The BR 03-92 RED RADAR

From Bell & Ross -

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

This is a new interpretation of the Red Radar which originally debuted in 2011.  

Limited to 999 pieces, here are the penitents -

Movement:

Automatic mechanical. Functions: hours, minutes and seconds.

Case:

42 mm in width. Matte black ceramic.

Dial: 

black. Center minute disc and outer hour disc with small red aircraft markings. Red painted seconds hand.

Crystal: 

sapphire with red anti-reflective coating and red painted numerals and indices.

Water-resistance: 

100 metres.

Strap: 

black rubber and ultra-resilient black synthetic fabric.

Buckle: 

pin. Steel with black PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) finish.

The 10th Anniversary of the Golden Bridge Automatic

From Corum - 

Courtesy of Corum

To mark an impressive 10 year run, Corum is releasing a very special edition.  It is available in four different iterations, but for me the above model is "best in show".

GOLDEN BRIDGE AUTOMATIC  

B313/04279 - 313.200.86/0F01 HS15

The Tonneau-shaped case measures 37.20 x 51.80 mm, with a thickness of 13.70 mm.
The main case is of black DLC treated grade 5 titanium. The crown and lug horns are of 5N 18k rose gold. Under the hood is the CO 313, a self-winding (Automatic) movement featuring 40 hours of power reserve.

This particular version is limited to 150 pieces. 

Happy Anniversary Hager Watches!

It seems, in a way, quite fitting that Tempus Fugit and Hager Watches both got their start in the same year. I have worn and reviewed (I believe) everything in the Hager collection with the exception of the original Commando.  

Now before we go further, I want to be clear that I am what would (in less cynical times) be what you would call a friend of the brand, and Hager is definitely a friend of Tempus Fugit. I am predisposed to like what they make, but owing to five years of friendship, I can be honest with the owner - Pierre Brown, and he can be honest with me. 

This is the latest offering from Hager, the long awaited 10th anniversary Commando model. I apologize for the "quick" photo without a full "wipe down", but in truth Hager does not make show ponies. They make watches to be worn. 

And as with previous models, it features Hager's ratcheting clasp -

I will be back with full specs, and some feedback in a day or so.  

Ten years has flown by for Hager, and it all started with this -

Courtesy of Hager Watches

What I've Learned - The 10th Anniversary Edition

So irony of ironies, the 10th Anniversary of Tempus Fugit arrived while I was busy writing grant proposals and ironing out budgeting issues at my day job! But I have had some time to think about this one, and as the odometer has officially flipped on ten years, here we go -

What I've Learned Covering the Watch Business:

The Real Meaning of Friend of the BRAND -
There really is no such thing. You might be a friend of a sales rep, you might be a friend of the marketing folks, but there is no relationship with the brand other than the one you ascribe in your own mind. Friend of the Brand gets bandied around by pr agency representatives as a palliative to make you not feel like such a loser while you are forced to wait beyond your appointment time in the reception area while someone from one of the bigger outlets is enjoying sushi with the CEO and head of PR in the big room. Don't get me wrong, I have made some very good friends in the business who I am still in touch with after they've moved on to other brands and even to other industries. But you will learn, in time, that the majority of relationships you have with brands are transactional. Keep that in mind, and you'll never be disappointed.

The REVOLUTION is, for the most part, over -
Ultimately, there is not a lot left to be discovered. Let me re-phrase that so I don't sound like such a "Henki-Raincloud". What I mean is that the days of wonder and amazement have probably gone the way of the rock-star CEO. There was only one Ludwig Oechslin, and without Rolf Schnyder to partner with him and coax out the Freak, or the Trilogy of Time he is the part owner of ochs und junior.  Nothing wrong with that, but while it would be wonderful to have him come back with another extreme complication, it does not seem highly likely. The Corum Bubble has not necessarily burst, but a lot of the air has been let out of it. The Big Bang has seen its day, and AP can only make so many reiterations of the Royal Oak.


A Cult of Personality might work in North Korea, but not so much in the watch business -
On the real side, Blancpain could not have been done by anyone other than Biver. And in fairness, Hublot went as far as he could carry it on his back. But even the sheer force of will that Biver brought to bear on Zenith could not really turn the tide. Inevitably, in the words of that other great commentator on watches, Chuck Yeager as played by Sam Shepard in The Right Stuff -
"Sometimes you get a pooch that can't be screwed, ya know?"

I guess my point is this - you don't really see Thierry Stern or Jean-Frederic Dufour mugging with "celebrity chums" at movie premieres and red velvet rope events. For a brand to really truly endure, it has to be more than just the face of the current boss. Patek and Rolex will continue to be here, continue to set the tone for everyone else. Zenith, among others, needs to resolve its revolving identity crisis, make a decision about who and what they are, and stick with it for more than 6 months at a time.

"My Friend" is still not so subtle code for "You Asshole" -
I still stand by this, and after more than 10 years my belief in this reality is stronger than ever.

Sincere gratitude is scarcer than a NIB vintage Daytona -
1. If you are writing for pay? Make sure you get paid.
2. If you are writing for personal pleasure and satisfaction? Then only you can provide that for yourself.
3. If you are writing with the hopes of praise and thanks? Refer back to points 1 and 2 or cease and desist.

Rich, famous, important people are a lot less interesting when you finally meet them -

Little known bit of Henki lore, my father was a country club manager. Translation? He worked so that the more well-heeled could play. I worked in the locker room of the club, my first job working as a shoe shine guy. Believe it or not, in the 70s and 80s, there was an actual industry based upon shining the shoes of rich people while they walked around a park-like environment, drinking beer and whacking small white balls. Rich people, famous people? They are people. George Steinbrenner was a titan of industry and master manipulator. I can tell you from personal experience, his shoes smelled just as awful as those worn by an orthodontist, dermatologist or mid-level auto executive's. The one thing all four of these guys had in common? They were shitty tippers.

I have met some of the big swinging dicks of the industry. It is all too often underwhelming.

When anyone tells you how amazing you are and how "just as soon as you take advertising, we're in!" this person should be taken with about as much seriousness as you would take the drunk person asking for $3 on the commuter train so that they can "buy a healthy snack" -
We all say a lot of highly dubious stuff when we've been drinking. That's why your wife/husband/partner learns over the years to apply the bullshit filter. Make sure you do the same, it will spare you a fair amount of frustration and disappointment.

When you have made it clear by your actions and writing that you are predisposed to write nice things about a brand, and said brand treats you with a fair amount of disdain? Take it on the heel and toe. Love needs to be reciprocal -

I find it ironic looking back that the first brand I ever wrote about here was NOMOS, and that last year they invited me on a press trip, assured me it was arranged, and then when I wrote to follow-up 3 weeks prior to the travel date, I was informed that I was "uninvited", no explanation, and some bullshit about the trip being "overbooked", which was false as at least one invitee had declined the invitation and I knew that they were scrambling to fill the space - apparently (and specifically) not with me ; )
Well then, NOMOS, fuck you very much.

Brands are made up of people. The brand does not exist without the people. If a brand has good people - I will do ALL that I can. If a brand has people that just don't care? Why should I care about them?

I get the odd comment - "I thought you were a fan of Brand A". Well, I have come to learn that brands are made of people. It's not as if the founders of Girard-Perregaux are going to make a special appearance in the physical world to tour me around the factory. The brand? The brand is the people who work there. So put it in another context - do you like spending time with people who treat you poorly? Of course you don't. Molly Ringwald's entire career was based on this notion. A watch is an inanimate object. It can't speak for itself. A brand is not simply products. A brand is the people who make those products, and share that message.

Brand ambassadors are about as worthwhile as what you wipe your backside with -

There is a reason why Hitler, Stalin and Pol Pot are not mentioned as customers of Brand X.
Churchill, Napoleon, Lindbergh? All flawed, all now "ambassadors" from the great beyond. Well, they won, didn't they? They were all flawed, all had baggage. But they are a whole lot more palatable. Question - do you think that the Mario Batali Ernst Benz is a big seller right now?
Sorry, too soon?

A brand ambassador will not be there with you when they turn out the lights and escort you out of your now former office. A former brand that was "ALL IN" can attest to that.

Remember everyone you meet when times are good. You will see them again on your way back down -
It is inevitable to fail. The trick is not to make a habit of it. More importantly? Don't be a jackass when times are good. Sooner or later, it is likely you will fail. By and large, most of us want to help people and offer our support. That is, of course, presuming that person behaved, well, like a person when times were good ; )

Don't fake the funk -
Because in the immortal words of that other great commentator on the watch industry Daryl Dawkins:
“When everything is said and done there is nothing left to do or say.”

Would You Believe It?

I missed it!  I missed Tempus Fugit's 10th Birthday!

The first official post ever was (actually) on June 29th, 2010 - and you can read it here -

Where It All Begins

Courtesy of NOMOS

Time is fleeting. To measure it is a nearly futile protest against its inevitable forward momentum. How do we measure time? The folks at Nomos have been good enough to share some images and some stories. The watch pictured above is the Nomos Tangente. I have always been obsessed by this watch. Beyond the obvious - i.e. the design, I had always found the name quite evocative - Tangente. I had always believed that the name had a design reference. As if Mies himself had lent a hand (albeit from the great beyond) in the design of this great watch. It was only many years later when traveling through Switzerland with my German speaking boss that it was explained to me. The name Tangente had nothing to do with design. In fact, the Tangente was named for the roadways that you must travel in your car on a daily basis in Germany. At first I was a bit bummed out. But then I thought about the genius of this name. I have been smiling ever since.

What Moves Me?

It is actually pretty trippy to think that it was now 10 years ago when the idea to start Tempus Fugit popped into my fevered, bat riddled brain.  I started this blog because I loved watches.  And in truth, Wendy was pretty tired of my waxing on and on at the dinner table.

Ten years on, I still love watches.  I am, perhaps, less enamored of some of the big swinging dicks who stride the halls of Watch Town, and as the Aluminum anniversary of Tempus Fugit approaches, I thought I would let you, gentle reader, crawl into my head and share with you from three categories:

1.  My favorite brands - 10
2.  My favorite people in the watch business - 10
3.  My 10 "dream watches".  These are the ten watches that I have always wanted to own, and in all honesty, they might surprise you.

Now the irony of this egomaniacal stroll down memory lane is not lost on me.  But in fairness?  It's my blog, and I can indulge myself this once ; )

11 Days Left In Our 10th Anniversary Fundraiser!

There are 11 days left in our 10th Anniversary fundraiser!

Please consider supporting us and buy a Tempus Fugit T-Shirt for $15 -
Support Tempus Fugit!

https://www.customink.com/fundraising/help-support-tempus-fugit-on-our-tenth-anniversary
It was June 29, 2010 when Tempus Fugit started with this post on the NOMOS Tangente - Where It All Begins

And believe me, given my current opinion of the communications/pr brain trust in Berlin by way of Glashütte, the irony of NOMOS being the very first post for Tempus Fugit is not lost on me ; )

While I had worked in the watch industry for some time, there was a lot to learn about how other brands and their teams worked.  I would say that for 8 years, the NOMOS media team were polite, and professional.  In the last 2 years?  Well, let's just say that the watch makers at NOMOS make a very fine watch. And the still fairly new Berlin based communications team and North American office?  
Probably the less said the better.

Tempus Fugit

"10 Jahre Defakto Uhren Manufaktur"

Yes, 10 years of Defakto goodness!

Courtesy of Defakto

Had an interesting conversation about watches, writing about them and what attracts us to them.  I have been a fan of Defakto since Jump Street.  Another generation of the Ickler family continuing in the family business, but in his own way, with his own vision.  And he's also a pretty nice guy!

This is the 10th anniversary edition of the Eins.  The Eins was one of the very first watches that I reviewed when I began this horological writing adventure back in 2010, so it seems sort of fitting to be writing about it again now.  

This piece is available in stainless (above), and three other versions with different PVD finishes -

Courtesy of Defakto

A gold and black finish (above)

Courtesy of Defakto

 A black PVD and steel (Above)

Courtesy of Defakto

And an all black version (Above)

Priced quite reasonably, the entry point is the all stainless which weighs in at:

720,00 EUR (incl. VAT)
605,04 EUR (excl. VAT)

Here are the pertinents -

Limited Edition "10 Years Defakto" 

one-hand watch

Special Engraving: 

"10 Jahre Defakto Uhren Manufaktur", 

running number

Special Edition handmade packaging - 10 Years Defakto Watch Manufactory

Three-piece 42 mm stainless steel case (316L), brushed 42 mm x 51 mm x 9,8 mm, weight 67 g

Also available in three different PVD finishes.

Automatic movement ETA 2824-2, made in Switzerland

Engraved see-through case back, (316L), brushed, sapphire crystal

Matte black dial, fluorescent indexes

Matte skeletonized hand, fluorescent

Ergonomic clasp with engraved Defakto Logo

Sapphire crystal, anti reflective

German-made Defakto cowhide Strap

Water resistant to 5 atm

Made in Pforzheim, Germany

Ten Years Later

The Manometro from Giuliano Mazzuoli.

Courtesy of Giuliano Mazzuoli

This is a limited edition created in honor of the tenth anniversary of the Manometro. 

There will be 120 pieces which if the press release is anything to go on correlates to 10 years multiplied by 12 months.

The case is of stainless steel, measuring 45 mm in diameter.  It is water resistant to 50 meters and houses ETA's 2824-2 self-winding movement.  The dial is a sort of cream color with the limited edition number printed in the bottom quadrant.  Giuliano Mazzuoli's signature can be found on the right hand side of the case between the lug and the crown spanning from approximately 4 o'clock to nearly 2 o'clock.