Things That Make You Go Hmmm.

Sometimes you just have to let a press release speak for itself.  This is one of those times.  So here it is, uncut and unvarnished, straight from Graham:

THUMBS-UP FOR PINUPS 

The Graham Chronofighter Vintage Nose Art Ltd gets an air of glamour with nostalgic Nose Art. 

Will Sally or Anna take your time into their hands? What about a date with Lilly? Or will Nina be the one to keep you on track? One of these lovely ladies is the mascot of precision timekeeping on each of the four 100-strong limited editions that make up the latest collection recruited to the Chronofighter Vintage series. Glamorous illustrations, in the style of those first applied to military planes in the 1940's to bolster military morale, turn these timepieces into appealing statements of hope and freedom. The pinups on the Graham Chronofighter Vintage Nose Art Ltd family tease and please as they write a further chapter in the Anglo-Swiss brand’s passionate tale of aviation heroes and highlights. Graham presents the Flying Forties in watch form. 




'Cause hey, who doesn't like to be "teased and pleased"?  There is a fine line between cheeky and creepy...

 
My father and uncle spent their summers off from Cornell Hotel School working as waiters in a tourist restaurant in New England.  And, as they were impressionable young men, and a bit less-than charitable to the clientele (rubes), they would compete on a daily basis to see who could sell the most of a horrible dinner special or dessert.  It is important to understand that these "specials" were often conceived in the early morning hours following a fair amount of liquid contemplation.  Though history may not recall the calamity that was the "Open Faced Clam & Broccoli Sandwich", or "Cape Ann Lime Sherbet and Pecan Pie à la Mode", it taught me a valuable lesson that good salesmanship can overcome poorly informed planning decisions.

Courtesy of Graham

Which brings us to this latest release from Graham...because, when I think of George Graham and his legendary work, my very next thought goes to "pin up" girls...

Courtesy of Graham

That's right!  All you RED-BLOODED guys can spend time with Anna, Nina, Lilly or Sally!  Or at least their torsos and 3/4 of their legs... with the exception of Lilly, who for whatever reason is the only "model" to appear "intact".

Courtesy of Graham

Now in fairness, for all I know this is a wildly popular watch and has already sold through its production. 

Courtesy of Graham

And if it's your thing, here are the pertinents -

 

CHRONOFIGHTER VINTAGE NOSE ART Ltd
USP

•   The Artistic: vintage historical timepieces inspired by Nose Art
  – Decorative painting on the nose, fuselage of military aircrafts starting in the 40s
  
•   Sunbrushed vintage dials with painted pin-up girls named Sally, Anna, Lilly and Nina
  
•   Automatic chronograph
  
•   Day-date
  
•   Fast-action start / stop trigger
  
•   Hand-sewn calf leather straps
  
•   Limited edition: 100 pieces each
  

Functions: 

Chronograph (seconds, 30 minutes counter)
Day-date at 9 o’clock
Hours, minutes, seconds

Calibre: 

G1747, automatic chronograph 28’800 A/h (4Hz)
Incabloc shock absorber
25 jewels
 

Power reserve: 

48 hours

Case: 

44 mm steel
Steel fast-action start / stop trigger and reset pusher 

Domed sapphire crystal, anti-reflective coating 

See-through sapphire crystal case back
 

Bezel: Steel
 

Water resistance: 

330 feet / 100 m / 10 bar
 

Dial:

Black / blue sunbrushed dial with painted pin-up girls
Pin-up girls’ names Sally, Anna, Lilly, Nina and 

limited edition serial number at 9 

White Super-LumiNova hands, numerals and indexes
White varnish chrono hand with red tip
Rhodiated minutes and seconds’ counters hands

Strap: 

Hand-sewn black / green /blue calf leather Steel pin buckle

The Geo. Graham Tourbillon

Continuing to go over what Graham had to offer at BaselWorld - there was the wonderful Geo. Graham Tourbillon.

Courtesy of Graham

The tourbillon is composed of 67 components.  Located at 6 o'clock. this see through creation is a double bridge construction featuring blue screws.

Courtesy of Graham

The movement is Graham's G1796 automatic movement.  Circular "Côtes de Genève"

decoration is but one of the decorative highlights.  Circular graining complements bridges and a bottom plate that are chamfered and polished.  It boasts a power reserve of 72 hours.

Courtesy of Graham

The oscillating weight is conceived of gold, but is a micro rotor oscillating weight to help achieve a thinner profile.

All fitting details for a watch made in honor of George Graham himself.

Courtesy of Graham

Here are the specs in detail -

Functions
60-second see-through Tourbillon (3Hz), automatic micro-rotor movement 
Hours, Minutes, Seconds 

Calibre

G1796, Swiss made manufactured high precision automatic movement exclusively made for 
GRAHAM with Haute Horlogerie finishing, circular "Côtes de Genève" decoration, 
circular graining, chamfered and polished bridges and bottom plate, specific engravings on the back 
including limited edition serial number, 21'600 A/h (3Hz), Incabloc shock absorber 

Golden micro-rotor oscillating weight to ensure thinness, ornamental arabesque engraved inspired by George Graham decoration
60-second see-through Tourbillon
Tourbillon cage: 67 components, construction at 6 o'clock. See-through tourbillon. Double bridge construction with blue screws. Balance wheel with regulating screws
29 jewels
Power reserve: 72 hours

Case

40 mm pink gold (18K) case 
Ultra-thin case: 9.85 mm
Pink gold (18K) crown with "Geo." engraving representing George Graham's signature on his works
Sapphire crystal glass box (2.98 mm thick) on both faces with anti-reflective coating. Full size dimension: 36 mm opening

Sapphire crystal glass box (3.35 mm thick) on the case back with special slot for the oscillating weight 

Water resistance
160feet/50m/5bar 

Dial

Domed dial coated with white enamel lacquer
Black Roman and Arabic numerals inspired by George Graham timepieces
Minute scale which resembles a railway track (4 quarter-hours with railway track symbols) inspired by George Graham's timepieces
Blue central hands

Strap

Brown alligator

Pink gold (18K) pin buckle 

And Now for Something Completely Different -

From Graham!

Courtesy of Graham

This is the GEO.GRAHAM TOURBILLON.  It is limited to 100 pieces total.
An ultra-thin, 60 second tourbillon is found at the 6 o'clock position.  The case is crafted of pink gold and measures 40 mm in diameter.  

But for me, it is not the technical minutia.  I know, that is what makes this business tick ; )
No, for me it is the entire package.  The dial is particularly pleasing to look at, domed and finished with a white enamel lacquer.  All too often a gold watch is presented with blued hands that stick out like sore thumbs - not so in this case!  The hands, along with the blued screws on either side of the tourbillon attached to the dial's face are well balanced in hue and fit well with the overall aesthetic of the timepiece.  This is truly a beautiful watch that is not "of the moment" but rather one that will be passed from one family member to the next and worn - not just parked in a box.

Graham should be truly proud of this watch - it proves the beauty and soft power of restraint.  Well done!  And Graham you've really done it!  You've made me use a word I hate - timepiece ; )  For once it is appropriate!

Here are all the specs on what's under the hood:

Functions 

60-second see-throughTourbillon (3Hz), automatic micro-rotor movement 
Hours, Minutes, Seconds 

Calibre

G1796, Swissmade manufactured high precision automatic movement exclusively made for GRAHAM with Haute Horlogerie finishing, circular "Côtes de Genève"
decoration, circular graining, chamfered and polished bridges and bottom plate, specific engravings on the back including limited edition serial number, 21'600A/h (3Hz), Incabloc shock absorber
Golden micro-rotor oscillating weight to ensure thinness, ornamental arabesque engraved inspired by George Graham decoration

60-second see-through Tourbillon

Tourbillon cage: 67 components, construction at 6 o'clock. See-through tourbillon. Double bridge construction with blue screws.  Balance wheel with regulating screws

29 jewels 

Power reserve: 72hours 

 

Tribute to John Harrison

How do you solve an unsolvable problem?

We take a lot of things for granted.  I was trying to explain the idea of a typewriter to one of my decidedly younger millennial colleagues.  Eventually he asked - "but how did you cut and paste?"  I handed him a pair of scissors and a glue stick. 

Believe it or not, up until the 18th century, it was as much a matter of luck as solid seamanship that a boat would make it to port.  Latitude?  No problem.  Longitude?  To quote the film of the same name - "like a blind man in a brothel".  Ships were dashed upon rocky formations that could not be accounted for, because although the latitude was known, longitude was quite the other thing.  And for those of you just tuning in -  Longitude helps to determine a particular location on Earth east or west of the prime meridian.

Put in a different way, you couldn't just pop the address into your Garmin.

John Harrison was not a trained watch maker - in fact his daily watch was made for him by John Jefferys,  But sometimes it takes an outsider to look at a problem from a completely different perspective, and solve it.  And in many ways, Mr. Harrison was an outsider on a few levels.  

When the  Board of Longitude was established in 1714, it was with the goal of solving the riddle of longitude, it was believed that this could best be determined by astronomical observation as best carried out by academics and men of the cloth.  Mr. Harrison was neither of these things either.  But he felt certain that with the right time keeper, he could solve this problem.

In fact George Graham assisted John Harrison not only technically, but financially, and without his help and the patronage of King George III, it might have all been for naught.  And for those of you out there who feel that 3 months is too long to wait for your new watch to be delivered, try working for forty years!

Courtesy of Girard-Perreguax

So it is safe to say, that the new Tribute to John Harrison holds a special place for me.  If a brand needs to partner with someone famous, I'd say this is the most appropriate partnership I have seen for some time!

So courtesy of Girard-Perregaux, here are the details, straight from La Chaux-de-Fonds-

Girard-Perregaux Traveller Large Date, Moon Phases & GMT, Limited Edition 

Traveller John Harrison

Technical specifications

Case in pink gold

Diameter: 44.00 mm

Dial: eggshell

Crystal: anti-reflective sapphire

Case-back: sapphire crystal, secured by 6 screws

Water resistance: 100 meters (10 ATM)

Girard-Perregaux movement GP03300-0093

Mechanical, self-winding movement

Diameter: 30.40 mm (13 ½’’’)

Frequency: 28,800 vph - (4 Hz)

Power reserve: minimum 46 hours

Jewels: 35

Functions: hour, minute, small second, large date, moon phase indicator, 24-hour 2nd time zone with day/night indicator 

Brown alligator strap

Folding buckle

Reference: 49655-52-133-BBBA

50-piece limited edition.

GRAHAM launches the Chronofighter 1695 Silver

This just in from Graham -

Courtesy of Graham

Bremont - The Movie!

This was sent over to me from Mike at Bremont -

http://youtu.be/7FZv0f8iS4E


Check it out!

Graham SIlverstone Timezone - Overview

As the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end and 15 days have now come and gone and it is time to sum-up the Graham Silverstone Timezone.

Legibility - this is a big deal to me, and particularly when it comes to a watch with an additional complication such as a GMT.  I set the GMT hand to a different time zone and must say that it was clear and easy to use.  What I particularly liked was the 24 hour bezel.  The bezel is fixed and this ensured no manipulations or loss of time zone due to a moved bezel!

The strap is incredibly comfortable, and well balanced to match the watch itself. Instead of going over the top with a super heavy-duty strap, or too far the other way with crocodile, Graham has very sensibly used a subtle and tasteful black leather strap, accented by the red stitching.

And the buckle is the perfect choice to secure it -

If you have snagged enough sweaters, then you appreciate smooth finishing work.  The Graham buckle has presence, while at the same time is smooth, well-finished and the perfect size to complement - not overpower - the strap itself.

The size of the watch was something else I was impressed with.  I was curious before receiving the Silverstone Timezone - could Graham do "smaller"?  Keeping in mind that at 42 mm, this is not what is normally thought of as a small watch!  But sometimes when you are used to a larger canvas, going smaller can be a challenge.  The Silverstone Timezone did not disappoint on this score either.  The dial while utilizing slightly larger numbers, is still clear and legible, very easy to read.

The dial itself was a bit of an unknown quantity for me.  yes, I have seen plenty of carbon/carbon file dials, but none have been nearly as impressive as the Silverstone GMT.  The numbers seem to almost "float" above the dial itself - a very, very cool effect!  Also, the lume on the hands is first rate - very easy to read in dark conditions.

The timekeeping is something that I have mentioned very little in these 15 days - and the reason being that it has been so remarkably accurate it has really become something of an afterthought!  It had been plus 5 seconds, then 3 and for the last 8 days it has been plus 2 seconds per day with no further deviation!

The movement itself is described by Graham as -

Calibre G1714, automatic movement, 28'800 A/h (4Hz), Incabloc shock absorber


So to sum up - I think that Graham has a real winner here!  Yes, Graham does make fantastic large, manly timekeepers, but they also have stayed true to their horological roots with this impressively subtle GMT watch.  I will be curious to see if this evolves further into another line with perhaps a bracelet option - time will (as always) tell!


http://www.grahamlondon.com/

A Few Minutes with George Graham

As you know, whenever possible I try to have an interview to coincide with a 15 day review - and with the review of the Graham Silverstone Time Zone it seemed like a good time to run this "interview".


And now, a few minutes with George Graham -


James Henderson - What was your first watch, was it a gift?  Is there a story behind it?


George Graham - I am not sure that I can remember beyond when I joined my mentor - Mr. Tompion to work with him and I moved to London.  Together we created many wonderful things - and I was also fortunate to make the acquaintance of his niece Elizabeth, who would later become my wife!


JH - When you were a boy, what did you want to be "when you grew up"?


GH - It's difficult to go back that far.  As you know - timekeepers in the form of watches are still a new novelty.  I was, however, very interested both in the natural sciences and had a good head for mechanics.


JH - Where did you go to school, what did you study?


GH - I really consider my apprenticeship with Mr. Tompion to be my formal education - that was in London.

JH - I know that it is difficult to chose a favorite - but is there any one of your creations that holds a special place for you?


GH - Well, I have been blessed with many beautiful and talented "children".  I came up with a timekeeper that could measure - and "capture" actual elapsed time.  We will have to come up with a better name for it - something like "stop watch" perhaps.   I am also quite pleased with the "Dead-Beat" escapement.  Some folks have taken to calling it the "Graham" escapement, but I suppose that is for others to decide.






JH - Who else out there is making watches that interest you?


GH - Well of course Mr. Tompion made some fantastic timekeepers.  There is this new fellow - John Harrison.  He has made a clock out of wood - WOOD!  And that clock is fantastically accurate!  He has also come up with something that people are calling the "grasshopper" escapement.  It is virtually frictionless and requires no lubrication!

He also has it in his head to construct a timekeeper for sea travel, to hopefully aid in the calculation of the longitude at sea.  I know it is mad - but I honestly think that John might be the man to solve this problem.






JH - But I have to ask - why help him as you have?  Surely you could create a clock capable of this?


GH - While I might be able to - he has!  Granted we have worked together, but the inspiration and work has been his own.  I have helped in my own small way - much as Mr. Tompion helped me, but I feel safe in saying he will be the man to solve this riddle!




JH - Maybe that is why they call you "honest George"?


GH - Well I am not the man to say, but I would be happy and proud to help any fellow watch maker in his efforts.  




JH - You've been at the forefront of British horology - who do you think will be the next George Graham?


GH - I know that this is near blasphemy - but it would not surprise me if someone in France will come up with something interesting in the next 20 - 30 years.  Someone who will make amazing things even for royalty.  But if I really think about the future - and in Britain in particular, I sometimes have a vision of a solitary man, working away in some quiet place - maybe a smaller island - Orkney, or maybe the Isle of Man.  I suspect that he will be someone originally born of the city - maybe even London - who was fascinated by the workings of a forgotten watch.  Someone who despite all difficulties of early life will go on to do amazing things.  He may even take Mr. Harrison's idea of the grasshopper escapement and focusing on the idea of a modern escapement that will need minimal "human intervention" he will maybe champion Mr. Harrison's ideal of making something practical and useful to the masses.  It is not the fashion today, but maybe some day watches will be made on a larger scale - hundreds - maybe even thousands per year.  He will probably be the sort of person who will be a bit reclusive, a bit hesitant to take on an apprentice - but I believe that there will be one man who will somehow convince him to take him on.  I know that this will be more than 200 years from now, and I will long since have left this earth for a prior appointment with my creator - but I somehow sense that both the master and his apprentice will reestablish British horology.

Graham's New Website is LIVE!!!

I woke up this morning with this message from the nice folks at Graham -

Dear James,

On behalf of Graham, I'd like to inform you that last Tuesday at precisely 13:05:14 (Greenwich Mean Time), GRAHAM LONDON's completely redesigned web site went online at www.graham-london.com

Thanks to web-exclusive content and most of all a rather unique Zoom-functionality that really lets you get closer than ever before with GRAHAM's current collection, we are confident that this info might be relevant for the visitors of Tempus Fugit Watch as well. And we do hope they will enjoy this short trip as much as George Graham would have loved his new digital home.

Best Regards -

Graham-London

And they even sent a picture of their "Web Technicians" hard at work!

An added plus for me was the Graham People section where I got re-acquainted with one of my favorite men's fashion designers -

http://www.graham-london.com/en-gb/graham-people/oswald-boateng.asp

Oswald Boateng's collections are the business!  And it seems fitting that Graham would take a uniquely English identity and bring it forward, as Mr. Boateng has brought the tradition of Saville Row to Fashion Week!

Congratulations on a fantastic launch Graham!

www.graham-london.com