The BWD Badgerworks Coffee Edition!
This is the BWD X Badgerworks TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 5 with Tropical Coffee Dial. And while it might not be everyone's cup of coffee, I have to say that it hits all of the visceral buttons for me.
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| Courtesy of Bamford Watch Department, The Black Badger and TAG Heuer |
Where to begin? If you're like me, you've been percolating away during lockdown. The drip, drip, drip of new watch news bottled up like the clogged porta-filter of a La Marzocco 4-head after the morning rush. The snark and sarcasm frothing up, ready to pour out, and then...
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| Courtesy of The Black Badger, Bamford Watch Department and TAG Heuer |
The erstwhile James Thompson who is more widely known by his nom de lume -The Black Badger decided to team up with Bamford Watch Department once again and serve up this visceral triple-shot that hit me like a two-by-four of caffeinated goodness this AM.
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| Courtesy of The Black Badger, Bamford Watch Department and TAG Heuer |
A watch, is a watch, is a watch...
Until it isn't. This isn't... just a watch. And maybe for me it's a bit more of a personal connection. Not unlike Mr. Thompson, I once decamped North America and headed east. For Wendy and me the destination was Finland, first Turku, and then Helsinki. And one of the best memories I have is the handful of cafes along the Esplanade. The espresso machines looked as if they might have been hold overs from the Winter War, the counters were aged, the tables highly polished, the atmosphere? If I could have moved my bed in and they would accept cats? I never would have left.
It goes deeper for me, at a time when I'd been cast out of my high flying job in San Francisco, I found a second chance as a Starbucks store manager at one of the few stores that did not have one of the sexy, new fully automated machines. Yes gentle reader, I could field strip a commercial grade La Marzocco 4-head and re-assemble it blindfolded. Coffee has been a constant in terms of comfort and security for me. But hey, enough about Henki-Lore, let's get back to the watch -
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| Courtesy of The Black Badger, Bamford Watch Department and TAG Heuer |
The dial is a riff on the much sought after tropical dial. Essentially a black dial that has been aged and faded by light until it has taken on more of a brown hue. And while I know there is a certain smug group of bearded fellas who favor tweed jackets and other group-think affectations who will wax lyrical about history, provenance, craft... oh, sorry, dozed off there! I guess my point is that there is nothing wrong with appreciating the past, but as that other great commentator on the watch business, Barry Hearn would remind us - life moves forward.
I love the adaptation of ground coffee to help create the dial. It seems so obvious in hindsight, but probably the last thing most would think of.
To quote another great commentator on watches, Samuel L. Jackson as Jules in Pulp Fiction -
"Mmmm! Goddamn, Jimmie! This is some serious gourmet shit! Usually, me and Vince would be happy with some freeze-dried Taster's Choice right, but he springs this serious GOURMET shit on us!" |
| Courtesy of The Black Badger, Bamford Watch Department and TAG Heuer |
Not just any coffee was used to achieve the dial's finish. None other than Cafe da Matteo provided the coffee for the dials. If you ever find yourselves in Göteborg post lockdown, check them out - https://damatteo.se
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| Courtesy of Cafe da Matteo |
The watch itself is Tag Heuer's Carrera Calibre 5, but thanks to the Black Badger and Bamford Watch Department, it is so much more!
and limited to 20 pieces.
Here are the pertinents -
Technical information:
Model: Carrera Calibre 5.
Type: Automatic Watch
Movement: Tag Heuer Calibre 5 *Sellita SW-220-1)
Power Reserve: 38 Hours.
Case Material: Stainless Steel finished with light grey Military Grade Titanium Coating (MGTC)
Case Diameter: 41mm.
Case Thickness: 13.45mm
Case Back: Stainless Steel with Sapphire Display back.
Water Resistant: 10ATM - 100m.
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