, in large part because of the gilt indexes and handset. The gold and green combo is always a good one and the black bezel sets it apart from the rest of the collection in the best possible way.
On the wrist, that sunray green catches the light magnificently, sometimes almost black, sometimes light olive, always a distinctive shade of green a mile away from the more common (and somewhat overplayed) forest of emerald hues, perfectly complemented by the green NATO.
It also feels great on. 41mm is my upper limit for size, but the lugs aren’t too long, meaning it sits well. The
crown protector is chunky without being an imposition and, surprisingly, the HydroConquest GMT is actually thinner than the Zulu Time at 12.9mm thick. All of that makes it a great everyday watch, as much as the inclusion of a GMT function.
Speaking of, it’s worth noting that it’s a true GMT, with an independently adjustable local time hour hand, rather than an independently adjustable GMT hand. Your preference comes down to how you use it; if you stay at home but have meetings with other territories, an office GMT is perfect. If you actually travel regularly, like I do, being able to quickly adjust local time when you land as in true GMTs like this is way better.
Of course, there’s more to the calibre L844 than that. Longines has been a proponent of silicon balance springs for years, ever since ETA started cornering the market on the things. Paired with a few more non-magnetic components, it has serious antimagnetic properties. You can check out our Oracle Speaks this issue to see why that’s important. Put it this way: if your watch isn’t resistant, you may need to get hold of a CRT monitor from a charity shop. It also has a weekend-proof 72-hour power reserve, which is nothing short of impressive at this price point.
This version of the HydroConquest GMT on its NATO strap will set you back £2,450. Sure, that’s more than Mido’s conceptually similar offering (Mido being a Swatch Group sibling of Longines that for some daft reason we don’t get here in the UK), but the quality here easily justifies the price. Hell, I’d stack it up against a fair few watches that are a lot more expensive. I won’t name names, but you know what I mean.
£2,450, longines.com
An inspired new take on the classic racing chronograph to celebrate two big anniversaries
Last issue we tried out one of the latest (of many) new versions of TAG Heuer’s archetypal racing watch, the Carrera Glass Box. To cut a long story short, I loved it. The blend of vintage cues and modern execution, the size and, of course, that ultra-cool glass box, it was my favourite modern Carrera. I say was because it may have just been usurped – and by a collaboration at that: the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronosprint X Porsche.
It’s not just the Carrera celebrating its 60th anniversary in style this year; Porsche too has a big milestone, the 60th birthday of the legendary 911. And while the latter has celebrated that in watch form already with Porsche Design, the mix of car-inspired elements and the Carrera Glass Box is a match made in horological heaven.
On the surface, it has a lot in common with the previous Glass Box models. It has the same tri-compax dial, same case shape and size and the same crystal, which is curved to allow the inner bezel scale to be read from the side. All of that’s to the positive. The Chronosprint’s newness however is predominantly thanks to the movement – and the reason it’s not just been dubbed a chronograph.
If you take a look at the concave bezel, you’ll notice that it’s not a tachymeter scale like you might be expecting. Instead, it ‘simply’ marks off minutes. The reason for the inverted commas however is because the first 10 seconds take up a whole third of the scale, with smaller and smaller gaps between them. Then it switches to five-second markers with again, ever-dwindling intervals between them. The reason only makes sense when you hit the chronograph pushers: the chronograph hand starts off incredibly fast before gradually slowing as it moves around the dial.
The reason is so that the Carrera Chronosprint can more easily time shorter intervals – like the 0-100km sprint of a 911, allowing more accurate time-telling in the first 10 seconds (the original Porsche 901, incidentally, managed it in 9.1 seconds). Unlike a chronograph that runs fractions of a seconds however, it also allows you to use it as a standard 60-second chronograph. It’s a feature achieved with some savvy engineering and snailed wheels, and seeing the chronograph seconds gradually slow is fun enough to wear out the reset button.
I’m not sure if this is a complication that’s been done before. After looking into it, I can’t find a similar approach, though I’m sure in some dusty corner of a Swiss watchmaking archive there’s something. Either way, it’s inspired, and solid in specs too. As the name suggests, the TH20-08 is a tweaked version of the 2023 TH20-00, itself an update of the already excellent Heuer 02. That means an 80-hour power reserve and 4hz frequency, both great things to have, and it’s a looker, visible through the exhibition caseback.
All of that mechanical coolness is dressed in a handsomely classical combination of white and silver with red highlights. It’s very Porsche. Along with the 0-9 on the second scale marked in red (a nod to that aforementioned 9.1 seconds), the 6 o’clock running seconds includes a warning highlight at 50 seconds, a nod to 70s 911 dashboards and their recommended urban speed of 50km/h. The 9 o’clock chronograph hours has a similar vibe, with a warning marker
starting from 6.8 hour in another nod to Porsche, this time the 6,800 rev limit.
They’re the details we’re used to seeing on automotive watches (we recently did a comprehensive article on the subject), but I like the specificity here. I can’t say it sets my world on fire, but a few dashes of red on a dial are never a bad thing and at least the only Porsche branding – other than ‘911’ on the strap – is on the concave inner bezel.
On the wrist, it’s just great. 42mm is about as big as I’m comfortable going, but here it has the extra visual impact of that glass box. As more and more watches opt for titanium, it’s also satisfying to have a bit of heft to it – I assume more so, if you opt instead for the gold version.
Of the two versions, I prefer the steel we have here. There’s a certain classicism to the gold, with its cream rather than white dial, but for a 70s racing watch the sportier, more practical steel just works better. It’s also way less than half the price at CHF 9,000, or £8,000, compared to the gold version’s CHF 23,000 (£20,500).
Car and watch partnerships can be hit or miss. More often than not, they’re just a standard collection watch with new, car-inspired colours. Whether they’re good looking or not, they’re hard to get excited about. The ones that actually work, the ones that stand out from the crowd of would-be petrolhead watches, are those that tie in mechanics along with the branding. The Carrera Chronosprint Porsche does both, and well.
CHF 9,000 (approx. £8,000), tagheuer.com
History is littered with watches that have been built to survive the most extreme of environments; we have a whole article on just that subject elsewhere in these pages. Most of them though date back to the golden age of exploration, the era of Sir Edmund Hillary and grand arctic crossings. The Concordia on the other hand, is a lot more modern.
Back in 2018 Matthieu Tordeur decided to cross Antarctica. But where Hillary did so with a full team and plenty of equipment, Tordeur opted to do it completely solo on skis, the youngest explorer ever to achieve the feat – and the first Frenchman. An expedition like that needs the right equipment, and timekeeper-wise that equipment was the original Charlie Paris Concordia.
The watch was designed with sub-zero temperatures in mind and, given the amount of snow, a good level of waterproofness. The result is a solid tool watch with a surprising level of elegance to it, aesthetically like a Fifty Fathoms compared to a Submariner. And in the latest version, the accessible French watchmaker has added a useful (if conversely less utilitarian) twist in the Concordia GMT.
Honestly, the Concordia suits a GMT nicely. While it has a tool watch case in 40mm of stainless steel, its slim bezel means there’s plenty of room to try new things, and the relatively sparse dial means that a bit of extra colour here and there wouldn’t go amiss – especially if that colour is a gorgeous chocolate hue.
Seriously, brown dials are incredibly underrated. The Vacheron Constantin Fiftysix Sepia is one of my dream watches, and while the Concordia isn’t in the same league (it’s over £20,000 less), the silky brown still has that kind of vintage feel to it. It’s a gradient dial, but only lightly so. It doesn’t go from light to dark as much as very dark to black, tying more into that vibe of time-worn fade.
That’s doubly true when you take into account the 24-hour day-night indicator around the periphery of the dial, which is half dial-matched brown, half pale beige, like it’s split between espresso and latte. The 24-hour indicator is a OCDsatisfying reflection of the bezel, down to the numerals, read using the black-bordered white arrow hand.
One of the more unusual touches on the Concordia is the crown. As it’s meant to be used in cold weather, it has to be operable in gloves (especially given how cold steel would get). That means you need an oversized crown. Rather than the usual fluted version you often see on pilot watches, Charlie Paris instead opted for a big, round, barrel-shaped version with plenty of grip. It’s incredibly tactile to use.
Should you use that crown you’ll find out that this is an office GMT rather than a ‘true’ GMT. That means you can quickly jump the GMT hand around the dial rather than the local hand. It’s a better complication for if you’re not actually travelling but need to keep track of your next international call. There’s a bit more prestige behind a ‘true’ GMT but honestly, I find this version more useful.
It’s powered by a Soprod C125 movement, a maker we’re seeing more and more of as ETA movements become harder to get hold of. It’s not just a second best though. Soprod have been making Swiss movements since the 60s and offer
some seriously solid calibres – of which this is one. For the accuracy fanatics among you, it runs at 04/+6 seconds a day, which is decent at this price point, backed by a 40-hour power reserve.
On the wrist, the Concordia GMT is downright lovely. The proportions are just right, from the 40mm diameter to the 12.5mm thickness, with enough heft to suit what is ostensibly a tool watch but without feeling chunky. It’s versatile enough to wear with anything too, with that pared-back dial suiting the term ‘smart-casual’ more than most watches.
If I have one negative, it’s that the bezel is a bit slim to use easily. It’s just that touch too awkward to get a grip on. That stops it slipping accidentally if you did want to test out its impressive 300m water resistance, which is vital if you find yourself using it to keep track of how long you’ve been under. But for someone like me that just loves fiddling with a rotating bezel, it’s not the best.
The fact that that’s my only gripe about the Concordia GMT though speaks volumes. It’s well-built, well-designed and, underpinning it all, well-priced. It’s currently on preorder for €1,195, so just over £1,025 in good, British money. But even at full retail, it’s a lot of watch for €1,375 (£1,180). And hey, it’s also good to know that if I ever pack up writing and decide to strike out solo across the icy wastes of the Arctic, I can rely on the Concordia to get me there. Even if I can’t rely on myself.
€1,195 (approx. £1,025), charlie-paris.com
If I ever pack up writing and decide to strike out solo across the icy wastes of the Arctic, I can rely on the Concordia to get me there
How Skydiamond is transforming the jewellery industry by creating precious stones from thin air
> > Whether they’re set in an elegant engagement ring or splashed liberally across an oversized watch case, there’s nothing like a diamond. Whether that’s because of their value, their glimmering attraction or their position as an unequivocal symbol of love, they’re precious stones in more ways than one. And yet, how we get them is often a lot less precious. Historically, diamonds have been mined, sourced and traded in less than savoury ways. Blood diamonds funding warlords, exploitative production practices, the way we can get them can be both environmentally and socially destructive, with each mined diamond releasing up to 500kg of greenhouse gasses into the
environment – a far cry from the symbol of love they often are. These days 1 in 3 mined diamonds come from Russia, which if you care about global politics is enough to make you think twice. But what if there was a way to
The whole process takes around 14 days to produce a diamond, using nothing but solar and wind power
create a diamond and not just leave the environment unharmed, but actively help it? It sounds too good to be true, but that’s precisely the magic behind Skydiamond.
First, it’s worth asking what a diamond actually is. After all, it’s just layers of carbon, lined up in a specific way. How you get there is obviously different, whether it’s millions of years of underground pressure or grown in a lab, but the concept is the same, taking carbon and transforming it into something beautiful. At the same time, in case you hadn’t noticed, we have a problem with too much carbon in the atmosphere. So, why not take it from there?
This is the concept Dale Vince OBE, an entrepreneur and environmentalist you might better know as ‘Labour’s Green Knight’, struck upon while thinking of the most permanent way of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon. After all, nothing’s harder than diamond and, with the preciousness associated with the stones, there’s an innate value to the final result. Given that 36 percent of engaged men proposed with lab-grown diamonds last year, there’s also the demand.
And so, Skydiamond was founded in 2022. It’s not just a carbon-neutral production method, but it’s actively carbon negative, something the rest of the process adheres to – and it’s an incredibly cool process to boot.
Once the carbon dioxide has been taken from the atmosphere, it’s liquified and purified. Water is then split into oxygen and hydrogen via electrolysis, with the latter being combined with the C02 to make methane. This gas is then fed into a reactor where it’s subjected to temperatures of 900-1,200 degrees Celsius in balls of plasma. The whole thing takes around 14 days to produce a diamond, using nothing but solar and wind power.
Now, granted there’s only a small amount of carbon trapped in each diamond. They’re incredibly dense, but not massive – a couple grammes are used to see each stone. But the fact remains that it’s carbon being captured and, perhaps more importantly, eliminating the need for mining. Why wreck the planet when you can have your diamond and wear it? Sure, there’s a certain stigma attached to lab-grown and non-mined diamonds, but that’s something we should be actively changing. When there’s no physical difference (Skydiamonds are graded and certified in exactly the same way as ‘natural’ stones) and it’s a choice between destructive and positive, there’s not much of a choice.
Diamonds have always been a symbol of love and forever shall they remain. But Skydiamond as a concept illustrates that you can represent your love, while loving the planet at the same time. If that’s not a win-win scenario, then nothing is. And maybe, just maybe, Skydiamond can lead the way to a better, more sustainable approach to diamonds as a whole. Find out more at Skydiamond.com
The latest and greatest from the ever-creative world of small, independent watch brands
1945 D12 Field
THE SPECS:
• 37mm stainless steel case with 100m water resistance
• Miyota 82S5 automatic movement with 40-hour power reserve
• £298, vario.sg
Vario stormed onto the horological field initially with its uber-utilitarian Trench Watch, designed in line with historical WW1 timepieces; now it’s marching forwards with a tribute to the more specifically built pieces of WWII – pieces like the legendary Dirty Dozen, built for the Ministry of Defence. The 1945 D12 Field wears those inspirations on its sleeve, with a small seconds subdial, textured main dial and the ubiquitous railway minute track and handset so closely tied to the aesthetic. The off-centre crown changes things a little – as does the copious lume – but as a modern ode to wartimekeeping, it’s a winner. vario.sg
When a watchmaker offers as much bang for your buck as Boldr, you don’t ask for bells and whistles. And yet… in its beefy collaboration with torch and low-light specialist Nitecore, you get not only a cool, blacked-out diving watch with a T-Rex on the dial, you get a 500-lumen torch to go with it, both with the same laser-engraved T-Rex footprint detail. Throw in some palaeontologist-baiting accessories and you have a stealthy daily beater just waiting for the sun to go down. boldrsupply.co
THE SPECS:
• 40mm stainless steel case with 200m water resistance
• Seiko SII NH35A calibre automatic movement with 41-hour power reserve
• £379, boldrsupply.co
Yellow watches – and bright dials in general, but yellow more so than the rest – are in vogue right now, with accessible watchmakers aplenty making a summery splash on the wrist. Fledgling watch brand (it opened its doors this year) Wages has seized upon that particular zeitgeist with the Naval Capital, a streamlined 40mm everyday wearer with that bright mustard hue we’ve all come to know and love. Powered by an automatic movement, it’s also a lot of watch for the money, just in case you were hesitant you could pull off yellow. At this price, yes you can.
wageswatches.com
THE SPECS:
• 40mm stainless steel case
• Automatic movement
• $335.95 (approx. £270), wageswatches.com
Australia has some of the most spectacular landscapes in the world, from immaculate coastlines to rugged bush – and any watch hoping to tackle it needs to be a seriously rugged piece of kit. Enter the Nullarbor Terrain. The Australian-designed timepiece is part 1960s diver, part explorer, combining an everyday 100m water resistance and sandwich dial with a compass bezel. It might be built to survive, but the Terrain is still easy on the wrist with a 40mm stainless steel case and the Miyota movement is the ultimate workhorse. Best of all – if you’re quick – you can still get it for an early bird discount over on Kickstarter for just under £350. nullarborwatch.com.au
THE SPECS:
• 40mm stainless steel case with 100m water resistance
• Miyota 9039 automatic movement with 42hour power reserve
• AU$1,000 (approx. £510), nullarborwatch.com.au
The hype around integrated bracelets may be dying back a little – thank god for that, it was getting a bit much – but that doesn’t mean a new version here or there isn’t welcome. That’s doubly true if it’s a genuinely affordable, aesthetically striking take on the formula like the Rosenbusch Quest. Like a greatest hits of sports luxe – part Ingenieur, part Nautilus, part PRX – it has all the Genta-adjacent touches associated with the genre. However, the Quest is also available in a quartet of dials, including a striking blue version and a very handsome blue. Best of all, it’s genuinely affordable – especially if you grab one on Kickstarter for a serious early bird discount. rosenbusch.watch
THE SPECS:
• 42mm stainless steel case with 100m water resistance
• Sellita SW200-1 Élaboré automatic movement with 41-hour power reserve
• €669 (approx. £575), rosenbusch.watch
Words: Sarah Fergusson
UNSUNG VINTAGE HERO:
Never has a race to the bottom been more impressive than Ollech & Wajs’ development of the recordbreaking Caribbean 1000 dive watch
When I was given the Ollech & Wajs Caribbean 1000 as my next article subject, the watch was described to me as ‘cool.’ Apparently, the word emerged in the US in the 1930s, and became well, really cool, in the 1950s. But what makes something cool, and could we all agree on what a cool watch actually is? My conclusion is a satisfying one: some of the coolest watches of all time are dive watches (and we should all agree on this). They are cool in their understated, dark and moody beauty, like the bad boy in the leather jacket, and with every component intrinsically related to purpose, these are handsome watches with a job to do. They enable you to do yours – keeping you alive as you disappear into the depths.
Rolex, among many other brands, had been releasing dive watches since the early 1950s. With the boom in both commercial and recreational diving, specialised tool or sports watches had, alongside automotive (racing) and aviation watches, become their own thriving horological sector by the end of the decade. Dive watches, as a tool, have a list of specs that are essential to their fitness for purpose. Their waterproofness/ resistance and legibility are key, and are determined by case and crown construction, along with dial colour and lume levels, respectively. As a result, there is an aesthetic similarity across this group of watches. We could ‘design’ one ourselves right now: it would have a stainless steel case, screw-down crown, black dial, lume hour markers, black unidirectional bezel with white count-up scale and a stainless steel bracelet with clasp that might offer potential to be extended to wear over a wetsuit. And while the Ollech & Wajs Caribbean 1000 might not stand out aesthetically from its peers, there is one massive purpose-driven difference that makes it very cool indeed. A real rebel in the genre, the Caribbean was released in 1964 and blew all other existing dive watches, and their makers, out of the water (sorry, it was too tempting).
On the O&W site it says, ‘don’t focus on what the competition may be planning — focus on what they haven’t even dreamt of.’ For dive watches in the 1950s and 60s, there was an ongoing and open-ended race – who could go the deepest? It is believed that Rolex was aiming for 600m next, but by the early 1960s, its Submariner was only claiming waterproofness in depths of up to 200m. It is staggering therefore that a small collaborative brand far surpassed this, hitting a mythical depth of 1,000m. O&W set the bar so high (or low?) with its Caribbean 1000, that it took Rolex well into the next decade to release a watch that surpassed it.
So how did the OW manage to exceed the depths available to a Rolex wearer quite so spectacularly? It all comes down to the Caribbean’s case. Fundamentally different in form to its predecessors across the industry, the case is monobloc in construction, made from one piece of steel, rather than two, and it was the innovation of Jenny Watches, a small family business. Jenny worked with O&W, although not exclusively, to bring this case to the watch-buying public. The design negated the majority of the risk of water ingress to the watch – much of this risk being created by the two-piece nature of a ‘traditional’ case, with a screw caseback. O&W combined this case with a thick but low-profile crystal of 5mm in thickness. And now comes another really cool part – this crystal was replaceable by the watch owner.
There is something quite precious about having to send our tool watch back to the manufacturer if the crystal pops out, is scratched, or cracks. Look at this O&W therefore, deeply practical, and for the user; with the correct tool, available from O&W on request, we could have whipped out the dead crystal and replaced it ourselves. This notion of self-sufficiency as an owner is quite unusual in the Swiss watch industry. Think of how excited we get when we discover a watch comes with a quick release strap! And the relief that we don’t have to struggle to use a spring bar tool (and not scratch the lugs of our precious watch). And the procrastination we have to push through to get to the watchmaker, months later, to ask them to change a strap for us.
Now even the best ideas can go unnoticed, or underappreciated, but this one had something else behind it – business ingenuity. O&W established
itself as a mail-order business, making its products available to international buyers. Many of its customers were in fact in the military. I have seen it mentioned that many personnel turned to the brand for alternatives to their less than fit-forpurpose watches by other brands, which were officially issued to them. As well as these personal purchases, later watches were also officially supplied to US troops during the Vietnam War.
The Caribbean 1000, our handsome bad boy, has everything you’d expect from a 1960s dive watch but he didn’t just hang out smoking and leaning on his car like the rest. A rebel with a cause, he managed to change an entire genre of watches for the better, taking us deeper than ever before, leaving the big boys in his rearview mirror. Now that, really is cool.
A rebel with a cause, the Caribbean 1000 managed to change an entire genre of watches for the better, taking us deeper than ever before
The easiest way to sell your watch online, fast
> > Selling your watch online has the air of the unknown about it. Most digital auction sites feel like minefields waiting to go off in your face and, if you’ve never sold a watch before, it’s hard to know where to even start. You might have an inkling of what a watch is worth; you might not. Either way, you need an expert to help you sell.
The most obvious route would be traditional auction houses, who have self-evident expertise. But you could be waiting months to go to sale, and there’s no guarantee that the right buyer will be in the room on the day. It could end up being a long wait for little reward. You need the accessibility and flexibility of an online auction, but with the expertise of an established seller. That means Watch Collecting.
Despite being a relative newcomer to the world of fine watches, Watch Collecting hit the scene hard when it launched in 2021. In its first day, it sold £150,000 of watches and later that same month set a world record for a Double Sealed Patek Philippe 5711. And then the records just kept coming: £28,000 for a Snoopy Speedmaster, £64,200 for a lapis-dialled Rolex Submariner 16613 and £205,000 for a 6200 Submariner. Evidently, something struck a chord. The question is, what?
First is something formative to how Watch Collecting has approached the space – its experience in the field of online auctions. The company is actually the horological take on Collecting Cars, one of the most vibrant online automotive auctions in the world. Needless to say, it knows how to sell luxury and sell it well.
Apparently, the one thing it has learned more than anything else is that the whole process should be quick and easy, from start to finish. That’s why, shortly after contacting the brand to say that you have something to sell, it’ll reach out to discuss the kind of reserve you want to put on it. It’ll be a reserve that’s not based on anything as nebulous as prestige or what it could achieve, but reflective of actual market value.
This means importantly that its valuations are realistic. It’s all too easy to
convince yourself that your precious watch, a timepiece that’s been with you for years if not decades, isn’t just valuable for its emotional attachments, but was a great, savvy investment too. That way lies not meeting your reserve and, in the end, not selling. Assuming there’s a reason behind selling your watch, that’s not ideal.
Once you’ve agreed a reserve, the next step is to show the watch off at its best. No out-of-focus, poorly lit phone shots here. In fact, you don’t need to do anything. Watch Collecting works with a cohort of excellent freelance
Once you’ve agreed a reserve price for your watch, the next step is to capture it at its best. Don’t worry if your photography skills are lacking, Watch Collecting has a black book full of freelance photographers ready and waiting to get the shot
In its first day, Watch Collecting sold £150,000 of watches
From start to finish, Watch Collecting offers a seamless approach to selling your watch, one that emphasises speed and ease
photographers who are well-versed in the delicate minutiae of shooting a watch. Trust us, it’s a hard skill to master.
Of course, a watch needs a description on top of some good images. All you need to do there is provide Watch Collecting’s team with as much information as you have. The more, the better, but even if you don’t have much, they can work on putting something together from the model reference. Either way, you get final approval so you can rest assured that your watch is being represented correctly and fairly.
Finally, it’s posted for sale. There are actually two different ways of going about it though, with different benefits. You can list it as Buy Now or Best Offer, which gives interested parties 14 days to either pay the full amount or make an offer. This gives you time to wait for offers to come in and counter-offer with potential buyers across the two weeks. If
you have a specific figure in mind you want to get for your watch, this is a good way to go about it.
The other way is the auction route, with a twist: Watch Collecting does new auctions six days a week, that last just seven days. This short timeframe means that there’s a sense of urgency to the auction, that interested parties can’t um and ah over whether it’s the right watch for them. It encourages action and
reaction, aiming to get the best possible price for your watch.
From start to finish, Watch Collecting offers a seamless approach to selling your watch, one that emphasises speed and ease. But if all those steps sound just a bit too much effort, it also offers a way of streamlining it further. Its Managed Service has two steps: send in your watch, wait for the money to roll in. That’s it. The watch is fully insured, and all you need to do is liaise with the seller. The rest is entirely dealt witu by Watch Collecting, taking even the minute amount of worry that remains in the standard experience out.
So, next time you’re thinking about selling your watch but dreading the idea of researching it, shooting it, writing about it and all the other necessities that selling online involves, don’t worry about it. Just go to Watch Collecting and find out just how easy it can be. watchcollecting.com
Its Managed Service has two steps: send in your watch, wait for the money to roll in. That’s it
EDITED BY SAM KESSLER
How the uber-accessible Horage Tourbillon changed the high-complication for the better
It wasn’t too long ago that a good Swiss watch was a serious investment – one presumably well worth it in terms of prestige and quality, but a good chunk of change nevertheless. That was double true of complications and, if there’s one complication that epitomised the ethos above all others, it was the tourbillon.
Not only is the tourbillon a complicated piece of kit to put together, but it has one of those nebulous uses and dubious real-world effectiveness that makes it a niche, collector-baiting addition to any watch. It was the purview of the grand maisons, the heritage houses of fine watchmaking and the serious collectors that could afford them.
There was of course the occasional nod to accessibility – the Carrera Heuer-02T Tourbillon Chronograph, for example – but they were few, far-between and often not the best quality. If you wanted something solid, you needed to pay. Until, of course, independent brands with an emphasis on affordable Swiss watchmaking started making moves – brands like Horage.
Horage was in an odd place when it was in the initial stirrings of producing a watch. The original aim was to use a third-party manufacturer to build its timepieces but, having exhausted its options with demands as frivolous as ‘not costing a mortgage’, it ended up going alone, a level of independence up there with the famous, auctionworthy indies that you’ll find headline at Phillips.
Of course, Horage didn’t go in blind. Founded in 2009 by entrepreneur Andi Felsl and his wife Tzuyu Huang, they cut their calibre-building teeth at THE+, the movement-maker behind the K1 calibre that provides the foundation for Bremont’s shiny new in-house calibre. It was originally designed for Horage as practical and cost-efficient, with a silicon escapement and excellent modularity. It laid the foundations for what would become Horage’s superb range of in-house movements.
The big moment however came in 2020 with the launch of the Tourbillon 1. A skeletonised watch with a funky chequer board, mosaic-inspired non-dial, it didn’t just look the part with its 6 o’clock tourbillon, but felt it, too. Everything was on show, from the mainspring (meaning you can technically see the power reserve) to the transmission. It left nothing hidden and looked great with its proverbial clothes off. Oh, and it wasn’t just a tourbillon; it was a flying tourbillon with a peripheral gear train.
Pair that with an incredibly handsome look (especially with its bright blue bridges and silver indexes and handset), it was an instant winner. It would have been so even without a particularly impressive price tag, but throw in the fact that it cost CHF 6,990 (around £6,285) at launch absolutely put Horage on the map.
Perhaps more importantly, it highlighted what a small, independent watchmaker could do given the opportunity. This wasn’t some grand, inter-group enterprise backed by billions, but the passion project for a handful of skilled Swiss watchmakers. Strip out the huge mark-ups, marketing guff and anything that doesn’t feed directly into the watch, and this is what you get.
Well, it’s been a minute since the Tourbillon 1 hit the scene and while there are certainly some good-value Swiss tourbillons out there – the Frederique Constant anniversary Manufacture Tourbillon comes to mind – there’s nothing that’s hit the nail on the head quite like Horage’s groundbreaking watch. Except, of course, for the Horage Tourbillon 2.
Frederique Constant might actually be an apt comparison here as, rather than the contemporary skeletonised take that was the Tourbillon 1, the Tourbillon 2 veers a lot more towards classical. At least, at a glance. Curvaceous, hand-drawn Arabic numerals, an open 60-second tourbillon at 6 o’clock, it all feels very familiar, right down to the grand feu enamel dial on the 41mm gold-cased, white version. In fact, there’s something downright pocket watch like about it – no bad thing.
The blue dialled version however takes a different approach, with a finish inspired by an ancient manuscript – Ireland’s Book of Durrow – which
comes across like really fine alligator. Paired with sportier steel, it’s the more modern of the two. Either way, both dials showcase the kind of exceptional finish that, perhaps as much as the tourbillon, we’ve come to associate with the highest standards of classic Swiss watchmaking.
That said, the power reserve indicator on both lessens that old-school elegance a touch, but in doing so hammers home the fact that these bad boys have a five-day power reserve. That’s via one barrel, a testament to the mechanism behind the watch, the new-and-improved K-TOU calibre, and partly due to the slightly reduced frequency compared to some other movements, down from 4Hz to 3.5Hz. And because performance may say a lot, but a picture says a thousand words, the reverse of the movement is an absolute stunner, familiar in layout and overall design to fans of the Tourbillon 1.
Now, with all those improvements and more labourintensive dials (not to mention inflation) you can be sure that the new Tourbillon 2 will be more expensive than the 2020 original. But honestly, not by much. The blue-dialled Livre de Durrow in steel starts at CHF 8,990 (around £8,000) and the Grand Feu Enamel version, again in steel, will set you back CHF 12,980 (£11,700), with precious metal versions going up from there.
Now, that price means that the Tourbillon 2 isn’t an accessible watch per se. It’s not some impulse buy you’ll pick up at your local Ernest Jones or anything like that. But in the rarefied realms of the tourbillon, it’s borderline unthinkable. Three years later and, apparently, Horage just hasn’t had enough of showing up the Swiss watch industry – and long may it continue. Find out more at horage.com
How British brand Marloe is honouring the recordbreaking Campbell family with its Coniston collection
History is full of people for whom ‘fast enough’ simply wasn’t a thing. A certain breed of adrenaline junkies have always wanted to push themselves, their engineering and their sanity to extremes. The most obvious take on that is the Outright Land Speed Record, which currently sits at 763.035 mph, set by Andy Green in a twin turbofan jet-powered ‘car’. He broke the sound barrier.
While water speed isn’t quite as flashy – it’s much, much harder to speed through water given the increased drag compared to air – it’s nonetheless been a historically important milestone for engineers to aim for. And where the Land Speed Record has historically had the legendary Bonneville Salt Flats, the floating equivalent has Coniston Water.
Coniston Water is one of the most beautiful places in the UK. The fifth-largest body of water in the Lake District (after Windermere and Ullswater), it has a long, narrow footprint that all but begs for some serious water speeding. In 1939, Sir Malcolm Campbell agreed. After building his cutting-edge boat, the Bluebird K4, he set the world water speed record at 141.74 miles per hour.
It’s a record that stood for nearly 20 years until Donald Campbell, son of Sir Malcolm, broke his father’s record four times in his Bluebird K7 Hydroplane. He did the same in 1967, achieving a speed of over 320 miles per hour. It was fast – too fast, as it turned out, as Donald died in the attempt.
To this day Coniston Water still has a huge place in aquatic engineering, as does the legacy of the Campbell family – a legacy that is now a focal point of British watch brand Marloe in the aptly named Coniston collection.
The Coniston as a design is in an odd place. It’s not a specific tool watch – it’s definitely not a diver, the lack of numerals precludes a pilot and it’s a bit too ornate for a field watch – but there’s something decidedly engineering led about it. The depth of the layered dial, the fluted crown, the knurled caseband, they’re all the kind of details you’d expect from a watch devoted to a vintage car.
That makes a lot of sense, given the era from which the Campbell family legacy came from, and it means that the Coniston looks and feels solid without the usual stripped-back, militaristic look everyday British watches tend to err towards. Measuring 41mm across, it’s well-sized for a sportier watch, and comfortable on the wrist, equipped with a workhorse Miyota movement for that perfect combination of reliability and accessibility. So far, so solid. That said, most of the collection’s story is
told through the four colourways and the engraving on the back – which we’ll get to.
The blue and white CN7 and black and cream K4 are both inspired by their namesake boats. The K4 was Malcolm Campbell’s fastest; the CN7 was Donald Campbell’s. Then there’s the Trackday which is instead inspired by the family’s successes on terra firma, draped in his racing livery from the Grand Prix de Boulogne. There’s not much to say about the Black Edition, given it’s a cross-collection, stealthier take, but the three mainline versions all show off distinctive elements of the Campbell legacy.
It’s not too much of a surprise then that the Coniston wasn’t built in a well-named vacuum; Marloe collaborated with the Campbell Family Heritage Trust on the overall design and the individual colourways, with donations from every sale going to support said trust. It means that the Coniston isn’t just leveraging the heritage of a British engineering legend but helping to keep that heritage alive. Hence the engraving on the back of each watch: Courage is Not Being Fearless.
When asked by a journalist before a record attempt about whether he was ever afraid, Donald Campbell replied: “Of course I’m afraid, every time I get into the Bluebird. Courage is not being fearless. Courage is overcoming and smashing through fear.”
If that’s not stirring, not much is. But hey, even if you’re not one for legacy, not one for the story of a watch, then you’ll be glad to know that the Coniston, with its detailed design, more-than-solid build and automatic movements, is also one of the best value-for-money British watches around. And given that’s something that – along with breaking speed records – we do very well, it says a lot. Find out more at marloewatchcompany.com
The Classic Tourbillon Manufacture is in many ways the culmination of three and a half decades of experience
How two Dutch entrepreneurs turned an idea into an in-house, accessible powerhouse of fine Swiss watchmaking
The watch world was in a very, very different state 35 years ago. It was a low point, with many a maison having shut their doors throughout the quartz crisis and before the first stirrings of the modern horological renaissance. There were a few cool designs coming out, but serious watchmaking was having a hard time. It’s into this dubious market that Frederique Constant launched in 1988.
It was a bold move and one that likely raised a few eyebrows. But founders Aletta and Peter Stas weren’t your usual entrepreneurial watchmaking couple. For one, they weren’t Swiss but Dutch. For another, they lived in Hong Kong. They weren’t exactly the traditional figures behind a fledgling maison – which in all honesty, is probably how they, more than the local Swiss watchmakers, saw an opportunity.
As I said, quartz watches were everywhere and they were cheap. At the same time, the watchmakers that had survived the crisis were the ones operating in the rarefied, collector-centric end of the scale. There just wasn’t really anything in-between. Accessible watchmaking is a nice buzzword these days, but in the 80s it was a revolutionary concept. That said, it was an easier concept to grasp than build and it took the duo four years to make it a tangible, on-wrist reality with 1992’s 18th Century Collection.
It’s not hard to see the through-line from the 18th Century Collection to today. Elegant, streamlined and with a few complications (most notably a moon phase), they’re easily recognisable as Frederique Constant watches for more than the name on the dial. The same goes for their next big release, a watch that’s still a mainstay of their collection: the 1994 Heart Beat.
Defined by a dial-side opening to allow a glimpse of the balance spring underneath, the Heart Beat helped illustrate what fine watchmaking was all about. Unfortunately, Frederique Constant’s relative inexperience came into play here: they didn’t patent the technique. If you ever wondered why there are so many open-heart timepieces, now you know. Still, the brand continued to produce accessible watches, well-finished and using stock movements to keep costs down. That was until the brand hit its biggest milestone on its 10th anniversary in 2004.
Most watchmakers are more likely to design timepieces rather than build them from scratch, especially the movements. There’s a little disingenuity there, a double standard that evidently didn’t sit well with Frederique Constant. So, after a
decade of producing watches, it used its birthday as the perfect opportunity to become a true watchmaker with the in-house FC-910.
The importance of the FC-910 calibre to the brand can’t be understated. It made them a complete oddity, an independent, accessible watchmaker that nonetheless had the design and manufacturing skills to bring everything in-house. At the time it was an unheard of combination and even these days it’s seriously impressive.
Of course, bringing everything in-house requires a bit more space than just case assembly, and so Frederique Constant joined the big leagues in 2006 by opening a shiny new, state-of-the-art manufacture in Plan-lesOuates. To put that into context, they’re down the road from Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin and Harry Winston, not a bad group to rub bricks-and-mortar shoulders with.
As if to hammer home its unique set of watchmaking skills, back in 2008 Frederique Constant also produced one of the world’s most accessible Swiss tourbillons in the FC-980 calibre, which also happened to be the world’s first calibre of its type with a silicon escapement. It was just the start of course, and over the last 15-odd years, Frederique Constant has produced around 30 different in-house movements.
While the brand’s independence is no longer a thing – they’re now part of Citizen Group, sitting alongside a superb roster of like-minded brands – that emphasis on affordable Swiss watchmaking, backed by in-house mechanics, is still very much defining Frederique Constant’s approach. Indeed, to celebrate its 35th anniversary, it caught lightning in a bottle and released a gorgeous new version of its tourbillon: the Classic Tourbillon Manufacture.
An incredibly handsome, distinctly classical watch, the Classic Tourbillon Manufacture is in many ways the culmination of three and a half decades of experience. A delicately sized dress watch with an open heart (which as we’ve already spoken about, is a Frederique Constant signature), manufacture movement and the kind of classical good looks you’d expect from a Swiss maison with a far longer heritage, we adored it when we reviewed it back in June. Best of all though, it’s accessible. Not impulse-buy, genuinely inexpensive accessible (after all, that’s what Citizen do), but for £12,750, this level of watchmaking is a staggering rarity.
Thirty-five years is a blink of an eye compared to some watch manufactures – including those sharing the air of Plan-les-Ouates – but for Frederique Constant it’s been long enough to build a brand, build a movement, build a manufacture and build its own unique approach to Swiss watchmaking. God only knows what it can do by the grand old age of 70. Find out more at frederiqueconstant.com
The Kienzle Poseidon is designed to be a bold dive watch that stands out on the wrist while having a highly legible display. It achieves that with a 44.5mm diameter in rose gold-plated stainless steel case with 150m water resistance. The display features oversize hour markers with plenty of lume for low light legibility, there’s also a date window at 4 o’clock. It’s presented on a silicone strap for optimal comfort and safety underwater and houses the Japanese Miyota 2415 quartz.
Kienzle Poseidon, €198 (approx. £160), available from kienzle.it
Argos Watches is a young Filipino brand inspired by the concept that watches are meant to be lifelong companions. That’s why the brand itself and its flagship watch are named after one of the most popular stories in history, The Odyssey and Odysseus’ faithful dog Argos. It creates utilitarian watches built to withstand the rigors of life. The Odyssey is a 38mm steel piece with a textured, quasi-sector dial in cream or blue, housing the Seiko NH35A automatic movement with a 41-hour power reserve.
PHP 17,999 (approx. £250), available on argos-watches.com
Sports watches and guilloché style dials might seem like unlikely bedfellows yet the Batavi Atelier proves that they work together surprisingly well. The 39mm stainless steel case has a field watch-esque aesthetic that provides a nice contrast to the intricate patterning of the vibrant fish scale dial. There are multiple colourways available including dark black/purple, blue and a grey/beige tone. Powering the piece is the Miyota calibre 9039 with 44-hour power reserve which combined with the case and dial means that this is a lot of watch for the money. €479 (early bird price), €578 (standard price), available from batavi-watches.com
If you want to talk military field watches, you can’t get more authentic than Stirling, a brand owned and operated by a serving British Army soldier with the aim of creating the ideal watches for service people on the front lines as well as civilians back home. The Fraser is its military diving watch with 300m water resistance and a robust stainless steel case measuring 42mm in diameter. Powering the piece is a quartz movement due to the practical necessity of the extremely high accuracy quartz offers. £350, learn more at stirlingtimepieces.com
BWG Bavarian Watch is a German watch brand that creates watches inspired by the dual personality of Baveria. On the one hand, you have soaring castles and on the other, you have the bustling, modern city of Munich. As such, BWG watches tread a line between luxurious design and practical utility, which is exemplified in the Isaria model with its 42.2mm case with 200m water resistance and bold design. The name and colourway options come from the river Isar, which flows through Munich. €555 for first 50 buyers, €1,555 standard price (approx. £490/£1,375), pre-order at bavarian-watch.com
Nubuck is a type of leather finish most commonly seen on bovine leathers that uses buffing to create a velvetlike texture. However, Jean Rousseau has developed its own original way to produce a similar velvet texture on alligator leather, creating the Nubuck Alligator strap. Visually it’s stunning as it carries a richness of colour and texture, particularly as the finish is so rare on exotics. Alligator is often reserved for refined occasions such as soirées but the Nubuck finish also helps the strap to be water-repellent, meaning it’s more adventurous than may first appear.
£445, available at jean-rousseau.com
On a functional level watch winders are a great way to make sure your automatic collection is always ready to wear at a moment’s notice. But just as equally, watch winders can make for the ideal display cases, as shown by the Chrome Calibre Retro Bot, which is shaped like a tin robot from the mid-1900s. The technology inside is provided by SwissKubik with Bluetooth connectivity that allows the rotation to be customised based on number of rotations per day and direction. €2,500 (approx. £2,150) available from chromecalibre.com
The Capra Double Watch Roll from Ettinger is designed to keep up to two watches safe on your travels with a robust goat leather exterior and soft suede lining. This Bordeaux version is a rich wine red although other colours are available too, such as marine, forest and tan. The roll is kept securely fastened with a silver popper featuring the Ettinger monogram on an extendable strap that accommodates for larger timepieces. Plus, add a personal touch by adding up to five initials. £320, available from ettinger.co.uk
Horology Wrists produces a range of straps dedicated to the headline grabbing Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch.
Considering how colourful and diverse the MoonSwatches are, the Horology Wrists straps are correspondingly eccentric and exciting. A beige strap to match the Jupiter, a burgundy for the Pluto and a sporty red and white number for the Mars are just three examples in a collection of 30+ designs. There’s also a mixture of materials available with versions in sporty rubber or military style nylon.
£35-£55, available from horologwrists.co.uk
Everyone knows that the Omega Speedmaster is the iconic space watch, but are you familiar with the most iconic space watch strap? The Forstner Komfit is one of the only steel watch bracelets in history to have been approved by NASA for manned space flights and has even been to the moon. It has a two-layered construction and front-facing clasp that make it easy and comfortable to use. Plus, it was one of the first bracelets to feature micro-incremental adjustments, allowing it to be sized properly without the need for additional tools. £115, available at forstnerbands.co.uk
Roderer is a menswear specialist focusing on high quality essentials for the modern man. These are the James Aviator Polarised Sunglasses handcrafted from stainless steel in the classic aviator style, which suits occasions of all types from formal to casual. There are five different finishes available including silver, gunmetal, green, rose gold and black, allowing for plenty of choice when it comes to perfecting your personal style.
Additionally, it comes with a leather style case, travel pouch and cleaning cloth.
$135 (approx. £105) available from roderer.co
Skydiamond is the ultimate symbol of 21st century love. Each diamond is made from carbon recycled from the atmosphere, meaning it shows love for the planet in equal part to the love you have for your partner. Introducing Skydiamond’s modern set solitaire pendants, which range from a 0.07ct modern set white gold pendant for £440 to a 1ct pendant for just under £9,000 – all set within 100% recycled golds and platinum. Each piece is totally unique as each Skydiamond is itself unique. Available exclusively at skydiamond.com
Hockerty brings your personal style to the fore with its new line of custom coats. The new collection allows you to choose from a wide variety of bespoke designs and materials to craft the perfect piece of outerwear for you. Cashmere, premium Italian wool and alpaca in blue, grey, black or signature patterns make for a versatile base from which to start making design choices such as lapel style, length, fit, pockets and more. It’s a very granular system that puts you in control. Approx. £199-£640 depending on customisations, available from hockerty.uk
The Bagage Toile Marbeuf is Berluti’s canvas travel bag featuring an intricate script pattern with a soft cotton lining and robust Venezia Palmelato leather bottom and handles. It measures 56cm x 32cm x 19.5cm giving you plenty of storage space. Plus, there’s an interior zipped pocket, mobile phone pocket, shoehorn pocket and a flat pocket. If the travel bag variant isn’t for you, there’s also a rolling suitcase, backpack, satchel and messenger bag.
£3,050, available from berluti.com
The Islay are Crockett & Jones’s full brogue Derby boots in rough-out suede. They have a robust, worn aesthetic that make them look like the go anywhere, do anything kind of footwear, which they are with storm-welts for waterproof connections between the uppers and thick rubber soles. The Islay even has Hollywood screen credits in 2012’s Skyfall where it was seen tackling the Scottish Highlands. £530, available from crockettandjones.com
MonacoCarAuctions is a new premier car auction brand offering exquisite service on the sale of its impressive range of prestige cars. Its first auction took place this summer featuring more than 40 legendary and iconic Ferraris including a Ferrari Enzo directly from Fernando Alonso’s private collection. MonacoCarAuctions believes in ensuring a stress-free auction on all sides, which is why it provides total support from start to finish for both buyers and sellers including photography, logistics and more. Learn more and submit your car for consignment at monacocarauctions.com
If you haven’t come across The Little Car Company, you’re missing out. It creates the most beautiful, miniaturised versions of classic cars you have ever seen. This is the Ferrari Testa Rossa J, a 75% reproduction of the Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa capable of a brisk 80 kph (approx. 50 mph). It’s an officially licensed Ferrari product, which means it was built using the original Ferrari plans and drawings from the highest quality parts. Discover more at thelittlecar.co
Twisted Automotive is one of the coolest 4x4 customisation brands around, modifying iconic vehicles like the Land Rover Defender as well as alternative vehicles like the Suzuki Jimny. The Jimny is a pretty easy car to make fun of, not least for its name, but Twisted Automotive has managed to turn it into a high performance motor ready for adventure. Improved turbo, suspension, anti-roll bar, tyres, trim and soundproofing are all core elements of a Twisted Jimny. Enquire at twistedautomotive.com
Kimera Automobili takes the art of classic and sports car restoration seriously, however it has transitioned that knowledge into creating its own vehicle, the EVO37. It’s inspired by the Lancia Rally 037 bringing the styling of the 80s icon into the 21st century. It’s powered by a 2-litre fourcylinder in-line engine with double super charger. It’s as much a passion project as it is a sports car, with every car sold named in dedication to its new owner.
Enquire at kimera-automobili.com
Pullman Editions’ vintage style posters recapture the glamour and suspense of a bygone era, and in no poster is that more evident than this ode to the Monaco Grand Prix. Racers tearing past the legendary Hotel Monte Carlo with a view of the Côte d’Azur in the background, it’s part travel inspiration and part nostalgic flashback to the early days of motor racing. Either way it’s the perfect gift for any classic petrolhead. More details at pullmaneditions.com
> > If you’ve seen a bearded Irish man ranting about counterfeit watches across social media, the chances are it’s me. The watch industry is failing to save its future. Fake watches are decimating the industry. Now more than ever, it pisses me off that social media is generating this need to show off – a fake baller culture. We’re being fed images of people living their ‘best lives’ drinking Ace of Spades and Don Julio 1942 from the bottles and flashing their wrists about. They’re doing it all for the wrong reasons and they are lying to us all – feeding people false information and watches that aren’t what they say they are.
This isn’t breaking news. Counterfeit culture exists because we exist. As long as humans exist, there will be greed. When you’re in a luxury industry of high stakes and high price points, human nature takes over. If you look at the watch industry of today, there’s a lot of politics happening. People pulling strings here, people pulling strings there, and these fraudulent operations are operating right in front of you and we’re not doing enough to stop them.
First and foremost, think about the impact this has on the future generation of consumers. I was 16 when I bought myself a Rolex – it was fake, and I knew that. But it was buying confidence! I couldn’t afford the real ones and I wanted to feel like the big man. Am I against it now? Yes. Was it a good buy? No, because I didn’t know what the dangers even were behind it and that by purchasing it, I was unknowingly contributing towards twisted organisations that promote unsafe working standards and child labour. Make no mistake, the people behind fake watches are from criminal organisations and there’s a reason fakes are against the law.
How does it happen? Well, it comes down to two things. Bad sellers and brand ignorance. Education is vital in watchmaking, across every level from creator to consumer. There’s a lot of sellers out there, claiming to be retailers who have absolutely no fucking idea what they’re talking about. You need to be able to trust your seller, to know that they are legitimate. This is why I use my
platform to spotlight celebrities wearing fake shite. I will focus particularly on these highly influential figures flexing their cash on socials for clout; people like Quavo, Jack Harlow, DJ Khaled, Fetty Wap.
They have the ability to persuade and inform mass audiences, and the biggest problem we face is that counterfeit culture has poisoned every part of the industry from the top down. It would only take me a week with a private investigator to find out where these factories are and get them shut down. And I’m just one person. I’m nobody. But take a brand like Rolex – the Rolex Submariner being the most copied
watch in the world. We are at the point where there’s practically no visual difference between a real one and a fake one, yet one is 200 quid and one is 10 grand. They could shut that shit down instantly. Yet they don’t.
Why? I think that fake watches create new wrists for us to sell to. People have started out with a fake one, realised the quality is so shit and you can’t attach any kind of emotional connection to it, and gone on to buy a real one once they can afford to. It’s a form of marketing of its own kind that brings them new customers. They acknowledge it, and completely surrender in spite of it, in view of their future sales.
So, my job is to cut through the bullshit and make fake watches uncool. That’s why I publically announce the forgery among the world’s A-listers on my channels because you earn nothing but fake status with these watches. If you want to wear the same Rolex as the celebrity you love, just know that it’ll never be that same Rolex if it isn’t real. You can’t cheat your way to success. Imitating watches means taking the easy way out. And people that choose to support that probably won’t ever feel the success they long for. Success lies in working hard, saving money, and being able to go and buy a real one.
With each video I post calling out fraudulent models on familiar faces, I get death threats. But if you’re mad enough to lie to your audience, you need to be able to take the criticism. So, in an effort to make sure this new generation are following the authenticity and not the bullshit, I’d encourage them to start off their collections with independent brands, where copy culture is less in demand, and save up the cash for the big names. When the time is right, they can get it the real way – with graft.
And above anything else, it’s the biggest ‘fuck you’ to integrity. Wearing a fake watch, you’re basically saying I don’t give a fuck about heritage. You don’t care about the years and years of people who worked so hard together to make that thing actually work, and work to an incredible standard. When you buy something real, you’re not just buying your watch. You’re buying history; a legacy. And that’s something special.
