Jumping The Shark... with Vulcain

Per the Urban Dictionary -

jump-the-shark

The beginning of the end. Something is said to have "jumped the shark" when it has reached its peak and begun a downhill slide to mediocrity or oblivion. It's said to have been coined by Jon Hein, who has a web site, jumptheshark.com, and now a book detailing examples, especially as applied to TV shows. It supposedly refers to an episode of the TV show "Happy Days" in which Fonzie jumps over a shark on water skis, which Hein believes was the point at which the series had lost its touch and was beginning to grasp at straws.

Courtesy of Vulcain

I visited the Vulcain workshop four different times while I was working on my book about the Vulcain Cricket and the Presidents of the United States. The CEO during that time period was Carla Duarte. She provided invaluable assistance in pulling together the loose threads. I mention this, because there is an alternative narrative being shamelessly pushed as to who the CEO of Vulcain was at that time. But as has been said about other instances of the use of alternative facts, "a lie will travel around the world before the truth has got its boots on".

But back to the matter at hand. This is the latest effort to get something more out of a limited resource. And once again, it does not appear that the juice is worth the squeeze.

Think I'm being unfair? Let's just say that the various other special / limited edition Vulcain Crickets have finally worked their way through the grey and light grey markets after more than a few years of lingering around. And now another fever dream has popped up. 

Courtesy of Vulcain

This is the Cricket Titane. The case and a few parts of the movement are of titanium. The dial is described as "Flat Guilloché-Effect Dial: White printing, silver-tone indexes". I think that's a round about way of saying the dial is meant to look like something more than it is. And fair enough.

Courtesy of Vulcain

Limited to 100 pieces, and bargain priced at a mere $7,670 here are the pertinents:

HANDS: Hour and Minute Hands: Polished blue, seconds hands, polished black, Alarm Hand, Polished black
CASE: Titanium case with titanium bezel and saphire crystals
CASE-BACK: Sapphire exhibition caseback
DIAL: Flat Guilloché-Effect Dial: White printing, silver-tone indexes
DIAMETER: 33.30 mm
THICKNESS: 1.10 mm
GLASS: Anti-reflective crystal
WATER RESISTANCE: 5 ATM
DIMENSIONS: 39 mm
BUCKLE: Solid 316L stainless steel
MOVEMENT: Manufactured V14 Titanium Cricket, Geneva stripes decoration, blued steel screws
FUNCTIONS: Hours, minutes and seconds, alarm
FREQUENCY: 18'000 2,5 HZ
POWER RESERVE: 52 Hours