The Suffield FV432 1968 LE Edition

From NOVO Watch -

Courtesy of NOVO Watch

Seeing as it's Canada Day, I'm married to a Canadian, and we were both born in 1968, this time machine seemed like a good one to check out today. For all the sheep out there, the new Tudor release can be found pretty much everywhere 

else ; )

Now for those of you unfamiliar, here is NOVO Watch in their own words -

Who is Novo Watch?

NOVO is a small boutique manufacturer resurrecting historic pieces of material to make beautiful timepieces that tell a story. We are dedicated to preserving the human element in all stages of creation ensuring each and every product has a soul and keeps a physical relationship with the way we once did things; by hand. 

Hand sourced. Hand crafted. Hand engraved. Hand shaped. Hand finished. Hand painted. Hand made in Canada.

So there you have it. And the Suffield FV432 is a pretty fair embodiment of this ethos.

Courtesy of NOVO Watch

You get a watch full of history that not everyone will have (see note on Tudor above), and in this particular case there is a nice bit of giving back -

With each purchase of the Suffield $100 will be donated to Wounded Warriors Canada (or Wounded Warrior Project in the USA).

In so far as this specific model and where it's repurposed parts come from, I am again going to let NOVO Watch tell it in their own words -

Hand sourced. Hand crafted. Hand engraved. Hand shaped. Hand finished. Hand painted.

This unique piece of 1968 history built to protect and save the lives of men and women travelled the globe in its endeavours. In the 80’s it began service with the oldest tank unit in the world- the 1st Royal Tank Regiment (1 RTR) of the British Army. It finally came to rest in Ralston, Alberta, Canada as part of the live fire training exercises conducted by the British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS). What was once a Fighting Vehicle (FV432) has been repurposed into the live edge dial of this timepiece to continue its heroic endeavours alongside you. 

The strap is equally unique. It is made from a vintage Royal Air Force (RAF) GQ 60 ft. utility parachute deployment bag. This was an issued stock item and not war reserved. It was serviced at RAF Hullavington, Wiltshire and dispatched to 47 Air Dispatch, RAF Lyneham for deployment from C-130 Hercules of RAF Support Command for heavy drop. It has four layers, bonded together with flexible polymer, making it waterproof, strong and probably one of the most pliable canvas straps available. Stitched in a light coloured thread with two canvas keepers, it is made to fray and wear slightly over time.

With each purchase of the Suffield $100 will be donated to Wounded Warriors Canada (or Wounded Warrior Project in the USA).

FV432 facts: 

• National Stock Number (NSN) - 2350998932406
• Equipment Registration Mark (ERM) - 04FA82 
• Manufactured in 1967/1968 in Redditch, Worcestershire, England.
• July 1, 1969 began service
• April 2, 1985 joined 1 RTR as a support vehicle for the Chieftain battle tank
• Serviced in Wetter, Germany December 1976 
• Serviced outside Dorthmund, Germany November 1990
• January 18, 1992 transferred to BATUS to be used as a target for the British Army during live-fire training
• The 1 RTR was forged in the adversity of WWI and is the oldest tank unit in the world. It has been deployed on all major conflicts since the end of WWII earning a reputation for fearlessness and professionalism. As part of the regimen for 5 years this FV432 probably rubbed shoulders with some of the best tanks and tankers of our time. 
• FV432APCs are the Swiss Army knife of vehicles as they can be converted into infantry, recovery or command vehicles, 81mm mortar carriers and ambulances using installation kits. Being fit for turrets is also a possibility. 

Timepiece Details:

• Movement: ETA 6498-1 with options of standard finishing or hand-engraved finishing
• Edition: Limited Edition of 15, individual numbered pieces x/15.
• Functions: Manually wound, 18,000 beats/hour, 46 hour power reserve, hours, minutes, sweeping second hand at the 5, incabloc shock protection.
• Case: Hand-shaped Stainless Steel, 42mm (not including crown), 9.6mm height. 
• Caseback: Hand-shaped Stainless Steel, secured by 4 stainless steel screws.
• Dial: Machine-stamped Live edge of the actual FV432. The machine we use is a vintage manual machine from the production floor of Patek Philippe. We can only hope our dials will live up to the ones stamped before them.
• Hands: Hand-finished White hour and minute hands. White second hand.
• Front Crystal: Sapphire
• Back Crystal: Sapphire
• Water Resistance: 5ATM
• Band: Hand-made Repurposed military deployment bag. See full description above in the second paragraph.
• Packaging: Hand-made Custom cherry box. Made in Canada.
• Warranty: 2 Year Warranty
• Guarantee: We offer a one week compliment guarantee. If someone doesn’t love your watch within one week of wearing it…you’ve probably never left your house.
• Build Time: Ships in 3-5 weeks
• Love Time: Approx. forever. Actually, forever.