The ARCEAU Chrono Titane

From Hermes -

Courtesy of Hermes

The case measures 41 mm in diameter and is of bead-blasted Titanium (grade 2).  The dial is described as "Galvanic" black, with white Arabic numbers.  The movement is self-winding (mechanical) and is Swiss made. 

Courtesy of Hermes

Hours, minutes, seconds and date.  The chronograph functions include the running seconds at 3 o'clock, a 30 minute counter at 9 o'clock and a 12 hour counter at 6 o'clock.  

The strap can be had in either Natural Barenia calfskin, or black embossed Barenia calfskin.

Based on the original design (1978) of Henri d’Origny, Hermes has an exciting SIHH preview with this one.

Here are the pertinents -

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

CASE

Designer: Henri d’Origny (1978)
Size: Very Large Model (TGM)
Round, 41 mm diameter, 21 mm lug width Beadblasted grade 2 titanium case (Ti 99%) Sapphire crystal with anti-glare treatment Water-resistant to 3 bar

DIAL
Galvanic black, White transferred Arabic numerals and minute circle, rhodium-plated and red hands

MOVEMENT
Mechanical self-winding, Swiss made 28 mm diameter (12 1⁄2’’’)
6.1 mm thick
42-hour power reserve
37 jewels
28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz)

FUNCTIONS
Hours, minutes, chronograph, small seconds at 3 o’clock,
date between 4 and 5 o’clock, 30-minute counter at 9 o’clock, 12-hour counter at 6 o’clock, central 60-second chronograph hand

STRAP
Natural Barenia calfskin
Black embossed Barenia calfskin

 

Design Your Own Chronograph!

The same folks who offer you the opportunity to create a custom time only watch are now offering a chronograph -

This new chronograph from Revolo uses a 42 mm stainless steel case with a 22 mm lug width.   

Courtesy of Revolo

The cases are also available in three different finishes including a rose gold or black pvd finish.  With the option of a display back, or solid stainless steel case back.

Courtesy of Revolo

And as with any Revolo watch, you are blessed with numerous options beyond the case.  You get to choose the hands, the dial, the crown, pretty much every aspect.  You even have the option of a Ronda quartz movement, or paying a bit more for a self-winding (Concepto) movement.

Courtesy of Revolo

As with their original launch, Revolo is offering the opportunity to get in on the ground floor via a Kickstarter campaign. 

Courtesy of Revolo

As a very, very satisfied Revolo customer, I personally am excited by this new offering from the folks in Holland.  And the Kickstarter pricing offers a very, very affordable opportunity to create your own chronograph.

The configurator works just as smoothly as the one used for the standard, time only models, and I used it to knock together this option for myself -

I will be consulting with my piggy bank later today ; )


How good are the rewards for this Kickstarter?  Pretty darn good!  Here is the list -

Courtesy of Revolo

For more information, check out the Revolo Kickstarter here -


REVOLO KICKSTARTER

S.A.R. Rescue-Timer BRONZE

From Mühle-Glashütte -

Courtesy of Muhle-Glashuette

This is a new, very limited, take on the Rescue-Timer.  There are only 150 pieces in this version.

While there is a "standard" Rescue Timer made of stainless steel.  This one has a case made of bronze.

Courtesy of Muhle-Glashuette

The bronze case measures 42.5 mm in diameter.  The case back is PVD stainless steel.  Like the standard version, this limited edition is water resistant to 100 ATMs.  So despite the snazzy bronze case, this one is made to stand up to the same tests and challenges as the standard stainless steel version.

The movement is Sellita's SW 200-1.  And what makes this special?  Well, for most any other watch company it wouldn't.  But Mühle-Glashütte has something the other kids in Glashütte don't have, patented "woodpecker neck" regulation -

Courtesy of Mühle-Glashütte

Sort of a different name, not dissimilar to the Grasshopper Escapement in terms of its down to earth nature.  
We derived the name “woodpecker neck” regulation from the characteristic shape of the spring, which resembles the neck and head of a woodpecker. By analogy, we call the improved index hand “woodpecker neck hand“.

Here is a bit more detail, straight from Mühle-Glashütte:

With traditional fine regulation systems, more violent shocks may cause the index hand between the regulation screw and the counter-pressure spring to jump upwards. This may in turn change the position of the balance shaft or the watch’s regulation.

Courtesy of Mühle-Glashütte

By engaging in a semicircular shaped hollow in the index, our specially shaped woodpecker neck spring prevents the index hand from moving upwards. The index hand thus not only presses sideways against the fine regulation screw, but at the same time downwards on the balance cock.

As mentioned before, the S.A.R. Rescue-Timer is a real watch made for real people, doing real work.  The bronze case does make it special, but this is no show-pony.  And it is actually pretty appealing that Mühle-Glashütte flies somewhat under the radar, essentially letting the watches do the talking.  

So if you're looking for something special, and you don't need a million dollar marketing campaign to tell you why it is special?  This might be the watch for you.




 

 

The Frankfurt World Time Watch

From Sinn -

Courtesy of Sinn

Here are the pertinents, direct from Sinn HQ -

Mechanical Movement

• ETA 2893-2
• Self-winding mechanism
• 21 bearing jewels
• 28,800 semi-oscillations per hour
• Seconds stop function
• Shock resistant as per DIN 8308
• Anti-magnetic as per DIN 8309

Case

• Case made of stainless steel, polished
• Sapphire crystal glass in front, anti-reflective on both sides
• Transparent case back made of sapphire crystal glass, anti-reflective on the interior
• Case back screw-fastened
• Meet the technical requirements for waterproofness, as set out in standard DIN 8310
• Pressure-resistant up to 10 bar
• Low pressure resistant

Functions

• Hours, minutes, seconds
• Three time zones on 12- and 24-hour basis
• Date display

Dimensions and Weight

• Case diameter: 41.5 mm
• Band lug width: 22 mm
• Case thickness: 10,1 mm
• Weight without strap: 70 gramme

Dial and Hands

• Black-electroplated dial with sunburst decoration
• Attached appliqués coated with luminescent colour
• Hour and minute hand coated with luminescent colour

Warranty

• 2 years

Do Black People Buy Watches? An Interesting Counterpoint and a Paler Shade of White

Now not surprisingly, some interesting discussions took place following Wednesday's post.  And one person opined that I had clearly "cherry picked", looking for two brands that made it easy to prove a point.  So I asked for their suggestions and they mentioned Tag Heuer, Rolex, Hublot and some of the other usual suspects.  In other words, check out all of the big dogs who dip their toes in the brand ambassador pool.  

Seems fair enough to me.

So as we continue our side by side comparisons, first up today is Hublot -

I have a love-hate relationship with the folks in Nyon.  On the one hand, they have done some very good charity work, they make some interesting watches, and in many ways demonstrate how powerful an idea can be when it is properly executed.  And on that score there can be no debate.

On the other hand, they have partnered with some truly dubious characters in the past, and seem to have a hard time breaking up with a certain pugilist who has a less than stellar record outside of the ring.

But one thing has to be acknowledged - of the 14 individuals currently listed on their website under the Partnership category, 3 are black.  Usain Bolt, Dwayne Wade, and the King himself - Pelé.  They have also partnered in the past with Kobe Bryant (probably the less said about the "Vino" watch, the better).  In addition (as mentioned above) they have partnered with Floyd Mayweather, and if memory serves, Jay Zee touched down briefly on planet Hublot in the not-too-distant past.  And while 3 current ambassadors might seem pretty lean, when you compare it to our two previous brands -

Omega - 0
Audemars Piguet - 1

3 seems like a pretty big number.

But when we look at corporate stable mate Tag Heuer, we encounter a return to the apparent norm in the Swiss luxury industry.  Now I need to be clear, once again, I am basing this on what I can see on the Tag Heuer website right now.  These ambassadorships are divided into categories, so in the interest of clarity, I will break these down accordingly:

Art & Music -
5 ambassadors
0 black ambassadors

Lifestyle -
5 ambassadors
0 black ambassadors

Sport -
14 ambassadors & "friends" 
1 black ambassador - Tim Howard 

3 ambassadors (if you don't count the car)
1 black ambassador - Muhammad Ali

Now in fairness, with 2 ambassadors, Tag Heuer is way ahead of Omega.  On the other hand, one of those ambassadors is no longer with us, so it is sort of a difficult daily exposure idea to leverage.
And I find it fascinating because Tag Heuer spares no expense in promoting their brands and spreading the word.  So clearly, this is not a budgetary issue.  At least not in the traditional sense.

 
 

 

Thursday Field Trip

So yesterday found me at Bunker Hill Community College attending a talk given by Kareem Abdul Jabbar -

It was interesting, engaging and thought provoking.  I highly recommend his book - Coach Wooden and Me, and apparently his latest book will be out in November.

But this was actually more of a personal journey for me.  One that started back in 1976/1977 if memory serves me correctly.  My father was at a work convention in Milwaukee, and apparently the Los Angeles Lakers were in town - staying at the same hotel.  He was not able to get an autograph, but came home with the story of being in the same elevator with, according to him, "the best basketball player ever".

Well, about 40 years later...

I had imagined this moment in mind a lot over these last 4 decades.  

What would I say?  

What would he say?

"Is it big enough?"

German Design Award 2018

For NOMOS Glashütte's neomatic Ahoy -

Courtesy of NOMOS

This is the fourth consecutive win for the folks from Glashütte.
Looks as if they might be on to something.

It's Not Political - Left Handed Watches from Stowa

Another new variant now available from Stowa, left-handed versions of their collections!

Courtesy of Stowa

Such as this swell flieger -

Courtesy of Stowa

Check them out -

STOWA Left Hand

Do Black People Buy Watches?

I for one am pretty confident that they do.  Which is why I am frequently baffled by the approach taken by the majority of the watch industry when it comes to marketing, advertising and PR.  The African American demographic is not exactly sought after by the majority of brands when it comes to partnerships, brand ambassadors, and advertising campaigns.  Or maybe it is, and the majority of brands just can't figure out how to actually sign an ambassador who is, well, not white.

I thought it might be worth comparing a few well-known brands and their African American/ black ambassadors and let you the readers, draw your own conclusions.  We'll do these two at a time.  

Today:

Audemars Piguet -
Currently?  Serena Williams.  Oh!  And a shit-ton of white golfers with one or two people of color thrown in, who are also golfers.  It is very clear that Audemars Piguet likes golf ; )

In fairness, in the past Audemars Piguet did back Lebron James.

Now I want to be clear that I am depending upon the brand's current website as well as what can be uncovered with a quick Google search.  There may, indeed, be others, but if there are, Audemars Piguet is not exactly pushing that news.


Omega -
Brace yourself - 0
Again, I am drawing this conclusion from Omega's website, their advertising, etc.  Interesting to relate that Omega did a big campaign about famous people and their love of Omega's Speedmaster -

SPEEDMASTER FANS

I did a quick head count, and it is still early in the morning here in the metro Boston area, but I counted around 80 faces, and one of them, AJ Calloway, is African American.

I did a double check of the listed brand ambassadors - many I respect and admire (and a few who make me scratch my head).  And you guessed it, nary a black person to be found.  Now if the rumors are true, and Idris Elba becomes the next Bond, it might force the marketing department in Biel/Bienne to expand their palette ; )

Again, I want to be very clear - this is not a complex or scientific analysis.  This is a very simple exercise based on what can be found either in print advertisements or a brand's website.  

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY - I am ready, willing, and able to have any brand point out any ambassador, partnership, etc. that I might have missed.

To be continued...

 

A Few Days with the Manufaktur Waldhoff Regent

One of the nice little benefits of writing a blog is that on a few occasions you get an early opportunity to check something out.  The folks at Manufaktur Waldoff sent over a prototype of one of their new collections - the Regent.

Because this is a prototype, this is not your standard review.  But I am going to take a few days to kick the tires, and I'll be back on Friday with the rundown.  

Stay tuned.

Type 23

From Dodane -

Courtesy of Dodane

I have been writing the Tempus Fugit blog since July 2010.  During that time I have made countless efforts to contact Dodane and be able to report in better depth.  Let's just say it has been time and effort that have been for naught.  I mean, you never know, I might get lucky next BaselWorld but I am beginning to view Dodane as that popular kid you will never get any sort of acknowledgement from.  

At any rate, still a very cool watch ; )

 

We sail tonight for Singapore...

Don't fall asleep while you're ashore...

Courtesy of the FH

Now on the surface, this continuing upward climb is encouraging.
But when digging into the actual numbers, this latest report from the FH brings up more questions than it actually answers.

Interesting to relate, Singapore rocketed into the third position for September's numbers.  In fact, Singapore's rapid rise is curious at best, or to put it more plainly, somewhat dubious.  And I think the numbers as reported by the FH bear this dubious curiosity out:

1.  Hong Kong 213.4 Million CHF, 12.1% export share, an increase of 13.7%.

2.  USA 198.8 Million CHF,  10.9% export share, a decrease of -0.6%.

3.  Singapore 122.2 Million CHF, 10.1% export share, an increase of - wait for it - 89.6%!

Un petit mystère, n'est-ce pas?

Or as that other great watch commentator, Tom Waits noted -

We sail tonight for Singapore
Don't fall asleep while you're ashore
Cross your heart and hope to die
When you hear the children cry
Let marrow bone and cleaver choose
While making feet for children's shoes
Through the alley
Back from Hell
When you hear that steeple bell
You must say goodbye to me
Tom Waits, Singapore

Or to put it more plainly, while these numbers are numbers, they simply don't add up.  Or to put it even more plainly, these curious spikes of exports bound for increasingly random locations further bear out the possibility that what we are really seeing is the further push to clear the supply line pipes prior to the new Swissness regulations.

Let me state this in a different context - Puerto Rico represents one of the least publicly acknowledged, yet most important destinations for watches in the "US" market.  Confused?  Don't be, despite what a certain orange-hued fellow might have you believe, Puerto Rico is a territory of the US.  More pertinent to this conversation?  The reality of natural disasters that have hit Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico.  And why is Puerto Rico important to the North American watch retail numbers?  Because of the sheer number of watches that go in and out bound for the wrists of tourists (and parallel markets). Just as the wildfires raging through Northern California will radically impact the wine market in the coming years, the inability of retailers to sell (or shift) the very large quantities of watches in locations like Puerto Rico will, naturally, have a knock-on impact on already anemic sales in North America.  

Now to be fair, there are some watch brands and retailers who reported good sales in August.  And I sincerely hope that these were one-off months.  Like everyone else involved in the watch business, I have a personal stake in this particular game of poker, and I hope we all get some winning cards dealt.  But card-counting and gaming the system are not long-term solutions to very real problems.
 

A Darker Shade of Laureato

From Girard-Perregaux -

Courtesy of Girard Perregaux

Here are the pertinents -

Laureato 42 mm Ceramic

Technical specifications

Case

Material: black ceramic

Diameter: 42.00 mm

Thickness: 10.90 mm

Crystal: glare proofed sapphire

Case back: smoky sapphire

Dial: black with “Clou de Paris” hobnail motif

Hands:  baton-type, enhanced with luminescent material

Water resistance: 100 meters (10 ATM, 10 bar)

Movement

Reference: GP01800-0025, mechanical self-winding

Diameter: 30.00 mm (13’’’) 

Thickness: 3.97 mm

Frequency: 28,800 vph. (4 Hz)

Number of components: 191

Jewels: 28

Power reserve: 54 hours

Functions: hours, minutes, center seconds, date

Bracelet

Black ceramic, polished and satin-brushed finishing, ceramic triple-blade folding clasp

Reference 81010-32-631-32A

A Galet Square Porcelain Limited Edition

From Laurent Ferrier -

Courtesy of Laurent Ferrier

Here are the pertinents, right from the source -


GALET SQUARE PORCELAIN LIMITED EDITION
MICRO-ROTOR, ESCAPEMENT WITH DOUBLE DIRECT IMPULSE ON THE BALANCE
OR ECHAPPEMENT NATUREL ACCORDING TO A.L. BREGUET

Movement: FBN calibre 229.01, automatic winding with pawl-fitted micro-rotor
− 72-Hour power reserve
− Micro-rotor: fixed between the main plate and the micro-rotor bridge
− Silicon escapement with double direct impulse on the balance
− Silent-block shock protection system for the micro-rotor
− Indications: hours, minutes, small seconds at 6 o’clock
− Movement diameter: 14’’’ = 31,60 mm
− Movement thickness: 4.35 mm
− Number of components: 186
− Number of jewels: 35
− Frequency: 21,600 vph (3 Hz)

Case: in white gold, cushion-shaped
- Back bezel : numbered out of 10
- Case dimensions: 41x41 mm (diagonal: 45.35 mm)
- Water resistance: to 30 m
- Case thickness: 11.10 mm

Dial: White porcelain, anthracite nickel Breguet type numerals, 12 o’clock in scarlet red, gold circular minute dots for the minutes, four diamond-shape gold markers at 3, 6, 9 and 12, and smaller diamond-shape gold patterns for the tenths.

Hands: 18K/210Pd white gold with black ruthenium treatment, “assegai-shaped” for the hours and minutes baton-shaped for the seconds

Straps: Hand-sewn brown alligator, full skin square scale with scarlet alcanthara lining, and a tan calf strap with scarlet alcantara lining
 
Buckle: Ardillon pin buckle

The Military Chrono

From Anonimo -

Courtesy of Anonimo

As the new Swiss Anonimo continues forward, they also seem to be getting their style grammar down.  Let's hope it continues.  Thousands of Anonimistis past, present and future are ready for an Anonimo prepared to go the distance.

Here are the pertinents -

Case
Stainless Steel

Glass
Anti-reflective sapphire crystal

Indicators
Small seconds at 3 o’clock 30 minutes counter at 9 o'clock

Strap
Mohawk maracca leather, handmade in Italy

Push Buttons
Stainless steel push button with DLC

Movement
Sellita SW300 equipped with a Dubois Dépraz 2035M chronograph module, developed exclusively for ANONIMO Automatic winding Power reserve 42 hours Glass case back ‘Côtes de Genève’ decorated oscillating weight Swiss Made

Dial
Black dial

Diameter
43.4mm

Buckle
Pin buckle

Reference
AM-1122.01.002.A21

The Big Bang Calaveras

From Hublot -

Courtesy of Hublot

Rather appropriate as Dia de los Muertos approaches, Hublot has brought out three rather unique takes on a time-only Big Bang.

Courtesy of Hublot

Calavera is Spanish for skull, which is the theme that drives the design of this particular series.

Courtesy of Hublot

There will be 20 pieces in steel, 30 in ceramic, and 10 in red gold.  And this makes A LOT of sense.  An interesting, yet highly limited series that is bound to create desire - which will also create a sense of urgency among collectors.  Very well done Hublot! 

All three models measure 44 mm in diameter, and have the

HUB1401 caliber under the hood.  This is Hublot's self-winding, manufacture movement, which boasts 42 hours of power reserve.

And even the strap is quite interesting - black rubber engraved with an MEX17 logo.

It looks as if Hublot has turned a trick into a treat, so if you've got the means, get on to your Hublot dealer now to reserve one.
 

 

Three People Who Should Be Brand Ambassadors

But probably never will be.

I thought I'd put the idea out there and make sure that I forward it to all of the brand directors, PR managers and CEOs out there and let whoever is interested pick up the idea and run with it.

For the record, I was born in 1968.  It was a tumultuous year around the world, but particularly in the US.  And it was also the year of the Mexico City Olympics.  And what I have always remembered Mexico City for was the brave actions of three men -

The three men were Tommie Smith of the USA (center, gold medal winner), John Carlos of the USA (far right, bronze medal winner), and Peter Norman of Australia (far left, silver medal winner).  You will also notice a white badge on all three of the medalist's jackets.  No, that is not an IOC insignia ; )
I am going to quote from a story that I found in Word The Soul Of Urban Culture:
Riccardo Gazzaniga — October 23, 2015

Norman was a white man from Australia, a country that had strict apartheid laws, almost as strict as South Africa. There was tension and protests in the streets of Australia following heavy restrictions on non-white immigration and discriminatory laws against aboriginal people, some of which consisted of forced adoptions of native children to white families.

The two Americans had asked Norman if he believed in human rights. Norman said he did. They asked him if he believed in God, and he, who had been in the Salvation Army, said he believed strongly in God. “We knew that what we were going to do was far greater than any athletic feat, and he said “I’ll stand with you” – remembers John Carlos – “I expected to see fear in Norman’s eyes, but instead we saw love.”

Smith and Carlos had decided to get up on the stadium wearing the Olympic Project for Human Rights badge, a movement of athletes in support of the battle for equality.
  
And spoiler alert - so did Mr. Norman.

For Smith and Carlos the consequences were predictable, and horrific.  But interesting to relate, there were parallel forces at work to make sure that Mr. Norman was punished as well.  For all intents and purposes, his track and field career was over before it ever really began.

The bond between these three amazing men carried on well beyond the Olympics.  Tommie Smith and John Carlos were pallbearers at Peter Norman's funeral when he passed, before his time, in 2006.

 
Here's the thing -
I know that we are living in what could politely be described as "tempestuous times".  I know that for watch brands it is easy to go with a teen idol, actress or someone guaranteed not to stir the pot.  But then again, there are brands that will partner with individuals who do horrible things, solely to get their name a little more airtime.  So if that type of controversy is acceptable, surely this is a bit more noble.

This upcoming year will mark the 50th anniversary of the Mexico City Olympics.  An Olympic games that kicked the door open on racism, human rights and demonstrated what true faith, trust and love could accomplish.  Moreover, it demonstrated that membership on a team was not determined by the country that issued your passport.  It was determined by what was in your heart.

So I'll put it out there - Omega, Hublot, or frankly anyone else interested in sharing a story about people coming together through sport to do something important - this is your opportunity.  The 50th anniversary of a true brotherhood, forged by unlikely members, defeating hate.

I can't think of three more fitting ambassadors for a watch company.  So, to the gentleman making these decisions in Switzerland -

Who's in?

Something New from F.P. Journe

This is Chronomètre Holland & Holland. Although I personally am not a big fan of shotguns and other "shooting irons", I will say that having taken the time to dig into the details on this watch and how it came to be?  It is a partnership in this limited series that does actually make some sense.

And it is a pretty swell watch -

Courtesy of F.P. Journe

The dial is crafted from the barrels of two guns belonging to gunsmith Holland & Holland's archive.  These barrels were crafted from Damascus steel.  It was clearly a true collaboration, with Holland and Holland cutting the barrels, sending the material to F.P. Journe who then had their dial makers, “Les Cadraniers de Genève” create the dials.  These dials were then sent back to Holland & Holland for a technique known (apparently) as "browning" or "being browned".  This technique apparently highlights and protects the finish of the Damascus steel.

The result is a truly unique and good looking watch.

Courtesy of F.P. Journe

And it is truly unique and limited, and if you want to get one?  Well, just as not everybody gets to go to Harvard, if you want one of these very unique F.P. Journes, you'll have to apply.  Here are the details, straight from the source -


The exclusive Limited Series

The two antique Holland & Holland barrels, bearing the serial numbers 1382 (38 dials) and 7183 (28 dials), only allowed for the making of dials that will never exist in any other watch. The Chronomètre Holland & Holland is accessible to F.P. Journe and Holland & Holland collectors through an application process.