New Limited Edition Overseas

From Vacheron Constantin -

Courtesy of Vacheron Constantin

Now yet again, we have the stark reality that English as it is spoken by, I don't know, the English speaking population vs. the English written by those stalking the halls in PR is, well, different -

Apparently, this is a watch for - 

"refined aesthetes who regularly traverse continents while juggling multiple time zones."

Now, I don't know that I am necessarily a "refined aesthete who regularly traverses continents while juggling multiple time zones", but I will say that these are a very nice watches ; )

Courtesy of Vacheron Constantin

Available in two flavors - a "simple" time and date model.  Sorry, but to call anything Vacheron Constantin makes simple is like referring to Michael Jordan as an okay basketball player.  Vacheron makes beautiful, wondrous things, and these two are no exception.

So without any further snarkiness, here are the details -

TECHNICAL DATA

Overseas (simple date)

Reference      
47040/000A-9008

Caliber 
1226
Mechanical, self-winding, Anti-magnetic protection
26.6 mm (11’’’ 1⁄4) diameter, 3.25 mm thick
Approximately 40 hours of power reserve 4 Hz (28,000 vibrations/hour)
143 components 36 jewels

Indications
Hours, minutes Center seconds, Date

Case 
Stainless steel
42 mm diameter, 9.7 mm thick
Screwed-down crown
Solid case-back with stamped “Overseas” medallion
Water resistance tested at a pressure of 15 bar (approx. 150
meters)

Dial 
Vanished blue shiny dial, white painted indications
Hands and hour-markers in 18K gold, pfinodal seconds hand
Hours and minutes hands and hour-markers with white luminescent material

Strap 
Blue rubber
Delivered with a second blue Mississippiensis alligator leather strap, hand-stitched, 
large square scales
Clasp 
Stainless steel triple blade folding clasp, double security with buttons

Limited edition of 350 timepieces 

TECHNICAL DATA

Overseas dual time

Reference 47450/000A-9039

Caliber 1222 SC
Mechanical, self-winding
Anti-magnetic protection
26.6 mm (11’’’ 1⁄4) diameter
4.85 mm thick
Approximately 40 hours of power reserve 4 Hz (28,000 vibrations/hour)
153 components 34 jewels

Indications Hours, minutes Center seconds Hand-type date
Second time zone with day/night indication Power reserve

Case 
Stainless steel
42 mm diameter, 12.45 mm thick
Screwed-down crown and pushpiece
Solid case-back with stamped “Overseas” medallion
Water resistance tested at a pressure of 15 bar (approx. 150
meters)

Dial Vanished blue shiny dial, white painted indications
Blue snailed counters with rhodiumized diamond-polished filets
Hands and hour-markers in 18K gold, pfinodal seconds hand Hours and minutes hands 
and hour-markers with white luminescent material

Strap Blue rubber
Delivered with a second blue Mississippiensis alligator leather strap, hand-stitched, 
large square scales
Clasp 
Stainless steel triple blade folding clasp, double security with buttons

Limited edition of 300 timepieces 

The Beautiful Game...

For the five of you out there who have not already read/heard the news, this morning Swiss police swept in and rounded up a few of FIFA's bag men.  As is often the case, the Kingpin and those closest to him seem to have somehow avoided the long arm of the law.  But if you've seen enough movies depicting organized crime it is seldom the top dog who takes the fall.

I've asked the question before, but perhaps it's time to ask it again - if you are a brand owner/manager, is this REALLY an organization you want to be associated with?  Hublot, now would be the ideal time to shake hands and part company with FIFA.

Pay to play is by no means a new concept - the Dassler brothers were known to pass brown bags to gain access to soccer federations, Olympic athletes and international decision makers.  Adidas and Puma were built on more than just sexy shoes.  This still seems to be the case only it has become a case of "everybody does it".

Remember the "scandal" involving another famous Swiss brand's watches being "gifted" by the Brazilian football federation to some 30 + FIFA officials.  I say scandal because it was such a blatant violation by the Brazilian federation and the Fifa cronies who received the watches that it defies belief to claim ignorance.  But that is just what FIFA tried to do.

It seems that at least a few chickens have come home to roost.  We shall see what comes of this.  But Hublot, you are judged by the company you keep -

1.  A man who when he's not beating the hell out of another boxer beats the hell out of the mother of his children.

2.  A "sporting" organization that is so corrupt it makes Syria look like a UN model government by comparison.

Don't wait for number 3.

An Attitude of Avarice

There has to be more to it, but sadly there is not.

Take the glossy, exciting press releases and deposit them in the trash bin where the belong -

Longines has an attitude of elegance as it pertains to horse racing - so let's have a peek at the other side.

Allow me to share a few statistics with you:

A LOT of horses die EVERY YEAR.  In fact, an average that might make you reconsider whether or not this was an "Attitude of Elegance" or an "Attitude of Avarice".  Regular readers of this blog should not need an explanation of Avarice.  Those who do - Google.

It might interest you to know that 1273 horses died in 2997 days of horse racing.  Now as a matter of full disclosure I barely scraped through my graduate statistics course at the University of Surrey back in the late 90s, but frankly this is a pretty shitty average.  So while the other bloggers, journalists and sycophants out there will say thank you for the free first-class travel to Louisville, the mint juleps and comped accommodations at the Brown Hotel - I have a stiff middle finger resolutely displayed in your direction.  YOU SUCK.

Horses have no choice, and therefore I don't think that they offer the same "Attitude of Elegance" that say, maybe, a BUM FIGHT might offer!  C'mon - get a few alcoholic veterans of foreign wars to agree to "Van Gogh" each other for a 40-dog (i.e. a 40 once bottle of malt liquor) to the winner!  You can FILM IT in a gritty back alley!  Not so elegant, I realize, but a bit more honest.

Longines - you SUCK.  Do better - be better.  This is not elegant by any measure.

Wrapping up the Tutima Grand Flieger Airport Chronograph

Well it has been well over seven days and sadly (for me) the Tutima Grand Flieger Airport Chronograph finally bid me Auf Wiedersehen and returned home last week. I have spent the last seven days collecting my thoughts and now it's time to sum up.

It is ironic that I wrote about a Hanhart a few night because for a fair amount of time these two brands were often compared to one another.  Yes they are both made in Germany and both are known for chronographs and "flieger" / "pilot" watches in particular.  But in all honesty while I had worn a few different modern Hanharts, I had NEVER worn a Tutima except for a few moments at BaselWorld.  And what I am about to say is perhaps a bit strong, but comparing today's Hanhart to today's Tutima is like comparing excrement to cream.  To quote Samuel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction:
it ain't the same (expletive) ballpark. It ain't the same league, it ain't even the same (expletive) sport.

The watches that Tutima are making are of such a superior quality that it is almost not something that is fair to compare.  But I come to praise Tutima, not to bury Hanhart ; )

So let's get down to it.  

The packaging is actually sensible. It is nice, basic, appropriate.  No massive oaken box that will sit in your closet gathering dust. Just big enough to hold your watch and allow it the presentation it deserves.

So let's start with the dial - clean, clear and legible.  All too often with a 3 register chronograph the "face" of the watch is so crowded and registers so randomly placed that they essentially nullify each other.  Not so with the Grand Flieger Airport Chronograph.  The three sub-dials provide a  30-minute counter and 12-hour counter (top and bottom), as well as the constant 60 second indicator Sweep second counter at 9 o'clock.  The date has been sensibly located on the inner portion of the dial so that it does not impose itself in the 3 o'clock marker - unlike too many other watches.

The dial color has been described as "Velvet black" and I would say that is a fair descriptor.  The hour indices are classic, balanced and were visible day or night.

On to the movement - and this was a wonderful treat!

The movement is designated as the Cal. Tutima 320 per the Tutima web site. It is a self-winding chronograph providing hours, minutes, seconds and date. The center counter is a constant sweep with 30 minute and 12 hour counters at 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock respectively.

The time keeping was very good, with a slight deviation of approximately 18 seconds over a 48 hour period. Otherwise it was spot on.   Aesthetically the movement is beautiful.  The rotor is finished in antique grey, and adorned with a gold Tutima seal.

The movement boasts 25 jewels and 44 hours of power reserve.

The case is well proportioned and the finish work is clean and precise.  

It measures 43 mm in diameter and is an appropriate size - not overwhelming, but also not too small. To quote that other well known watch fan - it is "just right". The case is water resistant to 20 ATM, has a bidirectional rotating bezel, and a screw-down crown.

The finish is smooth, clean and precise. No rough edges, no nasty "half-done" surfaces. This is a thing of true quality.

The crown is smooth and the setting sequences are precise and function without any hesitation or slipping.

 The strap is a perfect match to the watch.  This is a classic watch, but not a "show pony" - an exotic strap of alligator would be too much.  Black padded leather with white stitching.  It was a wee bit stiff at first but broke in quite nicely.  The deployment clasp is a very nice touch and adds something a little special to an already wonderful watch.

So in case you haven't pieced it together yet, I have to say unreservedly that this is the best chronograph and one of the best watches that I've worn in some time.  Tutima was out of the spotlight for some time, and I think that given what they have been offering lately, that was time well spent.  The new Tutima watches are worth every penny in the asking price.  A beautiful, high-quality watch at a fair price.  

And here is the stat-sheet, straight from Tutima:

Modern Flieger Chronograph for the 21st century.
Movement	Cal. Tutima 320
Case	Stainless steel
Dial	Velvet black
Band	Leather strap with folding clasp
Diameter	43 mm
Height	16 mm Movement details: Automatic movement chronograph. Rotor antique grey with gold seal. 25 jewels. Polished screws. Power reserve when fully wound 44 hours. Functions: Date display. Hour, minute, small second, Chronograph 60-second counter, 30-minute counter and 12-hour counter. Sweep second counter. Officially certified German chronometer according to DIN norm 8319. Case details: Water-resistant 20 atm. Bidirectionally rotating bezel with luminous marking. Domed sapphire crystal anti-reflective on both sides. Screw-in crown. See-through back with sapphire crystal.

Rumors of Hanhart's Demise...

May or may not be greatly exaggerated.  Like a vampire, zombie, or Sarah Palin they seem to give you the impression that they are dead, only to rise again in the dark of night, moaning and seeking unsuspecting prey...

Courtesy of Hanhart

May I introduce the PRIMUS Survivor Pilot - Touted by the good folks at Hanhart as a "Limited Edition for Performers" - so needless to say you'll be seeing this watch on Liza Minelli, Barbara Streisand and other notable "performers".

I kid (a little), but Hanhart is starting to become the watch world equivalent of the Boy who Cried Wolf.  For you North American fans, good news!  The new US distribution is being handled out of a medical office suite in Denver, Colorado!  So the good news is you can go skiing, break a leg, get it set, and view the collection all in one afternoon ;  )

Okay, but back to the watch - for all appearances it is eerily reminiscent of the infamous Desert Pilot Chronograph.  This watch was famous in that it was promoted like crazy, desperately desired by collectors and "mere mortals" alike, and (to the best of anyone's knowledge) was either never delivered or delivered on such a remarkably small scale that very few people can recall seeing it in person.  It became sort of the Keyser Söze of the watch world.

So it would seem that it's Prom Night once again, and we've been asked out, and we're all gussied up, sitting in the living room with mom and dad and the Polaroid camera hoping against all hope that Hanhart will show up for once, on time, with a corsage and a steak dinner at Sizzler!  But more likely than not, our fears are that they will ditch us at the last minute for some out of town girl (also known as the grey market) and we'll be stuck "wearing the Prom Dress".  And this is an $8,000 Prom Dress that can't be returned or exchanged.  For those of you not familiar with the expression "Wearing the Prom Dress" let's just say that it is not "an ideal state".

And proof positive that proofreading and editing are "superfluous luxuries" in the world of "manly timekeepers", I'd like to leave this in Hanhart's own salient words:

The watch’s outdoor characteristics are clearly in the forefront and speak to those individualists, which make conscious decisions when purchasing a unique timepiece.

Now truth be told, I like to think of myself as an "individualist" one who "makes conscious decisions when purchasing a unique timepiece".  I am not sure if the "outdoor characteristics" truly apply to me, but there you go.

The 3-Horses of KERBEDANZ

This was in the "in box" this morning.  The press release was a bit tough to follow, but the details of this lovely piece can be found below.

Courtesy of Kerbedanz

KERBEDANZ 3-Horses Ultra Limited Edition 14 numbered pieces

Manufacture Tourbillon Caliber, Functions Hours, Minutes
Sapphire Tourbillon caliber KRB-02 mechanical hand-wound,designed, manufactured and decorated
by KERBEDANZ and Concepto.
19 jewel, 21'600 alternations per hour,
72 hours of power reserve. 168 components, the tourbillon cage with 80 components and a weight of 0.42g.

Case & Bracelet
18K white gold, diameter 46 mm.
Design and manufacture by KERBEDANZ. Sapphire glass and caseback, with anti-glare. 5 atmospheres water-resistant (50 meters) crown placed in the north-east at 1h 30.
Piece served on its band of leather of Alligator Mississippiensis, the KERBEDANZ personalized folding buckle in 18K white gold.

Dial
White Solid gold. Low relief with the pattern of 3 horses. Exclusively designed,
fabricated, hand carved, and decorated
by KERBEDANZ. 

Aether Watch Co.

It started out with an interest in making hand made, custom straps.  It always has to start somewhere!

For those of you who have not been formally introduced, may I present Aether Watch Co.

Courtesy of Aether Watch Co.

The goal was, and is to offer an accessible luxury watch with cases and dials from Germany and movements and hands from Switzerland.

Courtesy of Aether Watch Co.

The watches are presented with a Stone Creek custom made strap of the customer's choosing.

Courtesy of Aether Watch Co.

Prices start at $1,600 and are available direct - contact Aether for more details.

Doing Good - F. P. Journe

At the charity gala organized for the 15^th anniversary of Action Innocence, F.P. Journe donated a unique Tourbillon Souverain in the colors of the charity for auction.

Courtesy of F. P. Journe

When the gavel fell, the final price was $300,000.

The Gathering Storm

With the watch world's eyes squarely resting on China we wait, and we watch - and if the big dogs in Switzerland have the good sense that God gave them, they will start living in the reality of the world today.

I read a very good article on Watches by SJX - the link is here if you'd like to take a moment:
http://www.watchesbysjx.com/2015/05/watch-retailers-in-hong-kong-band.html


The basics are this - watch retailers in Hong Kong are sitting on a LOT of inventory owing to decreasing demand.  In addition, several of Hong Kong's watch retail leaders have joined together to request rebates owing to poor sales so far this quarter - reported to be some 40% down in the first quarter.

It is important to understand that this is not down to smart watches.  Moreover, it is not solely due to clamp-downs on anti-corruption in China, nor is it solely due to the currency fluctuation that the Swiss Franc created earlier this year.  These are all factors, but the problem is perhaps a little more basic and a little more "predictable" than that because it is one that has existed for quite some time.

So allow me to reintroduce my 2 favorite characters in the watch business -
Cause and Effect.  Or as I sometimes say: "Why the watch you paid full-price for back in November is now available for 35% off through the grey-market "new in box with papers".

The watch business is not entirely unlike many others - you make a product, you market it, you (hopefully) sell it, and then you (hopefully) offer service.  The core, basic, KNOWABLE reason why watches are being treated like "expired baked goods" is, if we are honest, the fault of the brand.
Why would a brand knowingly sabotage itself?  Well, as with pretty much every other endeavor, we all start out with good intentions.

Step 1.  Budgets are vetted by the board via the CEO and approved.  It is important to understand that these budgets are based on PROJECTIONS, not ACTUALS (because, of course, we have no way of knowing what the actuals will be until December 31st).  These budgets dictate production, sales, etc.  Production numbers are therefore tailored to accommodate the projections.

Step 2.  Watches then run through assembly, and new watches are "prototyped" for SIHH and BaselWorld.  And orders (hopefully) are taken.

Step 3.  Watches start to be delivered - for a well-established retailer this is not unlike using a very flexible credit card - the agreement says that the retailer will pay 1/3 within 30 days, another 1/3 after 60 days, and complete the transaction within 90 days.  This, in turn, motivates the retail partner to sell at least 55 - 60% of their stock within that time frame.

If the watch brand manager is new, desperate (or both)  the retail store may receive that magical thing known as "memo" - meaning the store does not pay anything for the watches until they have sold them.  And it then becomes even more expensive for the brand to work with the retail partner because the ONLY way that the brand can know whether or not the store has sold any watches is to spend the money for a ticket, rental car and hotel and come and "count" the watches in the store's safe.  It might be that the store sold the watches 3 months ago, but because the safe count comes 3 months after the fact it is only then that an invoice will be generated at HQ.  The retailer will receive it in about 14 days, which their accounts receivable office will typically "age" for 30 days before paying, by check which will then take (likely) another 14 days for the brand to receive and deposit in their bank.  This then means that the brand has waited nearly half a year to get paid.

Now multiply that 1 example by, I don't know...25!  As you can imagine that creates more than a bit of a cash-flow crunch for a brand's US distributor or office.

Step 4.  Several retail stores are slow to pay, and several of the "new" accounts from SIHH and BaselWorld are not selling through, and the brand manager can just forget about them re-ordering.  The brand starts to realize as September looms, that it is becoming abundantly clear to the folks back in "the factory" that they are nowhere near their numbers.  Action has to be taken, and the senior sales managers are then dispatched to places like, I don't know, Hong Kong where great volumes of watches are dumped.  The brand takes a small hit, but not nearly the hit they would take if the watches were still sitting at HQ.  And in most cases, the "grey market purge" has already been accounted for as a line item on the spreadsheet.

Step 5.  That watch you spent $5,000 (full price, mind you) is now available via the grey market for 35 - 50% off.

Step 6.  This was still not enough to stem the tide and brand managers and sales directors are let go.  You can truly set your calendar to this - September - February is traditional.  New brand managers and sales directors are brought it - and the dance begins again.  And inevitably the cycle repeats itself.

So getting back to China -Steps 1 - 6 have always existed, but with China buying up boatloads of discounted watches there was always a place to "sweep" your excess inventory "under the rug".  That option is now becoming less and less possible and the brands are going to have to do some serious "soul searching" to see if they can find a more practical way to go forward.

It is ironic that the lessons of the 30s, the 70s and even 2008 are slow to sink in with many brands.  First class travel, ridiculously expensive press junkets and downright waste seem to go hand in hand with brand management.  Over production, panic and an unwillingness to wait it out rather than blow out a collection, create a brand new one for next year and go through exactly the same pain 12 months later.  Only now the realities are a little bit starker.

The storm is coming, let's hope at least some of the brands have enough sense to close the windows and bring the dog in.

Alpina & SKYRUNNER®

This just in from Alpina -

ALPINA BECOMES THE OFFICIAL WATCH OF THE 2015 SKYRUNNER® WORLD SERIES & EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

Courtesy of Alpina

The International Skyrunning Federation (ISF) is proud to announce a new partnership for 2015 with luxury sport watch manufacturer Alpina Watches, a Swiss family-owned company manufacturing exceptionally robust mechanical and connected sport watches engineered and built to withstand extreme natural environments, especially at high altitudes – the perfect match for skyrunning.

As Official Watch of the 2015 Skyrunner® World Series and European Skyrunning Championships, Alpina Watches will be present at a select number of events stretching across the globe from the skyrunning heart-land in the Alps to north of the Arctic Circle, East to Hong Kong and West to America's rugged Montana mountains.

A key element of the partnership between Alpina and the ISF is the Alpina Smart Time Prize, which will award exceptional performance by participants according to the "Smart Time Formula". The formula is based timing at the highest point of the race with a bonus given to younger and older competitors, putting everyone at the same level, irrespective of the final race result. The men's and women's winners of the Alpina Smart Time Prize will each be awarded with an Alpina Horological Smartwatch.

Marino Giacometti, ISF President and skyrunning founder, says, "Together with Alpina, we studied an exclusive formula to reward runners' performance according to a smart equalizing algorithm. In this sport the rewards don't just come from touching the sky! We're very pleased to be able to encourage all participants with this additional prize which adjusts performance to the age of the athlete."

Guido Benedini, Alpina CEO, comments, "Innovation, when combined with purpose, becomes progress. At Alpina, our innovations are exclusively devoted to serve the functional and design needs of those individuals challenging the hardest places on earth - such as the Alpine summits - home to Skyrunning. The best example is our new Horological Smartwatch. We are proud to partner with the ISF, which is leading the phenomenal worldwide growth of trail running"

Courtesy of Alpina

About the Skyrunner® World Series

2015 SKYRUNNER® WORLD SERIES & SKYRUNNING EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Skyrunner® World Series is an annual circuit of high altitude running races that stretch across the world's mountain ranges.
Skyrunning was founded in the Alps in 1992 by Italian mountaineer, Marino Giacometti, and is governed by the International Skyrunning Federation (ISF), which counts 34 member countries. From the first records in the Alps more than 20 years ago, the sport, now global, is rapidly growing in popularity and numbers.
In 2015, five Continental Championships have been introduced which, apart from titles and medals at stake, also count for World Series ranking points. Unlike other running disciplines, skyrunning represents the ultimate challenge where races are measured not just by distance, but also by vertical climb and technical difficulty - in a natural mountain environment where earth meets sky.www.skyrunning.com

New Model - Ulysse Anchor Tourbillon

From Ulysse Nardin -

Courtesy of Ulysse Nardin

Here are the details -

Reference 

1786-133 
1780-133 

Courtesy of Ulysse Nardin

Limited Edition 
18 pieces in rose gold and 18 pieces in white gold 

Movement

Caliber UN-178 Manufacture Tourbillon

29 jewels, 18’000 V/H

Power-Reserve
Min. 7 days, double barrel

Escapement
Constant Ulysse Anchor Escapement in silicium

Winding
Manual Winding

Functions
Hours and minutes, power reserve indicator

Case
Rose gold or white gold

Dimension
44 mm

Dial
Grand Feu Enamel

Water-resistance
30 m

Crystal
Antireflective sapphire crystal

Case-back
Sapphire crystal

Band
Leather with simple buckle 

Métiers d’Art Florilège

This is the latest offering from the folks at Vacheron Constantin

Courtesy of Vacheron Constantin

The dial starts out as 18K gold.  It is then give over to a separate crafts person.  Guilloché technique is then joined with Grand Feu cloisonné enamel.  Step one is the Guilloché to create an outline of the design.  This is then handed over to a master enamellist who then applies the enamel to bring the total design to life.  

The bezel of the case is then set with diamonds, as is the strap's clasp.

The case is of 18K white gold and measures 37mm in diameter, 8mm in height.  The movement is Vacheron's caliber 4400.  Hand winding with 65 hours of power reserve.

 

New Release - Time Pyramid Guilloché

This is the news from Arnold & Son -

Courtesy of Arnold & Son

This is a new reference for the Time Pyramid.  The Time Pyramid Guilloché.

Guilloché on a dial, sure, but when you have a movement exposed without a proper dial, your only other option is - to Guilloché the case back!

The movement is the skeletonized calibre A&S1615 cradled by 44.6 mm of red gold.  

Against The Ropes: Floyd Mayweather And His Association With Hublot

When I removed the two Hublot pieces, I got a fairly overwhelming request to put them back up. But instead, I thought I would share what some other people wrote. 

 This piece, Against the Ropes: Floyd Mayweather and his Association with Hublot 

It is shared courtesy of  Ben Newport-Foster and Timepiece Chronicle.

http://www.timepiecechronicle.com/features/againsttheropesmayweatherandhublot

Before last Saturday's fight I had very little knowledge of Floyd Mayweather and the world of boxing, having only heard his name in passing during conversations with my more sports-inclined friends. After watching all 12 rounds of the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight, I was surprised when during his in-ring victory speech that Mr Mayweather prominently mentioned Hublot as the best watchmaker in world. Out of idle curiosity I wondered how long the partnership had been going on. After some research I found out that Hublot had officially announced sponsorship of Mr Mayweather only a few days before and were the first company to ever have their name or logo featured on his match shorts during a fight. According to CNN, Mr Mayweather's opponent Manny Pacquiao's shorts are worth approximately $1.5 million in sponsorship space with six companies having bid for the opportunity to be featured, which begs the question how much Hublot had to pay for the privilege of positioning on the shorts and the post-fight mention. Whilst trying to find this answer, I instead found out about Mr Mayweather's history of domestic violence.


Between 2002 to 2011 Floyd Mayweather was arrested for two counts of domestic violence, one count of misdemeanour battery, two counts of misdemeanour battery against two women, two counts of misdemeanor harassment and during that time received a six month suspended sentence, two days house arrest, forty eight hours community service, one year suspended jail sentence, a ninety days suspended jail sentence and was forced to pay a fine of $2,500 to the courts. This is a man about whom Hublot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe said, "It is an honour and a privilege that we stand beside Mayweather in what will be the biggest fight of his career. His astounding achievements through his perseverance and commitment to his celebrated career have made him a great fit for Hublot". Shortly after saying this, Mr Guadalupe presented Floyd "Money" Mayweather with a Hublot King Power WBC Full Pave with Emeralds (a piece originally produced in 2012 in a limited run of twelve to honour Hublot's partnership with the World Boxing Council which were all auctioned off for an ex-professional charity raising $1 million), remade for Mr Mayweather with forty eight baguette cut emeralds round the bezel and two hundred and forty eight diamonds totalling just over two carats set into the King Gold case.

Now I understand that Hublot are entering into a business agreement with Mr Mayweather and that their sponsorship of him is in no way endorsing his appalling behaviour, however it does beg the question of where the line is drawn when it comes to brand spokespeople and their past actions. It is now beyond question that Mr Mayweather is an impressive boxer (48-0 win/loss record) and excellent athlete, however if I were CEO of any company I would not want him promoting it in any way. Hublot obviously have factored in the risk of association with Mr Mayweather and perhaps felt that having millions of people worldwide see your logo and hear your name being spoken with praise is worth it.

This is not the first time Hublot have perhaps overstepped the mark when it comes to advertising their brand. Back in 2010 they used a photograph of Formula 1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone taken after a mugging to promote the Hublot F1 King Power. Underneath the picture of Mr Ecclestone sporting a black eye and swollen lip it read "See what people will do for a Hublot". It should be noted that these words were written after the attack by Mr Ecclestone to Jean-Claude Biver, who after receiving it thought it would make a good one-time advertisement. Beneath the quote it reads "Hublot condemns all forms of violence and racism". I can understand the reasoning behind the advertisement, however perhaps it should have stayed as a private joke between multi-millionaires and friends, not as an official advertisement for the brand featuring in the Financial Times and International Herald Tribune.

Most Swiss watch companies have some investment in sports, however they are usually more traditional and conservative affairs in keeping with the typically reserved Swiss watch industry. Longines are the timekeepers of Royal Ascot, Omega and TAG Heuer both sponsor different teams in the America Cup Sailing Race and Rolex are the timekeepers of Wimbledon and are a global partner and Official Timepiece of Formula 1. Given Hublot's ethos of "First. Unique. Different.", it is not surprising that for the most part they are alone in the world of professional boxing when it comes to watch companies. Hublot pride themselves on being avant garde and contemporary compared to the more classically reserved watch companies in the same price bracket. Given Mr Mayweather's talent for self promotion and profit, it's no surprise that from a business perspective Hublot decided to sponsor him. Now it is important to note that Mr Mayweather has not had any more charges against him since leaving prison in 2012 and could well be a changed man repentant of his actions, however I think the association between one of the world's biggest luxury watch brands and a man convicted of domestic abuse is rather ill advised. In fact Adam Craniotes, co founder of the Red Bar Gatherings, recently took to Instagram decrying the move as in poor taste.

I contacted Hublot to comment on the issue and was told that Hubot were given an exceptional offer to appear on the shorts of Mr Mayweather for this event only, and that because of the promotion and their strong ties to the WBC, they donated another $100,000 to the World Boxing Council Charity. After consideration Hublot were willing to take the risk to be part of this historic fight. When Mr Guadalupe spoke about Mr Mayweather he was "referring to the athlete of today assuming that what has been done in the past should be somehow forgiven and that it will not repeat in future" and that one (Hublot) "should always be concerned with how ambassadors/friends of the brand are behaving and that we all agree that some mistakes of the past should one day be forgiven". Hublot did make a point of note that there have been other professional athletes such as Tiger Woods who have had personal indiscretions that have been forgiven.

I'm sure there will be those out there that will disagree with what I've written and say that I've overreacted, but the watch community is something I care about deeply and I feel that its mistakes need to be pointed out. There will be some watch lovers out there unaware of Mr Mayweathers transgressions and I feel that it is an issue that more people need to be aware of.

Gavox Aurora

Courtesy of Gavox

You ever know about something and have to struggle with yourself not to share it?  Wendy and I had lunch with Michael Happe in Brussels the day after Thanksgiving this past year where we got to clap eyes on this little baby that he'd been working on for the past few years.  This is the Gavox Aurora and it has been designed for civil aviation.

It was designed to allow the measure of time In all "standard" time zones but also those that have been referred to by some as "political" time zones.  Ever been to Indiana?  Apparently the Hoosier state is not the only one.  So the Gavox Aurora is equipped to handle time zone variations of 15 minutes.  So you can view your home or "reference" time in one view.

Courtesy of Gavox

Other useful (and fun) features include a flyback mission timer, and a countdown function.  In addition there is a perpetual calendar and moon phase indication.

Here are the specs straight from Gavox -

Technical specifications:

• Measurements  Ø 43 x 50.5 x 12 mm
• Measure between lugs 22mm
• Autonomy between 4 to 7 years depending on mode usage
• Analog watch with 4 hands. Central hands for hours and minutes, mode hand at 6 o'clock
   and units hand at 9 o'clock.
• Day and night visibility thanks to luminous hands and markings. Swiss Superluminova DGW9.
• UTC time reference, and local time by increments of 15 minutes.
• Countdown from up to 31 hours, with visual alarm.
• Mission chronograph to 31 hours, with split and flyback features.
• Perpetual calendar with simultaneous indication of date, day, month and leap year.
• Moon phase.
• Surgical 316L stainless steel, highly impervious to salt and sweat.
• Scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with inner anti-reflection coating.
• Water-resistance to pressure of 10 ATM (333 ft).

And anomymous

Remains anonymous - but lucky for me he/she is still willing to dispense invaluable feedback ; )

And asked that singular question that seared my soul like a flaming arrow:

"Are you for real?"

Clearly I must be if you're taking the time to tune in ; )


So "Anonymous" I appreciate that (clearly) you don't care for Tempus Fugit or me.  Fair enough.

Take care of yourself, and I hope you find the watch content you are looking for as you clearly haven't found it here.

And if you really do want to communicate with me - feel free to send an email - I promise a courteous exchange.  

Fairness

Okay, some may notice that I have removed the two most recent Hublot posts regarding Mr. Mayweather.  And before my favorite "Anonymous" commenter gets too full of him/herself, no this was not in response to your brave (but yet again anonymous) comment this AM of:

"Is it possible for you to write anything good at all?" 

It did make me smile though so thank you for the laugh this morning and your "courageous"
feedback - if and when you have the gumption to sign something (providing it's not full of blue language) I might even put it up ; )

Point of clarification - I stand behind what I wrote.  Having said that, I also realized that to a certain extent that it was three less than flattering items about Hublot in a three day span.  That's just how the news cycle ran I'm afraid, but I also felt it could seem more than a bit mean spirited.  So I took them down.

But back to the title - fairness.  Do I think that Hublot made a mistake?  Yes.  Do I live in a fantasy world where I think my one lone voice will change that mind-set?  No.  Ultimately brands are businesses and they are in business not out of charity, but to make money.  And so long as enough people keep buying what they're selling - and I'm not just talking about watches, but partnerships, ideals, marketing plans,  etc. then they will keep on doing what they're doing.

Do I think that the whole Mayweather move could be turned around for a more positive pr outcome?  Of course - but this is the fundamental hurdle that most brands trip over - the fear and terror of reversing course.  The fear of change.  I have been told that in the language and literature of addiction it is generally held that a person or organization will only change when they are in so much pain that they see no other alternative.  So as long as we in the Fourth and Fifth Estate keep wagging our tails and lapping up what's shoveled in with our kibble, the brands will keep rolling along the same path.

Give a thirsty man a glass of dirty water, and if there's no other alternative he'll drink it.  All that I'm asking for is an alternative to that dirty water.

Bubbling Up!

This is a new release from Martin Pauli's Angular Momentum.

Courtesy of Angular Momentum

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls - allow me to share the "Ebullio" from Angular Momentum.

So where to begin?  I have a HUGE amount of respect for Martin's work for many reasons - he is a craftsman.  He does not go to the "Home Depot" for watch parts, he makes what he needs.  I also really appreciate that he finds beautiful vintage movements and brings them back to life in some of the most evocative and beguiling watches available.  And this latest offering is no exception.

Starting with the name - Ebullio.  Become a fan of Angular Momentum and your Latin vocabulary will grow by leaps and bounds!  Ebullio from the Latin - "to bubble up", "boil up", "produce in abundance".  Apt name!

So let's get down to the stats- the case is tripartite (3 pieces/parts).  It measures 42 mm and is of 18 kt. yellow gold.  

Courtesy of Angular Momentum

The movement is another wonderful vintage movement.  In this instance it is a 41 jewel A. Schild 1701 Skymaster - also known as the Caliber AS 1701.  It is self-winding with a reported power reserve of 42 hours.  

The dial is described as "white sapphire glass".  It is adorned with black Roman numerals.

The strap is made from natural rubber and features a yellow gold locking system.

One for the Ages...

Not.

Courtesy of Hublot

This is Hublot's latest journey down the rabbit hole of excess, vanity and brain-dead partnerships.

This is the Big Bang Unico Retrograde Kobe "Vino" Bryant - just rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?

Now apparently, there is a deep connection between between basketball, watchmaking, and wine making... for realsies?

Well, Mr. Bryant was kind enough to wax poetically on how this really (ugly, I'm sorry this thing hurts my feelings just looking at it) "unique" Hublot model came to be -

Kobe Brant, Hublot Brand Ambassador, said: “It is an honor to launch my second Hublot Timepiece, Vino. When I joined the Hublot family, the Black Mamba was a natural fit, but we also discussed the relationship between basketball, watchmaking and wine; specifically, the dedication of the wine makers to making that perfect blend, the effort that goes into the maturation process and the attention to detail that goes into the art of watchmaking," he added.

Courtesy of Hublot

Who knows, maybe he'll actually wear this one.  For those of you still interested, here are the specs - I'm heading out to search for some Pepto-Bismol. 

BIG BANG UNICO CHRONOGRAPH RETROGRADE KOBE ''VINO'' BRYANT

Reference: 
413.CX.4723.PR.KOB15 (Ceramic – Limited edition of 200 pieces) 
413.OX.4738.PR.KOB15 (King Gold – Limited edition of 100 pieces)
Diameter:
45.5 mm
Water Resistant:
10 ATM (100m)
Movement:
Caliber Hublot HUB1261
UNICO Manufacture self-winding Bi-retrograde movement with central chronograph and column wheel
Power Reserve:
72 Hours