My Friend's Watch - And Why It's Great When The Good Guys Win!

One of the really great things about writing this bloggy-wog is the friendships that I have made over the years. And friendship is a funny thing, it can sometimes be more transactional when business is involved. But then other friendships are simply that. Friendship.

I first encountered Armand Billard stalking the halls of BaselWorld in (if my memory hasn't totally pooped out) 2018. He was a real presence, wearing a custom jacket (of which, I believe, he had two).

And the watch he was promoting was the Sartory Billard SB02 -

It is hard to believe that it has been six years! In fairly short order, Armand's brand has evolved.  He is now a highly sought-after independent watch maker, who I am proud to call my friend. And Sartory Billard has grown from a project two friends put together to celebrate a milestone birthday, to one of the hottest independent brands in the world.

Today Armand has a keen focus on bespoke work, but in all honesty I am an even bigger fan of his "ready-to-wear" items. In particular, this blue dialed time machine -

Courtesy of Sartory Billard

This is the SB04 BLUE GUILLOCHÉ.

The case is of stainless steel and measures 40 mm in diameter. The dial, which let's be honest, is amaze-balls, is a beguiling blue guilloché, with applied indices. And most importantly - at least in my opinion, it bears the Sartory Billard name just below 6 o'clock. Of all of the "off the rack" options, this is my favorite.

Courtesy of Sartory Billard

The movement is from La Joux-Perret, the G100.

In this day and age, you don't really need a watch. So if you're going to have one, it should be one that you really want ; )

And even though he is a Watch Town superstar, he still has time to for his friends, as you will read about in a few weeks' time.

Stay tuned!

Everyone's Favorite Beagle Scout!

Snoopy and Woodstock are back and ready for Goodwoof!

Courtesy of Bamford London

Goodwoof is back, and this marks the third year of Bamford's collaboration with the festival of furriness taking place at the Goodwood Estates today (May 18) and tomorrow (May 19).

Courtesy of Bamford London

The Goodwoof x Bamford London ‘Beagle Scout’ Snoopy Limited-Edition GMT is limited to 75 pieces and priced at £1,800.

Here are the pertinents -

TECHNICAL INFORMATION: 

• TYPE: Automatic GMT Titanium watch with internal rotating bezel 

• MOVEMENT: Sellita SW330-2, 25 Jewels, 28,800 VPH, 56-hour power reserve 

• FUNCTION: Self-winding mechanism with ball bearing, 3 o’clock date position with quick date setting, second time zone by central hand 

• CASE MATERIAL: Titanium, Sapphire Crystal glass with antiglare  

• CASE DIAMETER: 40 mm 

• CASE THICKNESS: 11.7 mm 

• CASEBACK MATERIAL: Titanium 

• WATER-RESISTANCE: 100m / 10 ATM 

• LUG WIDTH: 20mm

Accidentally Montblanc

As both a pen lover and a dedicated Wes Anderson fan (accidentally and otherwise), I got a huge smile out of the Montblanc / Wes Anderson campaign -

The Enamel 1Z Edition

From MeisterSinger -

Courtesy of MeisterSinger

This special new piece from MeisterSinger will be limited to 24 pieces.

Courtesy of MeisterSinger

The case is of stainless steel and measures 43 mm in diameter. The movement is hand-winding, ETA's Unitas 6498.

The price in Euro is: 

4.990€

Here are the pertinents -

Model
Edition Enamel 1Z (ED-UNITAS-1ZE)

Movement
ETA/Unitas 6498, hand wound, 46h power reserve

Case
Stainless steel, sapphire glass, 5 bar, 4 screws exhibition back

Diameter
43 mm

Dial
Genuine enamel, ivory

Strap
Calf leather with croco print, Cognac, double folding clasp

Speciality
Limited to 24 pieces

Origin
German brand, Swiss Made

RRP*
4.990€

From Fidel, to Gina, to...

Wennenes auction house will be handling several items from the estate of Gina Lollobrigida on May 28 and 29. And one particular item caught my eye -

Courtesy of Wennenes

This is, as you can tell, not the infamous Rolex that Fidel Castro was frequently photographed wearing. No, this is a rather curious piece.

Per Wennenes -

SEIKO MEN'S TITANIUM WRIST WATCH FIDEL CASTRO WATCH

37x41 mm titanium case, 'to Gina with admiration' personalisation, 'Fidel Castro', LCD dial, quartz movement, titanium strap. 

So how did one of Italy's most famous film stars come to have a digital Seiko watch with a personalized engraving from "Miami's Most Wanted"?

A great article explaining their meeting and how the watch came to her wrist can be found courtesy of the Guardian -

https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/may/12/gina-lollobrigida-fidel-castro-watch-auction

Long story short? When her acting days had come to an end, she embarked on a second act as a photojournalist. And it was in that capacity that they met (for a second time) when she was granted an exclusive interview. Apparently it went well, as Castro removed his watch and gave it to her. He later had it engraved.

If I Could Create My Dream Mido

If you're just tuning in, what you may not know is that I am, at heart, a pretty devoted fan of Mido -

Fathers, Sons, And All That Comes With It

So if I were given the opportunity to design my "dream Mido", (and you'll have to employ your imagination a bit here), it would combine two existing Mido GMT models -

The basis would be the Ocean Star GMT Limited Edition for Hodinkee -

Courtesy of Hodinkee and Mido

I would opt for a non co-branded case back ; )

I would change the bezel insert to the one from this globe trotting time machine which indicates various major cities -

Courtesy of Mido

Now in a completely perfect world I would replace New York with Zanesville (Ohio), Los Angeles with Eugene (Oregon), Tokyo with Kasukabe (Japan), and London with St. Andrews (Scotland). 

I'm sure the folks at Mido will drop everything and jump on this idea ; )

Enjoy your watches!

The Bamford London ‘Harrods’ Limited-Edition Snoopy PVD GMT

From Bamford London - 

Courtesy of Bamford London

I have very fond memories of my time living in the UK. For those of you just tuning in, I did two graduate qualifications in England (Surrey and Leicester), and with my amazing wife, Wendy, was on the summer teaching team at the University of St Andrews.

Each summer we would stay with my brother-in-law's family in Sutton for a few days before heading up north. I would make my obligatory twice-yearly visit to the green fields of Guildford to meet with my professors, and then Wendy and I would trek into London. Covent Garden (where I bumped into Liam Gallagher at Paul Smith), the British Museum, and would inevitably find our way to Harrods.

For those of you that have not been, Harrods is pretty much IT. You name it, they have it. Truly the best of the best. Back in the 90s, you did have to pay a quid to use the loo, but I will say in their defense that it was one of the cleanest facilities I have ever used ; )

I am also a HUGE fan of Charlie Brown, and his faithful beagle, Snoopy. My first watch was a hand-winding Snoopy watch from Timex. But that is a whole other story.

So back to the matter at hand. I was particularly interested when the press release regarding this new collaboration arrived. 

Courtesy of Bamford London

In their own words -

Since 1849, Harrods has stood sentinel on London’s Brompton Road, an icon of the British capital and one of the most renowned department stores in the world. To celebrate Harrods’ 175th anniversary, Bamford London has partnered with PEANUTS™ to create an exclusive limited-edition timepiece featuring Snoopy, resplendent in Harrods’ traditional green and gold.

Bamford London and Harrods are brands which represent the epitome of British luxury and design. Despite their establishment more than 150 years apart, both continue to redefine and reinvent British style. One as a pillar of fashion and retail since the early years of Queen Victoria’s reign, and the other as a twenty-first century wunderkind disruptor.

Harrods was founded by Charles Henry Harrod, an entrepreneur who fought to build a retail empire despite a number of setbacks, including the destruction of an early incarnation of Harrods in a fire in 1883. Charles’ fortitude and determination, and that of his son, saw the business grow from a small haberdasher and grocery, to the famed bastion of British commerce and plenitude that has cemented
its place in the bedrock of London’s West End, and draws 15 million visitors each year.

Now, through their longstanding partnership, Bamford London and PEANUTS are proud to commemorate 175 years of Harrods trailblazing, with the release of this limited-edition character GMT, featuring Snoopy in the unmistakable

Harrods colours. The automatic GMT is encased in a black steel case displaying Snoopy in rich gold with a green trim, front and centre on the dial. Snoopy’s arms form the hour and minute hands, with his best friend Woodstock perched on the tip of the second hand. The watch is powered by a Swiss-made Sellita SW330-2 movement and is presented on a saffiano verde leather strap with gold stitching, in a unique green and gold trim PEANUTS doghouse box.

George Bamford said, “It is an honour to be working with Harrods on their 175th anniversary, and with such an iconic brand as PEANUTS. Two icons coming together in one beautiful watch that I know will be a collectors’ item and a favourite amongst both Harrods and Bamford clients.”

The ‘Harrods’ Limited-Edition is limited to just 75 pieces, priced at £1850 and will be available via bamfordlondon.com from 2:00PM BST on the Friday 10th May 2024.

Here are the pertinents -

● TYPE: Automatic GMT watch with internal rotating bezel

● MOVEMENT: Sellita SW330-2, 25 Jewels, 28,800 Vph, 56 hour power reserve

● FUNCTION: Self-winding mechanism with ball bearing, 3 o’clock date position with quick date

setting, second time zone by central hand

● CASE MATERIAL: Black-coated PVD steel

● CASE DIAMETER: 40 mm

● CASE THICKNESS: 11.7 mm

● CASEBACK MATERIAL: Black-coated PVD steel

● WATER-RESISTANCE: 100m / 10 ATM

● LUG WIDTH: 20mm

The Transfer Window Opens...

At Arnold & Son.

Per WatchPro -

https://www.watchpro.com/arnold-sons-replaces-ceo-bertrand-savary-with-his-vp-of-sales/

It would seem that Bertrand Savary will be pursuing other professional interests. In a move that probably came as a surprise to some,
Pascal Béchu will be running the show at Arnold & Son / Angelus with immediate effect. Let's hope this goes better for Arnold & Son and Angelus customers than it did for all of the brands who got the fuzzy end of the lollipop (not to mention rather blunt "requests" for payment for a watch show that never happened) when BaselWorld went pear-shaped. In fairness, it was one Michel Loris-Melikoff who was calling the shots, and the less said about Mr. Loris-Melikoff, the better.


So Pascal Béchu, we wish you the best of success in moving forward, and Mr. Savary we wish you Godspeed.

The OCEAN STAR 200C CARBON LIMITED EDITION

From Mido -

Courtesy of Mido

This is the latest from the folks in Le Locle. A carbon fiber case with a COSC movement.

Courtesy of Mido

Limited to 888 pieces, priced at $2,200.

Some more details -

The case measures 42.5 mm in diameter, has a screw-down crown, with a reported water resistance of 200 meters / 660 feet.

The movement is the caliber 80, is COSC certified, and has a reported power reserve of up to 80 hours.

More details at Mido's website -

www.midowatches.com/

The M36

From Vertex -

Courtesy of Vertex

This is a new release from Vertex. It's release commemorates the 80th anniversary of D-Day. 

The case is of stainless steel, and it measures 36 mm in diameter. 

More details, and with luck an interview with the current steward of the brand - Don Cochrane.

Stay tuned!

Timing...

Unless you have been living under a rock, you have no doubt been following the story of the new Tag Heuer / Kith limited editions. And yes, they are fun watches and have clearly caught the imagination of many. They have also created a bit of controversy as the timing of the release and subsequent coverage in Hodinkee followed so closely on the heels of a "Talking Watches" episode featuring the founder of Kith, Ronnie Fieg and his rather extensive collection of (now vintage, which I guess makes me vintage too)Tag Heuer Formula 1 watches. 

I am sort of so-so on the whole Talking Watches thing. The one with celebrity chef Emeril and his son was sorta' cringeworthy. With that said, this one with Mr. Fieg was quite good. His story about receiving his first Tag Heuer from his mother who worked for Tourneau was very relatable. 

With that said...

Hodinkee's editorial independence was stressed in a disclaimer at the header of the article announcing the new release of the Kith pieces. Again, it raised more than a few eyebrows as it appeared just after the interview with Mr. Fieg.

Don't that put the 'Dink in cowinkidink?

The other complaints are about pricing. And in fairness, the price is more than a tad ambitious for a watch of this composition (quartz, plastic, stainless steel). Well, to each their own, there is little doubt out there that these will sell through quickly.

It seems that watch journalism writ large has become sort of an oxymoron. It's unfortunate, but that seems to be the way it has slid down the slippery slope when retail sleeps in the same bunk as editorial. And, gentle reader, it's not just editorial abutting commerce. It goes deeper. When Watches and Wonders is paying the freight to bring journalists from around the world to cover their pre-programmed event, it is really the business equivalent of tying a pork-chop around your unattractive child's neck to get the dog to play with it. I have no doubt that those of us who got into this writing about watches thing did so out of passion and enthusiasm. I remember a time, way back when, we would all smile and shake hands with sincerity when we met at BaselWorld. Over time that friendly comradery morphed into open antagonism for many. Friendships faded, out and out skull duggery emerged. 

It used to be different, but times can and inevitably must...change.

The Royale Tourbillon

From Pequignet -

Courtesy of Pequignet

This is a new model, which debuted at Watches and Wonders. I believe (a first) for Pequignet in terms of a tourbillon model.

Courtesy of Pequignet

Limited to 24 pieces, and priced at: 

65.000,00 € TTC

Here are the pertinents -

Case

5N Rose Gold 18 carats (Weight of gold: 54.94 g)
Polish finishing of the case with domed anti-reflective sapphire crystal
Crown with embossed « Fleur-de-Lys » logo

Details of the dial

Textured blue, drop of water
Rose (5N) gold plated stamped hands
5N colour index
Tourbillon position at 6.00
Diamond-coated tourbillon opening, 5N colour

Type of clasp

Polished gold ardillon buckle (5N, 18 carats) with Fleur-de-Lys logo
Weight of gold: 7.6 g

Details of the movement

Calibre Royal® Tourbillon
Diameter: 34.5 mm
Thickness: 6.11 mm
Flying tourbillon, with balance concentric to the cage, visible from the dial and from the movement
Titanium cage, 157 pieces, 1 revolution per minute
Balance with solid gold compensating screws, frequency of 21,600 alt/hour (3Hz), large balance with important inertia: 12mg/cm²
23 jewels
Hand decoration: Bevelling, Côtes de Genève, Circular graining, Circling, Sandblasting, Drawing

Case thickness (in mm)

11.70

Waterproofing (ATM)

5

Back of case

Secured by 6 screws, sapphire opening on the movement

Power reserve time

The Countdown Has Begun for the 1858!

I am very happy to announce via this shameless plug of self-promotion for the Oberlin Watch Company, that the 1858 is nearing completion and we are projecting the first models to be complete in the next few weeks!

The pre-order sold out, but there will be some additional pieces available for purchase - our hope is by the end of May, but it could be sooner.

The specifics:

The 1858 is a hand-winding watch. It is stainless steel, with a solid case back to allow for personalized engraving. The movement is made by Seagull, a Chinese manufacturer. The movement is the ST-3600, which is a clone of the ETA 6497.

The watches will be assembled and tested in the United States. The strap that the watches will ship with will be black. The blue strap in the image is strictly for rendering purposes.

The initial production will be for a minimum of 25 pieces with the potential for a larger series, up to 100 pieces. This will be dependent upon the number of preorders received.

Case - stainless steel, 40 mm in diameter, solid case back

Movement - Seagull ST-3600

Strap - black leather with stainless steel folding clasp

Warranty - 1 year

Why The Mach 2000 Matters

I am constantly surprised by what is remembered as iconic. And with rumors running high that Lip might be returning to the North American market, I am ready to embrace the future while reveling in the past. And the best part about the Mach 2000? It is here, now!

Courtesy of Lip

The Mach 2000 is the very first watch that many watch fans identify Lip with. Needless to say, Lip has a deeeeeeeep catalog, but with that said, for €449.00 it is an affordable piece of Lip, and dare I say it, French watch making iconography.

Lip, and French watch making writ large were at the forefront of innovation in watch making. They embraced quartz well in advance of the rest of Switzerland. And in fairness, as several people have stated - if quartz was a technology available to Abraham-Louis Breguet, he probably would have embraced it.

So for those of you ready to reach out and grab a piece of watch making, and design history, you can grab it direct from Lip!

Including €0.02 e

The Transfer Window Opens

At Greubel Forsey.

Word reached the North Shore offices of Henki Time today that Antonio Calce (who you might remember from such ill-fated ventures as Corum / Eterna- the Twin Towers) has decided to step aside and hand over the reins to Michel Nydegger. A curious move to say the least, but if the reports of the success at GF are to be believed, then maybe Mr. Calce has finally hit the mark in terms of brand stewardship and is ready to enjoy life in the back office as an officer of the brand (Vice President).

Stay tuned - we'll see how this develops.

The Preventor9 S Limited Edition

From Hanhart -

Courtesy of Hanhart

This is the latest offering from Hanhart. The Preventor9 S Limited Edition.

The first (2024) iteration will be limited to 100 pieces. 

Courtesy of Hanhart

Here are the pertinents -

CASE

Stainless steel, black PVD coated 

Diameter 40 mm, height 12.15 mm 

Crown with Hanhart "h” logo 

Smooth bezel 

Convex, internally anti-reflective sapphire crystal Screwed case back 

Water-resistant to 10 bar/10 ATM according to DIN 8310 

Engraved Hanhart "h" and the consecutive serial number on the case back 

DIAL AND HANDS
Black Super-LumiNova® C3 GL coated numerals and hands
Minute hand bent at the end to avoid parallax errors

STRAP 

Black cowhide with white stitching 

Alcantara interior for comfort 

PVD coated stainless steel buckle 20 mm strap width 

MOVEMENT 

Automatic-Movement HAN4112 

Basis: Sellita SW 200 with modification by Dubois Dépraz 

28.800 A/h, 4 Hz, 30 Jewels 

Power reserve min. 38h 

FUNCTIONS 

Small second 

PRICE 

1.290,- Euro incl. 19% VAT with leather strap

Coming Back Like Return of the Jedi!

Angular Momentum is bringing back something special. It is nearly 20 years since Martin Pauli's AXIS/I Navigator was sold (out!), and now it is back!

Courtesy of Angular Momentum

Martin Pauli (and Angular Momentum) will be offering 100 pieces of this very special watch.

Courtesy of Angular Momentum

Here are the pertinents straight from Angular Momentum -

Courtesy of Angular Momentum

AXIS/I Navigator Watch

42 mm stainless steel case with down-turned lugs satin finished sides and a very thin mirror polished bezel, Single curved sapphire 

crystal. Black lacquer dial with polished applied numbers for the minutes and luminous hour markers. 

The hour hand is a combination of a revolving hour disk (Patent 686988) and a regular hour hand.

The disk shows the hours at 12 o’clock and could be used as a second time zone. Polished Minute hand with lume 

and a polished sweep-second. Screwed-on stainless steel crown with black logo inlay. Transparent back showing the 

self-winding movement. Black leather strap.

Same price as 20 years ago USD 1,480.-

The Rallychron

From Ollech & Wajs -

Courtesy of Ollech & Wajs

Editor's Note - James Henderson is the North American Representative for Ollech & Wajs.

This is the latest offering from Ollech & Wajs - the Rallychron.

Courtesy of Ollech & Wajs

This new chronograph is of stainless steel, measuring 39.5 mm in diameter.

The movement is Valjoux's 7753 automatic. 

As I am the North American representative, I am providing you with the facts straight from Geneva, no added commentary from yours' truly ; )

The OW Rallychron is a love letter to the golden era of motor racing and the legendary circuits that bore witness to the most memorable moments in the sport’s history. One of the defining features of this era was the sheer diversity of racing circuits and the challenges they presented. From the fast and flowing tracks like Monza and Spa-Francorchamps to the tight and twisty streets of Monaco, each circuit demanded different skills from drivers and teams. The bezel of the Rallychron features hypothetical historic ‘perfect lap’ times for 11 of the world’s most iconic race tracks. It also bares the characteristics of Ollech & Wajs classic competition chronographs and rally timers from the 60s and 70s.

TECHNICAL SPECS

Dimensions

39.5 mm × 15.3 mm

Case

Brushed 316L stainless steel heritage-type chronograph case, screwed back, screw-down crown, twin pushers with 4 gaskets

Date adjusted by special diving pusher at 10 o’clock

Bezel

Black PVD-coated rotating, unidirectional bezel with 11 perfect lap times and tachymetric scale

Crystal

Sapphire crystal with anti-glare treatment

Dial

Chequered baton hands with white Super-LumiNova®

Seconds register, 30-minute timer and 12-hour totaliser

Both the main chronograph hand and 30-minute timer hand are tipped with Orange Super-LumiNova®, for maximum visibility.

Water resistance

300 m / 30ATM

Movement

Automatic Valjoux 7753 chronograph OW PRECISION 5, position adjusted, 27 jewels

28,800 bph, with a power reserve of +/- 54 hours

Mainplate: engraved Ollech & Wajs Zurich 1956 and OW-machined rotor

Strap

20 mm black leather racing-style strap, with natural tan underside, handmade in Italy and finished in Switzerland; with a brushed stainless steel thorn buckle, signed ‘OWZ 1956’

M-Heritage bracelet (optional)

20 mm medium gauge, stainless steel mesh bracelet, hand-brushed, reinforced ends, with an OW-engraved thorn buckle

Origin

Handmade in the Swiss Jura

Just Under the Radar - the Imperial Oceanguard GMT

The Imperial Watch Company -

Courtesy of Imperial Watch Company

Sometimes you really need Instagram to keep you up to date on what's out there ; )

Now it's entirely possible that you, gentle reader, might already be aware of this brand, but for me it is something newly discovered.

The watch above is the Oceanguard GMT. It is one of four different color ways (this one is
described asJet Black w/ Coral and Turquoise Bezel.

Courtesy of Imperial Watch Company

Imperial is the creation of a former member of the Coast Guard. It is clearly a popular model as all four versions are sold out.

Here are the pertinents -

A Little Travelin' Music!

Okay, yes. Yes I did review the BR 03-GMT not so long ago. But as the weather is warming up, and we're all getting our spring and summer travel plans finalized, I thought it might be worth another look, but in a different color way -

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

Yes, Bell & Ross makes two other GMT offerings. One in their Vintage stable, the other in their Urban stable. But having test driven the BR 03 - 93 GMT, I have to say that this is the pick of the litter. 

Courtesy of Bell&Ross

When I hear or read "Brand DNA" my eyes tend to glaze over (after they finish their sarcastic roll).  But when I wore the Instrument family's GMT, I have to say that "Brand DNA" is more than just marketing jargon. It actually does apply.

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

So let me leave you with another great traveler's guidance on travel -

"Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life — and travel — leaves marks on you."

Anthony Bourdain

The Edition Neo T1

From Meister Singer -

Courtesy of MeisterSinger

This is a fun limited edition from MeisterSinger, the Edition Neo T.

Courtesy of MeisterSinger

Limited to 100 pieces. The Edition Neo T1 measures 36 mm in diameter, with a case of stainless steel. Under the hood the Sellita SW200 keeps things running on time.

Ordinarily when it comes to packaging, I could take it or leave it, but this packaging is sorta' cool -

The edition watch is delivered with a T1 model bus (size ratio 1:18) and packaging that has been lovingly designed down to the last detail, with which the detailed model bus sits together with the unique Neo in front of an atmospheric dune landscape.

The Wednesday Night Cooking Club - Dessert and Coffee

I have spent the last several weeks trying to summarize the evening that I spent with the Coolinary Cru. I mean, how do you describe the indescribable?

I can honestly say that everything truly amazing that I have experienced, at least as it relates to watches, Switzerland and France really began just before Thanksgiving of 2015. It was then that at the CAFFÈ SPETTACOLO that I first met Rod Hess, and in the ensuing years he has been kind enough to introduce me to his home town, and I have become somewhat attached to the local teams (in particular the football club) -

But in the process, he has also pointed the way to several "not known by the general press" bits of information that have helped me break some of the better stories on the "Blog Formerly Known as Tempus Fugit".

The past three years have been a bit of a blur for me, from running Tempus Fugit, being offered a big-time job in Watch Town proper, giving up Tempus Fugit, souring on watches and reporting on them... 

But something special happened during this trip. I can honestly say that I rediscovered my love and appreciation for watches, I reconnected with my friends, and in the process, in many ways I reconnected with myself.

So un grand merci to the Coolinary Cru for their kindness in welcoming me to the Coolinary Mansion. It was, and remains one of the best nights I can remember.

And I suppose that this is the best way to close this story. It is about the friends you have, and those who remain, as yet, unmet. A watch can tell time, but it can also capture a moment (literally and figuratively). I had picked up this green time machine at the Swatch Drive-In in Biel/Bienne by the Omega and Swatch campus before heading back to the station and CAFFÈ SPETTACOLO where this who adventure - not just this "Big Night", but in many ways this whole watch adventure really began -

The Blancpain X Swatch Indian Ocean

So that's it for now, and two quick travel tips from your old friend Henki -

• When you come to a fork in the road, take it!
• When someone gives you good advice, follow it!

Now go out and meet those as yet unmet friends!