Tempus Fugit - There and Back

As you are cruising through life, you have to take a moment every now and then and reflect on not only where you're trying to go, but where you've been.

A little over twenty five years ago Wendy and I were living and working in Helsinki, Finland. We had met in Japan as foreign English teachers, and living and working overseas for nearly 10 years. We were teaching English at the time, and I had unwittingly started a second career in the watch business. It was a seed that was planted and would germinate for 3 years, coming to bloom when I started at Tourneau in San Francisco.

Although I taught, I was also responsible for recruiting, hiring, and managing English teachers to come to Finland to work. This required a fair bit of travel, so to some extent Tintin, that globe-trotting journalist became my "guardo camino". And that travel took me through Heathrow's international terminal more times than I can count. One of the things that caught my eye on my last trip through on my way to San Francisco was a display featuring Alain Silberstein's watches. It was January, 2000 and that image stayed with me. It's important to note, while the internet certainly existed, it was nowhere near the evolved communication tool it has become. So I filed the image away. 

So a bit about this picture -

On my last official business trip to San Francisco, I was referred to a job that seemed to fit my skill set & experience. It was Martin Luther King Jr. day, and the day after I went to a small mom & pop copy shop on Market Street that opened early - I was there at 6:15 AM. I  rented some computer time (remember, it was 2000), typed up a resume, printed two copies and faxed one to the hiring manager. I had one interview the next day (Wednesday), and a follow-up interview with one of the owners that Friday.

I returned to Finland, and waited for what seemed to be an interminable amount time (in hindsight I think it was about 10 days), and got the call. I had been offered the job, and the owners wanted to fly Wendy and I to San Francisco for a week for a bit of a "getting to know you" visit. On our last day in San Francisco, we visited Globe-Trotter (a wonderful store on Sutter street that sold Tintin goods among other things). Sadly the store has long since closed, but 25 years ago they had a booming business and wonderful selection - including the tie you see in the photo above. Wendy got it for me as a Valentine's Day gift that year.

As for the watch? Pretty fitting that 25 years later, I was able to finally become the steward of one of Mr. Silberstein's signature pieces. It has clearly been worn and loved by at least two previous care givers, but for me that just adds to the charm. 25 years is a long time, more than a quarter of a life for most, but in many ways it passed in an instant. 

I leave you with a quote from that other great commentator on watches (and life) Matthew Broderick as Ferris Bueller -

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it".

Enjoy your watches!

Closing The Circle - The Pitko

A bit more about me...

In the late 90s Wendy and I were living and working in Finland. My job had evolved and I was traveling to London a few times a year. And one time coming through Heathrow, I laid eyes on an Alain Silberstein watch. For the youngsters out there, it is important to impart the fact that the internet was not yet the highly evolved information/communication conduit that it has become. Around this time I had a Nokia Communicator -

Image: Arne Dedert/dpa/picture alliance

Suffice it to say, this was not the age where you could simply Google something, jump on a forum, or go to a "trusted" online watch news outlet (yes, that last one was a bit of sarcasm).

So from 1998 through 2011 Alain Silberstein and his watches were more of a construct for me than an actual thing I had seen in person. In 2011 I went to my first BaselWorld as a journalist. And on my last day there, who should be sitting at the bar next to me in the Palace than Mr. Silberstein himself! I introduced myself, asked him if an interview might be possible, he said sure. We exchanged cards, I reached out, and got the first of several "I am busy, but soon" replies. This went on for about a year, and then it would appear that Alain Silberstein, as a brand, was no longer.

Fast forward to 2015, and I found myself in Besançon, France -

This was something that I never expected to see, but it hit the reset button on my now full-blown Alain Silberstein obsession.

Fast forward again, nearly 10 years later and a friend reached out, letting me know that his Alain Silberstein Pitko was available. Decisions were quickly made, a trade was agreed, and a little over a week later it was on my wrist -

It came as just the watch head only, so I made a temporary swap from my stockpile of straps, while I look for a more long-term solution.

To be sure, this is a watch that has clearly had a few owners. It has some minor scratches, no box or papers. But to me it is perfect. And in many ways it sums up over 25 years of an unrequited crush.

I have had 2 Omega Speedmasters, 2 Seamasters, a Rolex Explorer and Date, even a Panerai B series. But this? This is most absolutely top of the heap.

Life is a long time, and I have been through several ups and downs since that stopover in London. But there is something to be said for that visceral feeling that just the right watch can give you!

I've Been Hit by the KAAOS Hammer!

In a good way ; )

In the blog formerly known as Tempus Fugit, I have written a bunch about Stepan Sarpaneva. From the time I first pushed my bloggy-wog out into the world, he has always been generous with his time, patient and more than accommodating. His Sarpaneva moon-phase watches have no equal, and I still hold out hope that I can convince him to do a Kalevala themed watch some day ; )

Now a bit about me, I am not fabulously wealthy. I do not see a watch that I fancy, and capriciously grab for my credit card, as much as I might want to. I make considered choices, and I save until I am able to make the purchase. And truth be told, I have not really seen much of anything that has turned my crank. 

Until now.

Courtesy of S.U.F Helsinki

This is the KAAOS KUURA. And to quote that other great commentator on watches, Cosmo Kramer from Seinfeld -

I know, that sounds like a lot of hyperbolic spouting from the most cynical commentator in Watch Town, but I stand by my statement.

Not unlike when chocolate's hyper-collision with peanut butter gave us the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, the KAAOS field watches have filled a hole in my watch loving self that I did not know existed. I have always loved Stepan Sarpaneva's iconography, in particular his now eponymous moon -

Courtesy of Sarpaneva

And his watches are beyond beautiful. But going back to economics, while his Sarpaneva watches are absolutely worth every Euro (or Finn Marka), they are not necessarily within everyone's reach. Nor should they be ; ) 

But with that said, it is a wonderful thing when something you have obsessed about - a Sarpaneva moon phase watch - is suddenly within your means!

But more importantly, while the Sarpaneva moon and a moon phase indicator are nods to his namesake brand, the KAAOS remains true to the S.U.F ethos and identity. This is not a show-pony. It is a true field watch, something you could wear pretty much anywhere at any time.

Courtesy of S.U.F Helsinki

The KAAOS is available in 3 different dial colors with further options for the moon phase indication color. Purple (Kaarki) above. Black (Hiili) below -

Courtesy of S.U.F Helsinki

And my personal favorite, the white dialed Kuura with blue moon phase indicator -

Courtesy of S.U.F Helsinki

The blue indicator and hands on the white face reminds me of the Finnish flag, and takes me back to four of the happier years my wife and I spent overseas when we lived in Turku and Helsinki in the 90s.

If you are as intrigued as me, here are the pertinents, straight from downtown Helsinki -

TECHNICAL SPECS

Movement
Modified Swiss Soprod A10 Calibre, 11.5 lines, 28800 vph (4 Hz) - in-house phases of the moon complication
Mechanical Automatic winding
Hours, Minutes,Seconds and Phases of the Moon ( 29.5 days )
25 jewels
42 Hours power reserve
Rhodium plated, Perlage & Côtes de Genève Finishing
Every movement has been thoroughly checked, correctly oiled and regulated at our Helsinki Gable factory workshop

Case
Outokumpu Stainless Steel from Finland (SUPRA 316L/4435)
Case size: 38.7 mm
Case thickness: 9.4 mm
Lug to lug length: 46.4 mm
Water-resistant to 10 ATM
Open caseback

Dial
Frosted silver dial
Stepan Sarpaneva Scandi-noir typeform numerals in grey print
‘Railroad’ minutes track in grey print
Painted Superluminova indexes
Three color options for the moon phase indicator, hand painted with Superluminova: White, Blue or Orange
Polished Blued steel hands with Superluminova
Blued steel Lollipop design seconds hand with Superluminova

Strap
Leather: Black - Nordic elk
18mm Sarpaneva stainless steel pin buckle
Delivered with one additional Grassbay strap. Included custom engraved buckle. Made in partnership with our good friends at The Erika's Originals MN™ Strap
Lug width: 20 mm

$5,038.26
With taxes (24%)

$4,063.11 

without taxes.

Marking Time - About My Omegas

If you turned up for news on the latest Blancpain release, I'm afraid you've knocked on the wrong door ; )

Innovation and the "latest and greatest" is always intriguing. But with that said, I often find myself thinking back on what started my interest in watches, or as Robert-Jan at Fratello once said -

"What was the trigger?"

The first watch was this Omega. In truth, I had owned another automatic watch which I got at a pawn shop in Tachikawa, Japan in exchange for my quartz Tag Heuer and 4,000 Yen. But 1996 found Wendy and me living in Turku, Finland. And rooting around a weekly flea market I found a pair of truly neglected Omega wrist watches. The first was in such bad shape that the stall owner refused to let me buy it. The second he only did so reluctantly. Now whether he was really looking out for my "best interests" or he thought he might get more money from a more prosperous customer than an itinerant English teacher is a matter for another time. Long story short, negotiations went back and forth, and I bought it for the princely sum of the US equivalent of $23.00.

My first stop, the same day was to a jeweler in the downtown area who fitted it with a forrest green strap. Needless to say, this was an unusual choice, but my being not only foreign, but an American allowed me a certain amount of freedom to make odd choices. 

Now I wish I had taken a photo at the time. The dial was not merely patinated, it was pretty much ruined. The white/silver finish pretty completely missing in several spots. The second hand fell off twice. And thus began the long rehabilitation process. I took it in for a service. The watchmaker at the shop in Salo (next to the NOKIA center I taught two days a week at) took it in and 100 Finnish Markka later it didn't really seem to have made any difference. And things stayed that way for the next three years until we moved to San Francisco.

Once there, I discovered Geneva Watch Repair in the old Shreve Building. The owner / watchmaker took in my Omega, arranged for a redial (sacrilege to some, but the dial was completely shot), put in a NOS crystal and crown, new gaskets, a full service, and I was back in business!

The folks at Serregin's engraved the case back with 4 important years that marked:

1992 - moved to Japan and met Wendy

1995 - moved to Portugal 

1996 - moved to Finland

2000 - moved back to the US

And I happily wore it, but not as much as before as the watch bug had sunk its teeth deep into my limbic system and dozens of different watches flowed in and out of my possession. But the Omega 30 has remained a constant.

Enter the Seamaster CO-AXIAL

Whether I was ready to admit it to myself or not, I had one fairly strong (semi) regret in terms of watches that have been in my possession.

Back in 1992 I was what could be charitably called "situationally homeless". I was working at Kinko's (remember them?) and sofa-surfing. I had graduated from the University of Oregon and spent the following year and half trying to figure out what to do with my life. To say that things were getting "chancy" would be a gross understatement. I had sold virtually everything I owned, and was down to my Thomas McGuane collection of paperbacks, a handful of CDs, 1 pair of jeans, 3 shirts and a sweater (or 2). 

One Sunday I sat down at the coffee place I would frequent (a cup of coffee was $0.75 with free refills) and as I was leafing through the Sunday Oregonian, I came across two ads in the help wanted section -

TEACH ENGLISH IN JAPAN

Now for the record, I had ZERO teaching experience, and was vaguely acquainted with where Japan was in relation to the Great Northwest. But I did have the one requirement that was needed - an undergraduate degree (Thank you U of O!). I applied for the jobs more on a whim - my job search results up to that point had been mostly for naught. But I was about to be pleasantly surprised - both companies contacted me, I borrowed a suit and tie, drove the 4 hours to Seattle for the first interview, stopped in Portland for the second and 3 days later had a job offer! The only hitch was that I would have to be ready to leave in exactly 60 days. 

The next 50 days were spent working as many shifts and as much overtime as I could manage, I temped here and there and did everything short of selling my plasma to save enough money to pay for my flight and first month of living expenses. With 10 days to go, I found myself short by $65, with no real hopes of raising anything further. But I did have one more thing that had not been sold earlier.

Family heirlooms, at least in my father's family, tended to be discarded fairly willy-nilly. As it happens, I had inherited my Grandmother's Omega. It bears mentioning that this was probably a 28 mm quartz watch. Essentially, too small even by 1992 standards. I had never worn it, and truthfully it never occurred to me to do so. It simply sat in a sock in my dresser drawer. I was 23 and had to make a choice. Hang onto the watch and what seemed like a prolonged spell of itinerant living and minimum wage "copy-jocking", or let it go and roll the dice on a new life in a strange country where I did not have a friend and did not speak the language. 

Spoiler Alert - 

I sold the watch. It netted enough to pay for my air ticket, and I negotiated enough for a camera and 3 rolls of film in addition. The next Monday I took the train to Portland, went to the Japanese consulate to process my visa, and 3 days later I boarded a Northwest flight to Tokyo.

Japan changed my life. I met my wife, Wendy. I found my vocation, teaching. And from there I would go on to live in Portugal, Finland, England, and Scotland before returning to the US.

Nearly 25 years later, I got an email offering me the CO-AXIAL in trade (with cash) for a watch that I felt was not really for me and was trying to sell. And to be honest, I really wanted cash, and the Omega was not really on my radar. I opened the next email in my in-box, and it was a copy of an old letter from my Grandmother that one of our cousins had found. And it included a picture of her with me, her wearing the Omega I had sold so many years before, that had made it possible for me to really start my life. Sometimes fate whispers, but in this case it shouted. I accepted the offer for the Omega (with cash) and didn't look back. Sometimes you have accept that the universe, however flawed, tends to reveal itself as it is meant to be ; )

Enjoy your watches -

The Presidents And Vulcain - Gerald Ford

Gerald Ford was the third President to receive a Vulcain Cricket from the Paajanens, and the first to be presented directly by Keijo Paajanen, when President Ford visited Helsinki in 1995 in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Helsinki Accords.

Photo provided by the Paajanen Family Credit Heikki Savolainen  ABC Studiot Oy

Gerald Ford was, in many ways, a bit of an accidental president. A standout college football player at the University of Michigan, he was sought after to pursue professional football with the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions, preferring to attend law school. He took a job at Yale coaching both boxing and football and his law school application was Initially turned down as he was coaching full time. He proved his mettle with a summer program at Michigan Law and was finally accepted to Yale Law.

A very brief stint operating a law office in Grand Rapids, Michigan was interrupted by his military service and World War 2. In 1949, he threw his hat in the ring and became a member of the US House of Representatives (Congress) serving from 1949 - 1973. 

And that might have been the end of it, but this where the old saying that in America, anyone can grow up to be President. A journeyman congressman from Michigan's 5th congressional district, fate intervened and the current Vice President, Spiro Agnew resigned under a dark cloud, and President Nixon sought congressional advice as to who might replace him. The nearly unanimous choice was Ford. He barely had time to order his new Vice President of the United States stationery when fate would step in one final time, and President Nixon would resign, moving Gerald Ford from congressman to President of the United States in less than 1 year.

Not bad for a journeyman. 

The Presidents And Vulcain - One For The Gipper

Just over 33 years since the last known presentation of a Vulcain Cricket to a US President past, present, or future (to Richard Nixon by the National Association of Watch and Clock Makers in 1955), Ronald Reagan visited Helsinki, Finland on his way to one final summit meeting in Moscow with the Soviet leader who was first presented with a Cricket directly from the brand just one year prior - Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev.

And history (at least in terms of watch collecting) was about to be made. Several US Presidents had received or owned Vulcain Crickets up to this point. But insofar as the Vulcain company records indicate, not to mention the personal recollections of Michel Ditisheim, the company had never presented a Vulcain Cricket to a US President (sitting, past or future) up to this point.

Unbeknownst to most everyone, a family jeweler in Helsinki, Finland had been working on a special surprise for future US Presidents. What would later prove to be one of the most impressive "soft power" marketing strategies in the watch business, really started out as a sincere and heartfelt thank you.

Jouko Paajanen was the owner of that family jewelry store. But he was not originally from Helsinki. His family had lived fairly close to the Finland/Soviet border when the Winter War saw a young Jouko and his family flee their homes to escape an advancing Soviet army. His son Keijo remembered it this way -

"As many watch historians and fans know, there was in the past a tradition of presenting a Vulcain Cricket to US Presidents. We wanted the great story to continue and also because our family has always wanted to have good relations with the USA. My father and his family escaped from advancing Russians (Soviets) in 1939."

At some point in the 1980s (and despite my asking everyone involved, nobody remembers exactly when), Jouko and Keijo met with Michel Ditisheim in Switzerland, with the idea of ordering a collection of Vulcain Crickets to present to US Presidents visiting Helsinki. There was but one small problem - the Vulcain company was dormant. But the Cricket was still alive, and chirping - as the Thommen Revue Cricket.

Courtesy of Paajanen Jewelers

This was, essentially, the same watch but under a new livery. So a deal was struck, and Mr. Ditisheim agreed to create a special series of Crickets, but with a dial and case back indicating Vulcain. This made sense for everyone involved. The Paajanens had been loyal customers of Vulcain, and later of Revue Thommen. More than a business relationship, there was a genuine friendship between the two families.

The Paajanens ordered 100 pieces, in stainless steel, and stainless steel with gold plating. The gold plated models would be presented to Presidential visitors, and the balance would be sold exclusively by the Paajanens in their store. And while I have stated in the past that this was solely the effort of idea of the Paajanen, I have learned that in fact that while the Paajanen's did indeed order and pay for 100 pieces, none of it would have been possible without the willingness of Michel Ditisheim to partner with them on a project that would not truly benefit him or Revue Thommen as the watches bore the name Vulcain on the dial and case backs, and were only sold in Helsinki, Finland. But having spent some time with Mr. Ditisheim, I have come to learn that at heart, he is a bit of a romantic. And having spent some time in La Chaux-de-Fonds as well as the new Vulcain HQ in Le Locle, it is abundantly clear that there would be no Vulcain as it is today without the contributions made by the Ditisheims, and Michel Ditisheim in particular.

But back to 1988 -

A customer of the Paajanen's had connections of some sort at the US embassy, and through protracted arrangements, it was agreed that a Vulcain Cricket would be delivered. But nothing is ever that simple. The watch was delivered to the embassy a full week in advance, but it remained unknown up until the very last minute as to whether or not the watch would find its way to President Reagan when he visited. 

Spoiler Alert -

Courtesy of the Paajanen Family

And so, nearly 4 decades later, the Cricket was once again alive and well and chirping on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Tune in next time, when the Cricket hops to the wrist of a high school kid who instead of heading to the Ivy League, opted to enlist as a Naval Aviator following the attack on Pearl Harbor.

The Greatest Marketing Campaign That Never Was (a marketing campaign) - Part 3

Of the US Presidents since Truman it is generally agreed that only 2 have never received or worn a Vulcain Cricket - George W. Bush and John F. Kennedy. Insofar as the forty third president, the reason most often cited was that he has not visited Helsinki, Finland from the time of his presidency until a few years ago (more on that later). When it comes to President Kennedy, it is safe to say that unlike his predecessor, Eisenhower, he neither purchased one or was presented one prior to his election. And as history will note, he was assassinated before the end of his first term, and any symbolic post-Presidential presentation that might have placed a Vulcain Cricket on his wrist were made impossible.

Fate would bring a former school teacher from Stonewall, Texas to the White House in 1963. 

Arnold Newman, White House Press Office (WHPO) - Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library and Muesuem - Archived 

Lyndon Baines Johnson was, to put it mildly, a man who was as much shaped by history as he helped shape it. Born on a farm in Stonewall, Texas in 1908, through a series of events that would have made Forest Gump blush, he became first Vice President, then President of the United States in less than 3 years. From what can only be called modest beginnings in a small farm house, it would be fair to say that his ascension could not be called typical. Following a spell as a school teacher, he entered politics as a legislative secretary to Richard M. Kleberg, who won a 1931 special election for a congressional seat representing Texas in the US House of Representatives. The rest, as they say, is history.

President Johnson was perhaps the all-time Vulcain Cricket fan. How and when he got his initial Cricket is, again, shrouded in a bit of mystery. 

Courtesy of Vulcain

What is known is that he was so enamored with the Cricket that while attending a conference in Switzerland, he deployed several staff members across Geneva with instructions to lay hands to as many Vulcain Crickets as possible so that he could present them as gifts. The word around the campfire is that this horological scavenger hunt netted 200 Vulcain Crickets. While who exactly was presented these Crickets is largely lost to history, what we do know from the LBJ Library's archive is that on April 2, 1964 President Johnson did present a Vulcain watch to Secretary McNamara in the Cabinet Room of the White House during a "special" meeting.  I feel confident that if you asked any heads of marketing working for a watch company, they would be over the moon if a year's worth of pay-to-play content on instagram, Facebook or any other social media channel netted a sale of 200 watches - and from such a prestigious client! Needless to say, they clearly did do everything bigger in Texas. 

The cost to Vulcain for this amazing return on marketing investment? Exactly CHF 0! Once again, the Vulcain Cricket proved to be the world's most successful Swiss watch brand "ambassador". President Johnson even went so far as to customize at least one of his Crickets with his initials at the 9 o'clock position.

Courtesy of the NAWCC

While there are more than a few images of Johnson wearing other watches, it is safe to say that the Cricket from La Chaux-de-Fonds was one of his favorites.

President Johnson (in the end) opted not to seek the nomination to run again for the Presidency in 1968, and yet another unlikely presidential candidate would emerge, one who was already wearing a Cricket on his wrist when destiny called.

Something New From Finland

Mustonen -

Courtesy of Mustonen

This is the M-1 Launch Edition, the first of 3 different collections in the works for Mustonen, a new brand based in Helsinki. 

Courtesy of Mustonen

The case is of stainless steel and measures 39mm x 51 mm.

Courtesy of Mustonen

Now you might be asking yourself, what is that object in the side of the watch case? It is, apparently, a small piece of meteorite from our next-door neighbor, Mars.

This watch can be had with an onyx or aventurine dial.

Courtesy of Mustonen

You also have the option of having the official NASA logo on the dial.

Courtesy of Mustonen

The Movement is STP's Calibre 1-11.

This is currently a pre-order item and is anticipated to deliver in January of next year (2022).

The Fractalis

From Aittokoski -

Courtesy of Aittoski Watches

As I continue to chase down unique watches from the countries I've lived and taught in, I came across Aittoskoski.

These are available in titanium, stainless steel, and super stainless steel.

Here are the pertinents for all 3 options, straight from the source -

Fractalis Titanium G5

Movement: Swiss made ETA 2892-A2 

Crystal: 1mm flat, distortion free sapphire

Dial options: Steel, anodized aluminium (red, blue, gray and orange)

Hand finishing options: Blued, painted (red, blue, black, white), steel (brushed or satin)

Case, bezel, caseback and lugs: Grade 5 Titanium, very hard, light and excellent corrosion resistance

Finishing options: brushed or satin finish

Strap: Delivered with natural rubber and leather straps

Price: 9 250€, incl. VAT 24% 

 

Fractalis Super Steel

Movement: Swiss made ETA 2892-A2 

Crystal: 1mm flat, distortion free sapphire

Dial options: Steel, anodized aluminium (red, blue, gray and orange)

Hand finishing options:  Blued, painted (red, blue, black, white), steel (brushed or satin)

Case, bezel, caseback and lugs: Grade 2205 Super Steel, hard and highly corrosion resistant material

Finishing options: brushed or satin finish

Strap: Delivered with natural rubber and leather straps

Price: 8 250€, incl. VAT 24%

​ 

Fractalis Steel

Movement: Swiss made ETA 2892-A2 

Crystal: 1mm flat, distortion free sapphire

Dial options: Steel, anodized aluminium (red, blue, gray and orange)

Hand finishing options: Blued, painted (red, blue, black, white), steel (brushed or satin)

Case, bezel, caseback and lugs: Grade 316L Stainless Steel, hard and corrosion resistant material

Finishing options: brushed or satin finish

Strap: Delivered with natural rubber and leather straps

Price:  6 750€, incl. VAT 24%

Back to Basics - the 180

This is the latest from Sarpaneva's sister brand, S.U.F, may I introduce you to the 180.

Courtesy of Sarpaneva/S.U.F Watches

Now as a point of transparency, I am a Stepan Sarpaneva fan.  I like his unique take on things, I like that he speaks his mind (when he speaks), and I truly appreciate his aesthetic sense.  It would be easy to say that it is all in the DNA, and when you come from a famous artistic family that would be an easy conclusion to make.  But dig into his work, or just spend some time shooting the shit and you will come to understand pretty quickly that Mr Sarpaneva is a one-off.  And thank goodness for that!

Now while I write about this stuff, and get to see beautiful things, it is safe to say that as a social worker/English teacher the Sarpaneva collection is something that I will have to admire from afar.  And that is why I was so excited when he came out with the S.U.F collection.  And I'm even more excited about this new series - the 180.  Something cool, "Sarpanevaesque", and priced within reach!  
And it's something new - a field watch.

Courtesy of S.U.F

The case measures 38.7mm and is machined from Finnish steel.  The movement is an automatic Soprod A10.  The 180 is limited to 50 pieces in each color version.  The  price is 2200 euros without taxes (2728 euros including 24% VAT).

While there is nothing wrong with pilot's watches, I have never fantasized about throwing on a bomber jacket, goggles and jumping in a biplane.

shamelessly borrowed from the worldwide infoweb

It's just not me.  But a field watch?  Now that's something that appeals.

Courtesy of Sarpaneva

You can have it in a cobalt blue, white and a black dial.  

And my personal favorite?  RED!  But not just any red, this is referred to as cranberry-red “Karpalo” -

Courtesy of S.U.F

While bright red not be everyone's jam, let me give you a personal bit of Henki lore -

Back in the 90s, Wendy and I lived first in Turku, then Helsinki Finland.  Winter was, let's just say, not my thing.  I like ice hockey, I enjoy making a snowman.  But beyond that? It was a challenge to adapt to.  Without realizing it, I took to wearing fairly bright colors during the winter months, and bought an Omega Speedmaster in bright yellow (Schumacher).  I can honestly say that up to that point I was not too fussed about color and full truth be told?  I did not want to stand out.  Was it my own way of keeping a "summer" feeling during a dark couple of months?  Quite possible, or maybe it was my little way of being contrary.  At any rate, had the S.U.F 180 cranberry-red “Karpalo”been around back then?  I would have bought it for sure.

But enough about me, here is the rest of the 180 story straight from the source in Helsinki:

S.U.F performs a flawless about-turn with ‘180’, marching into utilitarian field-watch territory

Sometimes, we all need to stop. To turn 180 degrees and realize how far we’ve come, but also remind ourselves where we’re going. Even S.U.F – a watchmaker driven by the Finnish people’s stoic, honest-to-goodness determination – needs perspective.

The new ‘180’ is precisely that: a stripped-back field watch, whose minimal utility draws on S.U.F’s past while signposting the future. All the while providing new recruits with an unfettered way into the world of ‘proper watches’.

Long-devoted fans of S.U.F will sense echoes of its early model, the Komentaja. But true to form, 180 goes back while moving things on; reimagining classic features with a contemporary cool.

The ‘railway’ minutes track for a start, circling numerals whose Scandi-noir typeform is unique to S.U.F.’s founder Stepan Sarpaneva - the master watchmaker with iconic Finnish design in his blood. 

The traditional ‘lollipop’ seconds hand too, sweeping across a gleaming dial in far-from-traditional colourways. For 180’s launch, these include cranberry-red “Karpalo” -

Courtesy of S.U.F

Liquorice-black “Salmiakki” -

Courtesy of S.U.F

 Cobalt-blue “Taivas” -

Courtesy of S.U.F

And “Kuura”, in a crisp frosty white that Helsinki residents know all too well.

Courtesy of S.U.F

Wherein lies the rub, since the 180 could arguably be the most ‘Finnish’ S.U.F yet. Its high-grade stainless-steel case is machined from domestically forged metal, impregnated with chrome mined near the coast. The straps’ leather even comes from Nordic Elk.

And of course, it’s all painstakingly hand-assembled in the heart of the Finnish capital, at the SarpanevaUhrenFabrik workshop.

Whose postal code also happens to be ‘180’.