The BR 01 Cyber Skull

From Bell & Ross - 

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

This little nugget dropped this AM from the nice folks in Paris / CT.

This version of the Skull marks the latest iteration of the Skull's talisman connection to Bell & Ross and the BR 01, which first came out in 2009 with the BR 01 Skull. This bronze version is limited to 500 pieces.

Here are the pertinents:

Movement:
BR-CAL.210. Manufacture. Hand-wound mechanical.


Functions:
hours and minutes. Moving skull jawbone when wound by hand.


Case:
45 mm x 46.7 mm. 13.70 mm thick. Satin-finished and polished CuSn8 bronze. Sapphire and CuAI7Si2 bronze case- back.


Dial:
skeletonised. Rose gold-plated brass skull (or bronze- coloured skull). Gilt metal skeletonised Super-LumiNova®- filled hour and minute hands. Balance at 12 o’clock.


Crystal:
sapphire with anti-reflective coating


Water Resistance:
50 metres.


Strap:
Black Rubber


Buckle:
pin. Satin-finished and polished CuAI7Si2 bronze.

This is a pre-order watch (only) and will start delivering in February.
The price of admission is $11,400.00

The Mido Ocean Star GMT Limited Edition for Hodinkee

Now before you even say it - YES, I know! This was released some time ago and covered in a few different outlets, so how on earth could this be "breaking" news worthy of the title: Bulldog Edition?

Courtesy of Hodinkee and Mido

Well, as is my relationship with Mido writ large - It's complicated...

Former readers of my outhouse journal will be reminded that Mido and Henki have a long history dating all the way back to when I "dropped" back in 1968 - in fact one day prior. My father was given a gold-filled Mido Ocean Star -

Courtesy of Yours' Truly

This was back in the days where a guy didn't probably have a "collection", he had a watch. And because he didn't have a cell phone with a clock, or a computer, etc., he depended on that watch to ensure he got everywhere on time. Needless to say, things have changed. But one thing that hasn't is the sense of longing many of us feel as time moves relentlessly forward. If we are lucky, we long for those happy memories that helped frame a simpler (for us, if not our parents) time. Obviously not every moment of every childhood is treasured, or even remembered. And even those that are remembered are often blurred with age. 

Courtesy of Hodinkee and Mido

Although it was certainly no "show-pony", my family Mido was not something terribly robust, particularly as it approached the half-century mark. So I have always had my eye half-peeled for a heartier time machine. But my criteria was clearly a bit skewed - I wanted it to have a vintage vibe including the original script font Mido logo, but I wanted it to be modern size and spec. And although I have plumped for a Mido Commander Shade, I didn't really want a reedition. While Mido did come out with another Ocean Star not so long ago, I have to be honest that the dial was a wee bit busy for me. But patience is sometimes rewarded. And this appeals to me because while it has design cues dating back to earlier days, it is not an homage in the purest sense. To the best of my knowledge Mido never made a GMT dive watch.

Courtesy of Hodinkee and Mido

So while this is a limited edition, and while it may well be sold out before I pull the trigger, it is something that I wanted to share. I realize that it will not be for everyone, and that is a good thing. There is something to be said for picking for yourself, rather than following the crowd.

Courtesy of Hodinkee and Mido

The Mido Ocean Star GMT Limited Edition for Hodinkee comes in a very nice bit of packaging, and includes 2 additional straps all sporting quick spring bars. It is available through Hodinkee's online store.

Here are the pertinents -

• Model: The Mido Ocean Star GMT Limited Edition For Hodinkee
• Reference: M026.829.11.051.00
• Function: Time, GMT, Date
• Material: Stainless steel
• Dimensions: 40.5mm diameter; 13.43mm thickness
• Crystal: Sapphire
• Caseback: Stainless steel with Hodinkee Limited Edition and xxx/999 engraved
• Dial: Black
• Lume: SuperLuminova
• Caliber: Caliber 80 C07.661
• Power Reserve: 80 Hours
• Water Resistance: 200 M
• Bracelet/Strap: Steel mesh, Brown Leather, Two-piece Nylon
• Lug Width: 21mm

Before we get started, a "playful" definition of kitsch, per the Urban Dictionary -

kitsch

As an art movement, lifestyle, or literature and film genre, kitsch is pleasingly distasteful. It's melodramatic, overdone, gaudy and tacky or sentimental and folksy. It's so bad that it's cool. Your cat might attack it, but it's hot. 
And, no, Martha Stewart and Jerry Springer are NOT bad enough to be kitsch. At all. Paris and Nicole though...

You're looking rather kitschy today, your grandma's neckace is hot. 
I saw an awesome Andy Warhol knockoff at the galley yesterday, it was so kitsch. I couldn't get it though, I didn't have the cash. *sounds dissappointed*

by Avant-Garde Hero August 15, 2004

Courtesy of Wikipedia

It goes without saying (or at least it should) that art, design, and other creative endeavors are subjective. One person's trash is another's treasure, or so it's been said. My very first serious watch was a yellow dialed Omega Speedmaster chronograph - the Schumacher Racing edition (which also came in a red version). Needless to say, it was a bold choice back in 1997. But I loved that watch. I bought it at a jeweler in Turku, Finland with the extra money I got from tutoring the children of a Saudi family who were studying at St. Andrews that summer. A lot of people thought it was a bit much, but I didn't care.

Courtesy of the Velveteria collection in Black Velvet Masterpieces

Over the years there have been several instances where the envelope has been pushed in terms of design, color palette, and co-brand partners. And in many ways this is a positive thing as it ensures that many different voices can and will be heard.

But when creative roars past kitsch and takes the express lane to, well, slightly tacky? Invariably, the protagonists will crow about how they are "challenging the status quo!" While that's as maybe, I am reminded of a quote from the past that seems universally applicable, but particularly so in this instance -

"Just because you can, doesn't mean you should". 

Ultimately it is for the final customer to determine whether or not they want to paddle out and ride a new wave. The hope is, as ever, that the item will sell. But to simply slap on emoticons to pre-existing designs is not really what I (personally) would consider ground breaking or inclusive or disruptive. 

It's a gag. 

Don't get me wrong, gags can be fun. And let's hope for the sake of every gag loving watch project out there that the customers respond - and hopefully do so in a positive manner. Because if they don't, those once whimsical endeavors tend to linger around and start to smell like a houseguest after three days...

It's Been A Minute...

Ladies and gentleman, it is my sincere pleasure to introduce you the Henki Time - The Bulldog Edition

www.henkitime.com

As former regular readers will know, I handed the keys to Tempus Fugit to a new owner nearly a year ago. And while that may or may not have been the right decision for me, I respect the new owner/ owners efforts and wish them well.

With that said, I found that I was (more often than not) reading a lot of the same thing in virtually every outlet. And I had enough kind messages from both brands and readers that I thought it might be time to fly a new flag, and thus I welcome you to Henki Time - the Bulldog Edition.

What the hell is a bulldog edition?

For those of you unfamiliar, a bulldog edition harkens back to the old days of the newspaper business. A "bulldog edition" was an early (or even earliest) edition of the newspaper on a given morning. Large scale events would necessitate that newspaper publishers create whole entire editions to accommodate breaking news. Yes young people, there was a time before cable news and the internet...

So what are we covering? New releases, interviews, industry news. And we will be diving a bit beyond just watches, so we encourage you to check in from time to time.

So, don't call it a comeback ; )

I look forward to continuing the conversation!

Henki

North Shore, MA, USA

January 19, 2023