Time to Sack Up - Eterna Can Be Saved

In the city of Grenchen, on the train line from Biel/Bienne to Basel, there is a once mighty watch manufacturer that now lies (mostly) dormant.  A beautiful factory and administration building that evokes memories of Willy Wonka's factory.  An owner with enough money to (if they wanted to) not just save the company, but truly resurrect it.  But just like that fictitious confectioner, the building is a shell of its former self.  It would seem that nobody goes in, and nobody comes out.

And for some of us hard-core Eterna fans?  This is frustrating.  In fairness, a very solid sales network has been created by some very talented people who are out there, every day, preaching the gospel of Eterna and the KonTiki.  So a lot of the pieces are already in place.


So a few simple suggestions -

1.  Eliminate everything on the menu except the KonTiki.  Focus on three different versions with the same "guts".  In essence, a single version with three different "flavors".  As any parent will tell you, you never ask a kid what flavor of ice cream they want.  You will be there all day.  Simply ask them - "Do you want ice cream?  Great, we have chocolate, vanilla or strawberry."

Do this for one to two years.  Simply put?  You are guaranteed to sell a lot of this model, and take that time to revamp and slowly introduce new collections.

2.  Find a real turn-around specialist.  Look beyond the hucksters and the confidence men that you have been turning to.  Sorry, I have to call this one like I see it.  The people making the hiring decisions when it comes to the top spot at Eterna keep making some flawed choices.  And once again, I refer to Moneyball:

 “Managers tend to pick a strategy that is the least likely to fail, rather then to pick a strategy that is most efficient," Said Palmer." The pain of looking bad is worse than the gain of making the best move.”
― Michael Lewis, Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game

How many CEOs and "interim" leaders do you need to go through before you maybe look in a different direction?  Stop worrying about making a potentially embarrassing decision, because guess what?  That ship has sailed!  You've made enough bad hiring decisions to last the next ten years.

But there is one guy out there, one person out there uniquely qualified to fix Eterna.  Note that I DID NOT say fix Corum and Eterna.  Let's focus on one problem at a time ; )

There is one person out there who could objectively identify the troubles at Eterna, offer honest analysis without being fearful of keeping everyone happy, and would leave his ego out of the equation.  He is perhaps the most influential person in the Swiss watch industry that you've never heard of, and he and a few of his long-term teammates could not only get their hands around this situation, but chart a course to the sea of success.

Citichamp, if you're reading this and you're ready to sack up and try to right the good-ship Eterna?  Drop me a line!  I won't even charge you a finder's fee ; ) 

3.  COMMUNICATE!  Silence, in this particular situation?  Not golden.  Stop waiting for the press and fans to come to you - go to them.

What Was Cool At BaselWorld - Laventure

Recent darling of Kickstarter, the Laventure team were present to show off some of their offerings at the Incubator section of BaselWorld.  This is (if memory serves) the Sous - Marine.  A pretty straight forward proposition - hours, minutes, seconds and a rotating bezel.  

The case is stainless steel and measures 41 mm in diameter.  The movement is ETA's 2824-2.

For those inclined, here are the pertinents -

Case

Materials :	Stainless Steel
Diameter :	41 mm
Lugs to lugs length :	48,50 mm
Thickness :	10.20 mm (without glass) / 12.30 mm (with glass)
Bezel :	Unidirectional rotating 120 clicks with light capsule
Crown :	Screwed for a better seal
Glass :	Domed sapphire type "Superdome" internal anti-reflective coating
Case Back :	Solid Case Back for better sealing in Stainless Steel
Manufacturing :	Switzerland

Movement

Manufacturer :	ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse
Model :	2824-2
Finish :	TOP Grade : set and adjusted on 5 positions
Winding :	Automatic winding ball bearing
Power reserve :	38 hours
Number of jewels :	25
Spiral Spring :	Anachron
Barrel Spring :	Nivarox NZ
Balance Wheel :	Glucydur
Shock absorber :	Incablock
Frequency :	28,800 A / h (4 Hz)
Manufacturing :	Switzerland

The price is, in my honest opinion, a wee-bit ambitious at 2,350 CHF, but in fairness, the previous models and the bronze edition have all sold well, so clearly there is a market out there.

And I look forward to seeing what might be next up for Laventure.

Why I Bought It - The Straton Curve Chrono

Okay, point of full disclosure?  I have a few watches.  And having said that, it takes something special for me to dip into my piggy-bank and part with "coin of the realm".  It is not about exclusivity, mechanical vs quartz, or snotty provenance.  I buy what I like.  

Smudges and all, because yes, I've been wearing it!

Well, suffice it to say, this I like.  Straton has done something that a lot of brands, both micro and macro have promised, but have yet to deliver.  Designed, produce and offer for sale a watch with a shit-ton of personality and appeal at a realistic price.  And Straton have done it without insane investments in marketing, "chums" of the brand, or any other silly attempt to pump themselves up. 

The Straton Curve Chrono comes equipped with a  Seiko VK64 meca-quartz hybrid movement. And for those unacquainted about just what a meca-quartz hybrid movement is?  Well, per Straton:

What exactly is 'Meca-Quartz'? - A movement developed by Seiko is a hybrid movement which combines the accuracy of a quartz watch (+/- 20 seconds average per month) with a Mechanical Chronograph (5 beat per second sweep chronograph hand and fly-back chronograph reset).

And as someone who is now not exactly enjoying the headache (to say nothing of the expense) of servicing several mechanical watches per year?  Let's just say that this little wrist-rocket came into my life at just the right time.

For those of you interested in the pertinents, here they are -

Specifications:

Case Material - 316L (Surgical Grade) Stainless Steel, Polished and brushed steel
Case Size - 42mm and 39.5mm
Lug To Lug - 42mm case: 47.4mm
Lug To Lug - 39.5mm case: 46.5mm
Case Thickness - 13.9mm without domed sapphire, 14.5mm with
Movement - Seiko VK64 meca-quartz hybrid
Crystal - Domed Sapphire Crystal
Hands - Luminescent Hour Hands, C3 Superluminova
Crown - Screw down
Inner rotating bezel, tracking a second time zone
Stamped case back design
Strap - 42mm case 22mm width, 39.5mm case 20mm width
Water Resistance - 10ATM/100m
Warranty - 24 Months 

 

The Delma Blue Shark III

This is one of the latest dive watch releases from Delma -

Courtesy of Delma

It is available with two different bezels, a stainless and a black DLC which are the three we are speaking of today.

Courtesy of Delma

There are three different dial options - blue and orange (above), and black (below) -

Courtesy of Delma

The case and bracelets are of stainless steel.  At 47 mm in diameter, it is not a shrinking violet by any stretch of the imagination.  It is rated to be water resistant to 4000m / 13120 ft.  According to Delma, it has been tested and certified by the Swiss PST Laboratory for Product Safety Testing in Zwillikon, Canton of Zurich.  The movement is ETA's 2824. 

If I have understood the info from Delma correctly, this series represents a limited edition of 500 pieces.

The Group that Saved BaselWorld

Shamelessly borrowed from the worldwide infoweb

By now, the management of the MCH group (responsible for the management of the BaselWorld fair) have fully absorbed the relief of LVMH confirming that they would, indeed, be moving forward for another year in Hall 1. Here is the official release -

MEDIA RELEASE | 25 APRIL 2019

LVMH CONFIRMS ITS PARTICIPATION FOR BASELWORLD 2020
Bvlgari, Hublot, TAG Heuer and Zenith will exhibit at Baselworld 2020. Collaboration on concept for 2021 and beyond.

 

BASEL, SWITZERLAND, 25 April 2019 – The LVMH Group has confirmed its participation for Baselworld 2020 within the current framework for its Bvlgari, Hublot, TAG Heuer and Zenith brands. For 2021 and the following years, Baselworld is collaborating with the Group and its brands on new presentation concepts and formats.

“We are delighted to be cooperating with LVMH and the Bvlgari, Hublot, TAG Heuer and Zenith brands again in 2020 and jointly shaping the future of Baselworld,” says Michel Loris-Melikoff, Managing Director of Baselworld. Baselworld will support each LVMH brand in the design of innovative exhibition formats for their presence in 2021 and beyond. The purpose of these new formats is to let each house express its creativity and provide an outstanding brand immersion.

“This is a creative and completely open process with no constraints or thought restrictions, that we are tackling together,” says Michel Loris-Melikoff. “Our concept for the Experience Platform is precisely that: enabling brands to flexibly present themselves to their various target audiences”. 

“A common decision was reached today, together with Bvlgari, Hublot, TAG Heuer and Zenith, to confirm our presence in Baselworld in 2020. We support Michel Loris-Melikoff and his team in their project to redefine and renew the concept of this major event for the Swiss watch industry,” says Stéphane Bianchi, CEO of the LVMH Watchmaking Division and CEO of TAG Heuer. “Our discussions and the changes that will be implemented will allow us to reassess our future involvement after the next edition.” 

So as the collective sphincters at MCH return to normal sizes after the stress of this latest game of high stakes chicken, now is the time for them to focus on (believe it or not) what the bigger problem is.  And just what does that mean?

Well, I think for far too long the previous as well as the current fair management have been distracted by "shiny objects" (i.e. big brands on the ground floor of Hall 1) and as a result they have lost a lot of the other players necessary to have a fully-functioning fair.

If you had attended BaselWorld for the past three years, you would be forced to agree that there was quite a bit missing in terms of brands who had been there before.  Eterna, Corum, Favre Leuba (which held court in a semi-circle of chairs in the Hyperion lobby), Graham (holed up in a hard to get to hotel room), Eberhard, and too many others to count.  These are all brands that have, in the past, had fairly prime real estate in Hall 1 or at least nearby.  And these are just a small sampling.  

So, just as an unlikely group of random basketball playing Pisces saved the day in "The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh" (1979 film staring Dr. J and featuring some of the era's forgotten stars, such as Norm Nixon, Kevin Porter, Cedric "Cornbread" Maxwell among others), an unlikely group of brands could save BaselWorld.  But it would require a few things to happen:

Shamelessly borrowed from the world-wide infoweb

1.  "Lighten up, Francis!"  (Stripes, 1981) - simply put, stop taking yourself so seriously, and lower the f#$*ing prices.  We had a rather embarrassingly painful lesson on market economies -
an economic system in which production and prices are determined by unrestricted competition between privately owned businesses.
Simply put?  The hotels and restaurants around the BaselWorld fair had no real motivation to lower their prices, despite what the fair organization promised.  Suffice it to say, you come to Basel, you get fleeced.  And what the fair organizers still don't seem to understand is that getting hosed on hotels and meals is not really the great deciding factor for most journalists, retailers and distributors.  And it certainly isn't for the brands.  It's whether or not the fair, as a whole, is solid enough to attract the crowds.

2.  Stop sticking it to the public -  Whether we admit it or not, what makes fashion, music, cinema, and yes watches sell?  The PUBLIC.  Stop charging the public usurious rates to come to the fair to look in some windows.  It's ridiculous, and the majority of the brands, big and small do make any effort to engage with the end customer.  

3.  Start punching your weight in terms of what you are going to charge for brands to participate.  It is better to have full halls for less per brand and still make more money, than to charge the type of amounts usually negotiated with the aid of a loaded pistol.  Less, in this case, would actually be more.

4.  Stop chasing after stars, and focus on the majority - in terms of brands, in terms of media, in terms of retailers.  And ESPECIALLY in terms of fans and enthusiasts.  BaselWorld has always been fairly democratic, unlike it's snooty, estranged partner the SIHH.  Keep it that way, focus on being inclusive?  You will only  benefit.

5.  Make it FUN again.  A fashion show, some cars up on a stage, and the same tired old press conferences conducted by tired old white men?  News flash - not so much fun.

With the confirmation of LVMH, you've got a fighting chance!  Like the hopefuls trying out for the Pittsburgh Pisces, this could be your "Chance of a Lifetime!"

  

The Unicorn!

Regular readers of Tempus Fugit will recall that last September I journeyed once again to Japan, this time to visit Casio and the G-Shock side of their business.  It planted an unexpected (and as of yet still) unexplained love for all things G-Shock.

At the time everyone, with the exception of the one guy who already had one) was desperately trying to lay hands to the GMWB5000 - or as I like to refer to it, the "Digital Santos" -

Needless to say, we all struck out.  A few pieces trickled in here and there, but it was like lining up to buy the latest drop from Nike - you had to have your finger at the ready 24-7 to hit that buy button.   Needless to say, I have a day job ; )

But patience, as they say, is a virtue.  And rather than buy one through a secondary source, I bided my time, and lo and behold WatchGauge became an authorized G-Shock dealer!  

But, that in and of itself did not necessarily solve everything.  Because it seems that although WatchGauge had all of the groovy, dare I say it - very hard to obtain G-Shocks, I was once again a late comer to the conga-line.

Shamelessly borrowed from the world-infoweb

Because, it would seem that WatchGauge has developed a pretty damn devoted following.  And owing to this there were more than a few sharp shoppers who pipped me to the line.  But patience was rewarded, and just a few days ago, the much sought after unicorn found its way to yours truly!

So here's what I know, once I wrote a few times about the GMWB5000, I was deluged by people looking for exactly the same unicorn that I was.  

Well, I've bagged my unicorn, I wish the rest of you the best of luck in finding yours!

Overtime with the Siduna M3440 Professional Compax Chronograph

Editor's note - this review originally began the week before I left for BaselWorld, and I wore the Siduna during the fair alternating between my Minase 5 Windows and my Sartory Billard.  I then wore it for an additional 2 weeks following the fair.

Since the announcement of the launch of the new and improved Siduna, I have been very anxious to get my hands on one and put it through its paces.  As I was getting packed-up and ready for BaselWorld, the folks at Siduna asked if I'd like to take one of their new chronographs for a test drive during the fair, and so I took the M3440 along with me.

During the fair, I wore a few different watches, and as I was "working" on behalf of Minase and Sartory Billard, I wore those watches while on duty at The HYPE.  But I switched to the Siduna M3440 for my time inside Hall 1 and other press appointments.  

Now as my photography skills are, I have been led to understand, somewhat lacking, here is a nice shot directly from Siduna so you get a flavor for the M3440 -

Courtesy of Siduna

So you get the idea.  I got a lot of double-takes and comments like -
"I thought you were a social worker, how'd you afford a Type XX", etc.  Upon closer examination, several people were struck by the level of finish, as well as the look and feel of the watch itself.  

Well, let's get back to the review itself -

I will concur with my colleagues in the Fourth and Fifth Estates on the build quality of the M3440.  It is first rate.  The case is definitely in the "Godilocks" category when it comes to size - it is just right.  It measures 40 mm in diameter, with a case height (or thickness) of 16.1 mm.  The unidirectional bezel extends slightly beyond the confines of the case diameter, measuring 42 mm in diameter.

(apologies for the dust spots, I did not give the watch a complete wipe-down for each photo).

The watch has presence, but I don't feel like a poser wearing it.  It is a "wrist-appropriate" size.  And although it has some stature owing to its height on the wrist, it is nothing to forbidding.

The case itself is of stainless steel, austenitic stainless steel to be more precise.  And just what is austenitic stainless steel?  Well, per Wikipedia:

Due to their crystalline structure austenitic steels are not hardenable by heat treatment and are essentially non-magnetic

Now before everyone goes off having a Eureka moment, let's just clarify that 316l falls into this category.  But it is still kind of a fun way to describe the steel type as opposed to the typical numeric designation.

The case back is solid, not a display back and I am profoundly grateful for that.  It maintains true to the overall aesthetic and the original inspiration for the watch.

And just what is the inspiration?  Well, curious to relate, Siduna is now based in Sweden.  But it wasn't always so.  Siduna started out life as a Swiss brand, and then it went the way of so many, shuttering due to the decline of the mechanical watch business.  But  Siduna then found a new home in Sweden and recently the brand changed hands one last time and is now back in business and making watches.  The case of the M3440 is based on a somewhat "standard" case of it's time, incorporated into a watch that was used by the Svenska Flygvapnet (that's Swedish Air Force to you) in 1973.  The original design, per Siduna, was from Ervin Piquerez's SA design, circa 1968. And if it bears similarities to cases of the same era from Breguet, Heuer, Lemania and Bucherer (among others) that is because it was a pretty standard solution.  

The bi-compax chronograph ran smoothly, re-setting was tactile and precise.  The time keeping beyond reproach, in short?  Everything worked as advertised.

The movement is based on the Valjoux's 7750, and again, before all the Pointdexters out there feel the need to express their expertise on this matter, and how it couldn't possibly be, blah, blah, blah...
Relax, it is not exactly an "off the shelf" solution.  In Siduna's own words -

Our movements are based on an automatic ETA 7750 with Top finishing. They undergo several substantial modifications in a small workshop from La Chaux-de-Fonds, such as the removal of the date mechanism and the relocation of the minutes subsidiary dial from 12 o'clock to 3 o'clock thanks to a proprietary module, and an upgrade to blue screws. The calibre 13 Phi received additional modifications on the back side to add the fly-back function.

The crown is screw down, and bears the markings of the famous (albeit esoteric) Compressor model that was, you guessed it, produced by Piquerez.  And for those of you so inclined, a pretty solid piece of research on the subject can be found here -
https://medium.com/sidunawatch/piquerez-from-drivers-to-pilot-watches-961957c25d5d?fbclid=IwAR0na59MUz1ZIzwBzRHNlAMsfm-yQtb5kUv-ws-Kv-6SXmFyhsjr0Z2DAiI

But, important to note that although the crown bears the markings of the Compressor, it is not the same function, it is aesthetic, but I think pays a nice, subtle homage to the original case.

Now last, but not least?  The strap!  The strap is a very, very nice bit of kit!  This one is the Havana Brown version.  Curious to relate, it was a very comfortable strap right out of the box, whereas some straps can be a bit stiff even after the "get ready roll" -

So here's a friendly tip from your old pal Henki, who learned it from his old pal Rod:  if you have a strap that you feel is too stiff (calfskin!  I would not necessarily recommend this approach with anything exotic), simply roll the strap ends up like a tube of toothpaste.  And boom!  You're ready to rock!  The strap itself was smooth, supple and extremely well finished.  The perfect pairing to the M3440.  It is completed with a signed Siduna buckle -

Quite smashing!

But just to keep things interesting, I had pre-ordered an Erika's Original strap  -

And Erika herself delivered it to me in Basel!

It gave a fun bit of twist to an already super-dope watch!

And for those of you unfamiliar, the straps made by Erika's Originals are The Shit That Killed Elvis!  Yes, they are that good.  Throw away your shitty old NATOs and get ahold of the real thing!

Back to the M3440, here are the pertinents, direct from Siduna -

DIMENSIONS 

• Bezel diameter 42.0 mm
• Lug width 20.0 mm
• Case thickness 16.1 mm

MECHANICAL MOVEMENT

• ETA/Valjoux 7750 base
• Thickness 7.9 mm
• Self-winding mechanism
• 25 bearing synthetic rubies
• 28'800 alternances per hour (4 Hz)
• Seconds stop
• ISO 764 Anti-Magnetic
• ISO 1413 Shock-Resistant

CASE

• Austenic stainless steel, satin brushed
• Double-domed aspheric sapphire crystal, anti-reflective coating on the inside
• Screw-down case back, individually numbered
• Screw-down crown
• ISO 22810 Water-Resistant
• Pressure-resistant to 10 bar

FUNCTIONS

• Hours, minutes and subsidiary seconds
• 30 minutes and ¼ seconds chronograph

DIAL AND HANDS

• Matte black dial with recessed subsidiary dials
• 5 minutes indices with Super-LumiNova® BL C3 Grade A
• Numerals with Super-LumiNova® BL C3 Grade A
• Hour and minute hand coated with Super-LumiNova® BL C3 Grade A

LIMITED WARRANTY

• 2 years

The M3440 is also available in a Flyback version, the one I wore and reviewed is the standard.  Both are extremely well priced, with the Compax priced at € 1,480 without VAT.  It gets a very solid two thumbs up from this reviewer, without a doubt one of the best automatic chronographs I have worn in some time.

The Forecast Calls for Pain...

As that other great commentator on the watch industry, Alfred Tennyson might have mused -

In the Spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of... pain.

Courtesy of the FH

Now apologies for the fuzzy condition of the image, but in fairness, the statements from the FH regarding the purported growing strength of the Swiss watch industry are somewhat fuzzy in their logic when viewing their own graph.

Let's make this pretty simple.  As the graph above shows, export numbers have been slowly, but steadily dropping off since August.  Now taken in context of previous years?  Yes, things are somewhat better.  But while I think that this is a "glass is half-full" point of view, it doesn't necessarily mean that there is no water in the glass at all.  But it does mean that the water is rapidly evaporating.

In speaking with a friend how knows about these things, he has informed me that the HR scalpels are out, and as the fat has already been trimmed, the next step is happening - assembling companies are starting to cut hours.  More than that, several other assemblers are simply letting staff go.  And that's the part that should be most concerning.  You don't hear about people like assemblers getting let go.  Let's face facts, they are not brand employees.  Owing to this, the leaders of these big groups, and even the smaller brands can claim that all is well!  But it isn't.  This is yet another canary in the coalmine.  

In reflecting back on the incredible shrinking fair that is BaselWorld, and whether their over-inflated egos can admit it, SIHH as well, let's be very honest - this is a symptom of a larger problem.  The fairs, the number of attending brands, retailers and enthusiasts are merely a reflection of the overall health of the industry.  And right now?  The industry is still paying the price of playing with Confederate money for so many years.

 

 

 

Breitling's Gotta' Bounce

In a press release so clumsily worded it left me expecting a request for my social security number and bank routing details, the folks at the BaselWorld party planning committee announced that Breitling was "Audi 5000" for BaselWorld 2020. 

Having read through the press release several times, and realizing that it was not written and sent by a former "most excellent prime leading-minister's daughter's son-in-law" promising to share a secret government stash of cash, I came to understand that despite their best efforts, the management team responsible for BaselWorld 2020 were not able to convince Breitling to stay on for the fair next year. 

And in all honesty?  I am of two opinions here.  The brain trust that is the Breitling PR/Communications group is not known for "warm fuzzies" in terms of their ability, or let's be honest, willingness, to engage with the press at large.  When I can get an appointment with pretty much any other brand, and when my emails and even phone calls to every possible branch of Breitling go unanswered, I get the sneaking suspicion that the folks at Breitling are really not bothered as to whether I cover them or not.  So on a personal level?  I really could not care any less than I already do whether or not Breitling and their "squads" will be within a country mile of Hall 1.

But hey, that's just little me.  But for the fair organizers?  This is a big deal.  Ironically, Breitling was given pride of place in Hall 1 and have, essentially, turned up their nose.  Now truth be told, their arguments are all valid - the show is going to be happening too late to really accommodate what they (and every other brand) are hoping to accomplish by participating in the world's biggest watch fair.  That being actual retail partners coming in and placing actual orders.  Most of the real sales work will have happened already.  It does not help that the show is in lock-step with the SIHH which is also happening much too late in the year.  Add to that those pesky  holidays that will very likely impact and curtail the number of participants from around the world.  

You can't put all of the blame solely on BaselWorld.  The SIHH botched this up just as much.  But despite all of the warnings and suggestions being offered, both fairs seem determined to ignore the concerns of the brands, the retail partners and the press at large.  But in all honesty, if they can?  They should change the dates of both fairs.  This would, of course, mean admitting a mistake by both the BaselWorld organizers and the SIHH, but wouldn't a slightly bruised ego be a small cost to pay for creating a better set of fairs?

We shall see, but for now all we can do is watch as Breitling's Squads fly off into the sunset.

 

What was Cool at BaselWorld - Patek Philippe

One of the rare, halfway decent pictures you will find posted by yours truly ; )

This is the 5168G - Aquanaut.  If there was a theme of sorts this BaselWorld, it was the use of green.  And some were better than others, but suffice it to say, the Aquanaut was my personal favorite. 
So it is important to make a few things abundantly clear - I am not a denizen of what the marketers at Patek would consider their demographic.  I have never owned one, and I do not have a towheaded son who will "never actually own my Patek Philippe" either.  I tend to try and maintain my sense of reality and remember what I learned while working behind the counter at Tourneau -
just because I sell expensive watches to the great and good, does not make me one of them.

Having said that, I can certainly appreciate the risk that went into offering a version like this one.  Patek, like Rolex attracts a certain cult of "sameness",  with the excitement being that rare little quirk.  I go to a fair number of events with collectors and enthusiasts, and I have noticed that the fellas (let's be honest, they all tend to be a bit of a sausage fest) don't generally speak in terms of Submariner or Nautilus, they tend to go right for reference numbers.  And I guess that's fair enough.  I have been reading Magnus Walker's book -
URBAN OUTLAW:
Dirt Don't Slow You Down
editor's note - I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!  It is an excellent read and pretty damn inspirational.  I also encourage you to check out Mr. Walker's TED Talk which I shared with my class of English for Banking students.  You can view it here:


Regular Tempus Fugit readers will have no difficulty understanding that I am not likely to be what is known as a "Porsche Person"(not that there's anything wrong with being one), I am pretty risk adverse.  But in reading about Mr. Walker's transformation into perhaps the best-known car ambassador of all times, I was struck by the shared obsession for minutiae among car collectors and watch collectors - it's often all about the reference numbers.  And yes, I realize that we've drifted off topic ; )  But before we return to our regularly scheduled programming - the relationship between Porsche and Mr. Walker reminds me of the relationship between Omega and Robert-Jan Broer.  Wonderfully organic.

So back to the watch, here are the pertinents, straight from Patek Philippe -

Watch

Self-winding mechanical movement. Caliber 324 S C. Date in an aperture. Sweep seconds hand.

Dial

Khaki green embossed, gold applied numerals with luminescent coating.

Case

White gold. Screw-down crown. Sapphire-crystal case back. Water resistant to 120 m. Diameter (10 - 4 o’clock): 42.2 mm. Height: 8.25 mm.

Strap

Composite material, khaki green. Aquanaut fold-over clasp.

What was Cool at BaselWeek - Holthinrichs

I have written previously about Michiel Holthinrichs and his growing brand.  It is a charming story that lends itself well to the idea of a truly "made by hand" watch.  Now it is important to note that while I just said "made by hand", the watches in many ways marry the best of two schools of thought - hand crafted / artisan (yes, I will from time to time use the "A" word), and modern technology through their use of 3D printing.

Apologies for the less-than perfect photo, but by now you've learned that unlike Playboy, you actually do read Tempus Fugit for the articles ; )

But I will "borrow" an image from the Holthinrichs Watches Facebook page to show the same layout, and the dynamic duo behind the brand -

Shamelessly borrowed from the world-wide infoweb

With a new partner/colleague involved in the day to day of Holthinrichs, my suspicion is that they are on the verge of greatness, as the team is well-balanced and focused with equal parts old-timey craftsmanship and pragmatic business sense, my suggestion for the team at Holthinrichs Watches?  Get ready for greatness!

What I Like - Hager Aquamariner Black

Sometimes you get a wee-bit tired of the press releases, and barking and clapping your flippers like a trained seal hoping to get a smelly, slimy fish tossed into your gaping maw.   Sometimes you just want to write about something that you actually like, that actually speaks to you.  

Courtesy of Hager

I would love to tell you that this attraction is rational, based on what the chuckle-heads over at some of the other outlets term the "value proposition".  And by the way, how douchey is that?  It is the ultimate back-handed compliment -

"Hey, your watch doesn't cost much money, and it looks marginally better than that other shitty wrist-bound turd for the same price!  And if I had a shitty job and couldn't do better, then by golly I'd buy it!" 

I guess you get to be the "value proposition" for a smaller retainer than to be a full-blown "dope-assed-watch" with some outlets ; ) 

But I digress...

Back to irrationality - I love the Hager Aquamariner Black for the very reason that it does not tick my usual boxes.  It is a completely and utterly visceral reaction (positive) for me.  I can't explain it with the "Well, for the amount of money spent, divided by the name recognition, multiplied by the jackass factor, this watch scores a..."
So let's dispense with the hyperbole.  I just like it.

Some Henki-lore that might help put this into perspective -
I am not, and have never thought myself to be, a bad-ass.  I am simply a middle aged man that never realized his full potential.  I have no fantasies about punching out a Nazi on the beaches of Normandy.  I do not fantasize about jumping out of airplanes or climbing mountains.  I LIKE room service and clean sheets, I like driving the speed limit, I closely follow the machinations of the local school board (even though I have no children enrolled there).  I entertain no misplaced notions that a watch will transform me into anything other than I am - a middle aged man who never reached his full potential.  

But all that being said?  The Hager Aquamariner Black?  It speaks to me.

Here are the pertinents, straight from the Hager site, and for the record, the retail for this time machine is (I believe) $650 US:

DLC case with a satin finished DLC steel bracelet equipped with a slidelock extension. Uni-directional rotating 60-minuted stainless steel engraved bezel with a black insert. Black dial with luminous silver-tone hands and luminescent dot hour markers. Minute markers around the outer rim.  Automatic hacking movement (Miyota 9015) with a 42 hour power reserve. Date Display at 3 o'clock. Scratch resistant sapphire crystal. Screw down crown with tube.  Solid case back.  Water resistant at 300 meters / 1000 feet. Functions: hour, minute, second.  Case diameter: 41 mm.  Case thickness: 12.75 mm. Lug to Lug: 50mm.  Band width: 22 mm.

What was Cool at BaselWorld - Bereve

This is the Numbers from Bereve.  It was one of the most talked about watches at the fair and drew a great of traffic to the star-crossed incubator pavilion.  

The Numbers is apparently available in either a silver or gold dial, but to be very honest with you, gentle reader, I couldn't really spot the difference, they are both stunners.

Courtesy of Bereve

The case measures 42 mm in diameter and is of stainless steel with a display back.  The movement is from Vaucher, based on the 3002.

Here are the pertinents, in their entirety courtesy of Bereve -

NUMBERS

DIAL: Enamel Grand Feu – Champlevé, twenty colors with Ugo Nespolo’s opera “Numbers”.

CASE: Stainless steel 316 LM, height 14.41 mm, sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating.

DIAMETER: 42 (without crown).

WATER RESISTANCE: 5 ATM (50 meters).

MOVEMENT: Bereve BV02, Vaucher Manufacture 3002 based, self-winding mechanical movement, Adjusted in five positions, double barrel rapid rotation in series, two hands, Fitting of 11 ½”, Thickness of 3.7 mm, 189 components, Flat balance-spring, Tungsten oscillating weight, Ceramic ball-bearing, Incabloc Anti-shock.

JEWELLING: 28 jewels.

POWER RESERVE: 56h.

FREQUENCY: 4 Hz (28’800 A/h).

HAND: Feuille.

INDICATION: Hours and minute.

STRAPS: Handmade blue Louisiana alligator leather.

BUCKLE: Stainless steel 316 LM, custom buckle deployante 
three parts with buttons.