The Norrsken

 From GoS -

Courtesy of GoS

Not since peanut butter and jelly first got together has the world been treated to such a dynamic result!

Courtesy of GoS

At first glance, you see a beautifully engraved case the likes of which GoS watches are famous for, and a stunning guilloche dial which, if I have read correctly was aided by the skills of Jochen Benzinger. But when you turn out the lights...

Courtesy of GoS Watches

you see the handiwork of the Black Badger, the nom de lume of James Thompson.  But wait!  There's still more!  Notice that chapter ring?

Courtesy of GoS Watches 

That isn't just any chapter ring. It is the handiwork of Mikael Kenlind, a master artisan working with glass, or more specifically - hand blown Swedish crystal. And this chapter ring is the result of his efforts.

Courtesy of GoS Watches

So what? What's the big deal?  Well, gentle reader, allow me to make it plain -

Patrik Sjögren and Johan Gustafsson have been grinding it out for as long as I've been writing about watches. Several stops along the way they probably could have cashed in on easy opportunities, dumbed down their offerings, gone for the easy money. But in a watch world full of gimmicky, me-too offerings, GoS has been a true North Star reminding watch brands big and small what it means to stand firm on what you believe in.

And then add the calculated whimsey of the master of all things lume, the Black Badger, and it's as if a new watch making super hero group has been formed to battle the forces of a boring hegemony.  I mean, don't get me wrong - the big dogs make some perfectly nice watches. But if you really and truly want something different, something special, this "Fantastic Five Mashup" is the Shit That Killed Elvis!

Here are the pertinents -

Functions
Hours, Minutes Seconds
Small second at 6h:00 in the shape of the GoS triskele

Movement
Manufacture movement by Schwarz Etienne with GoS-specific modifications and finishing
Automatic winding with a micro-rotor and damascus steel counterweight
GoS triskele engraved on click wheel
Handpolished bevels on all bridges
Separate bridge for escape wheel
21,600 vibrations/hour
86h power reserve
Stop-seconds mechanism
33 jewels – 199 parts
30.40mm x 5.25mm

Case
41.5mm x 12.1mm (8mm at edge)
Stainless steel with optional Black Damascus case ring and/or Damascus steel bezel
Sapphire crystals front and caseback – Front crystal domed with double sided anti-reflective coating
Transparent crystal gaskets in new Swiss developed material
5ATM water resistance (50m)
Crown with double gaskets and GoS internal impact protection

Dial
Damascus steel:
Handforged Swedish tool steel by Johan Gustafsson - machined and finished by Patrik Sjögren
Guilloche:
Silver dial handturned by master Jochen Benzinger - machined and finished by Patrik Sjögren
Hour index recesses filled with emerald green Badgerite, developed by James Thompson together with Swiss SuperLuminova
Transparent index ring in Swedish Crystal - individually handmade by master glass artisan Mikael Kenlind
Solid ring of Badgerite applied round the Crystal index ring

Hands
GoS viking spearhead – Rhodium plated
GoS triskele small seconds hand

Strap
Polished Salmon leather – black – Made in Stockholm
Tapered 21mm to 20mm with rounded padding
Pin buckle in stainless damascus steel with GoS triskele logo

Presentation box
Individually handcrafted presentation box in Swedish crystal, handmade by glass artisan Mikael Kenlind

The Ring is the Thing, A Few Minutes With Mark Gold

I first met Mark Gold in person at the last BaselWorld in 2019. Needless to say, he makes quite an impression, as do his designs.  He was kind enough to spare me a few minutes recently to talk about his latest collaboration with James Thompson (the Black Badger).

Courtesy of the Black Badger and Mark Gold

So before anything else, tell us about this new ring, the Stars n Stripes High Roller. You and James (Black Badger) Thompson collaborated on this, correct? 

Yes the new ring which was released right during the middle of the US elections actually had nothing to do with the elections at all and was purely coincidental timing. 

The ring and box were a collaboration in design and the manufacturing all took place in South Africa in our laboratory. The various components were made from a combination of aviation grade superalloys, anodised to the relevant colours (blue and red) and then assembled around a surgical grade stainless steel core which allows the mechanism to move freely. The ring then went to James in Sweden for him to add his magical glow. The result is great

Can you tell us how this project got started?

Yes that's an interesting one ... 

Obviously during lockdown we concentrated quite heavily on connecting and reaching out to people including fellow designers. Zoom calls became the norm for a while and we made some good contacts and met interesting people. Much of our work is with James ... aka Blackbadger. He has a great personality, is well connected and really good at what he does so some doors started opening for both of us.

And the ring is for someone a few people out there might have heard of - Arnold Schwarzenegger.  How did you and he get connected?

We made a ring for a personal friend of James and he loved it. Turns out he is a personal friend of Arnold Schwarzenegger who saw the ring and asked if we could make him one too. "Hell yeah, anything for Arnold". The man is a legend in so many ways.

And this is not the first celebrity to put a Mark Gold creation on his finger, can you tell us about the ring a certain Avenger has been spotted wearing?

Again, a total collaboration with James and I would probably say that RDJ was the first really big name that we made a ring for in our collaborations.

Tell us about how you and James Thompson came together

Honestly, that's a crazy story ... I mean here are two guys on opposite sides of the planet (Sweden and South Africa) doing similar things but coming from completely different angles, who get connected on Instagram via a mutual friend, and start chatting. We messaged each other a few times and I remember the first time we spoke which ended up being for like an hour on a WA call, sharing design ideas, design concepts etc. He is a really good guy and knows his stuff. We discussed a small batch collaboration called BLKGLD where we designed, conceptualised and produced and then sold out the entire batch of really cool rings in like two days. Thats how it started and we have repeated it since several times since. It really has been a great success and a ton of fun. The really interesting point for me is how two guys from different continents who have never met face to face, connect and collaborate so seamlessly for two years before finally meeting at Baselworld for the first time in 2019. Welcome to the infinite world of social media.

Courtesy of Mark Gold

You have been out in front of a lot of famous brands before many people were aware.  Can you share a bit of your background/history in the watch and Jewelry business?

I studied traditional Jewellery design at a university in the mid 80's and soon set up my own workshop. Being in Africa, you can be quite isolated from the spotlight but I learned a lot and tourism to SA really picked up during the late 90's. I was well established locally at that time and catered for many international clients, celebrities etc through my retail stores. 

At the time I represented Cartier and Franck Muller as they were good sellers however, as a designer, it never really sat well with me selling other brands. I sold the retail stores and concentrated on developing our own watch brand and other high end contemporary luxury products. This new journey is really still in its infancy however we are gaining traction and recognition which are vital to what we are doing and establishing oneself globally requires patience.

Courtesy of Mark Gold

And speaking of watches, can you tell us a bit about The Gamechanger?

An absolute passion project and I love every minute of it. I focus mainly on the visual design aspects, packaging and new concepts relating to the brand going forward. The watch is certainly bold and deliberately so. I work with an incredible Swiss technical team who handle the intricate details of watchmaking that they are so good at. 

This really is a David vs Goliath situation however our confidence is high just like David's was ...

A Few Minutes With the Black Badger - James Thompson

Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

Steve Jobs

As a now world-renowned contrarian, I appreciate the people out there who chart their own 

course. For the most part, the thinking in the watch business is beyond antiquated. To paraphrase from Michael Lewis and Moneyball, more often than not the decision making paradigm is governed by picking the option that is least likely to fail, rather than the one that might just be crazy enough to work.  In essence, the potential pain and associated anxiety of looking bad drives most of the folks in Watch Town down the path of least resistance. Well, as the advertising revenues of Tempus Fugit will bear out, I am a fan of anyone who is ready to tilt at the occasional windmill or two.

And now, without further adieu, a few minutes with the Black Badger himself, James Thompson - 

Courtesy of James Thompson

Henki (James Henderson) - What was your first watch? Was it a gift? Is there a story behind it?

James Thompson (Black Badger) - Hmmm when I was about 10 I got a Swatch Radar from my parents for Christmas. I recall being a little offended that I got a “small” one while my older brother got a large one. No wonder I bought a bigass Bell & Ross BRO1 as my first “real” watch around 2008. A tank that i absolutely adore.

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

Henki - When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

James Thompson - A pilot. Top Gun was the first VHS tape we got growing up, and my brother and I would watch it every single day when we got home from elementary school. My mom still knows all the dialogue from overhearing it hundreds of times. I didn’t discover art or design until after high school


Henki - Where did you go to school? What did you study?

James Thompson - I bounced around a bit with what I thought I wanted to do and who I wanted to be. I studied advertising production as I have a massive love for good tv commercials. I did a masters degree in industrial design between the Emily Carr Institute in Vancouver and HDK design school in Göteborg Sweden where I live now.


Henki - How did you acquire your "nom de lume" - Black Badger? 

 
James Thompson - Honestly? I thought it sounded cool and kinda SpecOps. I think I read too many Tom Clancy novels. I didn’t take it very seriously in the early days but now that I am where I am, the name kinda fits. I'm trying my hardest not to fit in.


Henki - How did you get involved in the watch business?

James Thompson - I was messing around with custom watch straps with Carl Evans of GasGasBones in the UK. This got me in friendly with Bell & Ross and Graham watches. Those were my first awkward steps in the industry. I’d say Stepan Sarpaneva has been the biggest mentor for me along the way though. He’s not a scary as most think, ha ha!

Courtesy of James Thompson

Henki - And while we're trying to get to know who the Black Badger (the designer) is, what exactly is Black Badger the business?

James Thompson - Meh who knows. Call it a materials orphanage and we can go away friends here!

Henki - In some ways, for some people, it seems like you came out of nowhere. Could you shed a little light on your journey from Canadian art student transplant to global watch sensation?

Courtesy of David Svensson

James Thompson - I think it really was just a case of the right place at the right time. I’m kinda like the Forrest Gump of design. And by keeping to my own aesthetic and not trend-chasing, it’s let me establish a rather strong visual identity in a relatively short timeframe.


Henki - Now as a fellow Northern Youth who found himself in Scandinavia, I have to ask - was this a plan, an happy accident, or something else?

James Thompson - Ha ha I was in the process of flunking out of my design school in Vancouver and was really looking for a totally different direction. We had a Swedish exchange student with us and I just loved the way Scandinavia approaches design. Much more holistic and thought-out, rather than just cool sexy shapes. I dig that way of working.


Henki - What is the best part about the work you do with watch brands?

James Thompson - I truly love pushing established brands out of their comfort zone. It tends to rivitalize the brands themselves, lets the maybe shake some dust off. And hey if it all goes to shit they can just blame it on me. Ha ha!

Henki - I realize that I might be in the minority here - but I thought that the Tag Heuer Coffee collaboration was the Witches Britches!  

Were you surprised by the reception?

Courtesy of Bamford Watch Department

James Thompson - That’s my wife’s favorite piece I’ve ever done actually. Both the visual look and the story behind it. The fact that it’s made from coffee isn’t super earth-shattering but the appearance and the detail of the dial I think is super interesting. Some people just thought we were taking the piss and joking around. Not at all the case. Introducing unconventional materials into modern watchmaking is what pays my rent, so no I don’t play around. Especially when it’s someone else’s brand I’m guest-starring with. But some of the online comments were just idiotic. People like to take shots at George Bamford and I really don’t tolerate that in a public setting. Purists won’t like what we do, and that’s fine. They weren’t invited to the revolution anyways.


Henki - If you weren't doing this, what do you think you might be doing?

James Thompson - In another life I would have been a chef I think. I get super inspired by all these fantastically creative people who travel the world and create amazing recipes from local and exciting ingredients. I mean have you heard Anthony Bourdain go off about a certain cut of meat, or Jose Andres making a Michelin-Starred dessert using Doritos and broccoli or something insanely unexpected. Pure alchemy and I love it.


Henki - What advice do you have for the next Black Badger out there?

James Thompson  - My weather-control device is almost complete...

Doper Than A Doppio!

The BWD Badgerworks Coffee Edition!

Courtesy of Bamford Watch Department, The Black Badger and TAG Heuer

Where to begin?  If you're like me, you've been percolating away during lockdown. The drip, drip, drip of new watch news bottled up like the clogged porta-filter of a La Marzocco 4-head after the morning rush.  The snark and sarcasm frothing up, ready to pour out, and then...

Courtesy of The Black Badger, Bamford Watch Department and TAG Heuer

The erstwhile James Thompson who is more widely known by his nom de lume -The Black Badger decided to team up with Bamford Watch Department once again and serve up this visceral triple-shot that hit me like a two-by-four of caffeinated goodness this AM.

Courtesy of The Black Badger, Bamford Watch Department and TAG Heuer

This is the BWD X Badgerworks TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 5 with Tropical Coffee Dial.  And while it might not be everyone's cup of coffee, I have to say that it hits all of the visceral buttons for me.  

A watch, is a watch, is a watch...

Until it isn't.  This isn't... just a watch.  And maybe for me it's a bit more of a personal connection.  Not unlike Mr. Thompson, I once  decamped North America and headed east.  For Wendy and me the destination was Finland, first Turku, and then Helsinki.  And one of the best memories I have is the handful of cafes along the Esplanade. The espresso machines looked as if they might have been hold overs from the Winter War, the counters were aged, the tables highly polished, the atmosphere?  If I could have moved my bed in and they would accept cats?  I never would have left.  

It goes deeper for me, at a time when I'd been cast out of my high flying job in San Francisco, I found a second chance as a Starbucks store manager at one of the few stores that did not have one of the sexy, new fully automated machines.  Yes gentle reader, I could field strip a commercial grade La Marzocco 4-head and re-assemble it blindfolded.  Coffee has been a constant in terms of comfort and security for me.  But hey, enough about Henki-Lore, let's get back to the watch -

Courtesy of The Black Badger, Bamford Watch Department and TAG Heuer

The dial is a riff on the much sought after tropical dial.  Essentially a black dial that has been aged and faded by light until it has taken on more of a brown hue. And while I know there is a certain smug group of bearded fellas who favor tweed jackets and other group-think affectations who will wax lyrical about history, provenance, craft... oh, sorry, dozed off there!  I guess my point is that there is nothing wrong with appreciating the past, but as that other great commentator on the watch business, Barry Hearn would remind us - life moves forward.

I love the adaptation of ground coffee to help create the dial.  It seems so obvious in hindsight, but probably the last thing most would think of.  

To quote another great commentator on watches, Samuel L. Jackson as Jules in Pulp Fiction -

"Mmmm! Goddamn, Jimmie! This is some serious gourmet shit! Usually, me and Vince would be happy with some freeze-dried Taster's Choice right, but he springs this serious GOURMET shit on us!"

Courtesy of The Black Badger, Bamford Watch Department and TAG Heuer

Not just any coffee was used to achieve the dial's finish.  None other than Cafe da Matteo provided the coffee for the dials. If you ever find yourselves in Göteborg post lockdown, check them out - https://damatteo.se

Courtesy of Cafe da Matteo

The watch itself is Tag Heuer's Carrera Calibre 5, but thanks to the Black Badger and Bamford Watch Department, it is so much more!

Available from Bamford Watch Department       

and limited to 20 pieces.

Here are the pertinents -

Technical information: 

Model:  Carrera Calibre 5.

Type:  Automatic Watch

Movement: Tag Heuer Calibre 5 *Sellita SW-220-1)

Power Reserve: 38 Hours.

Case Material: Stainless Steel finished with light grey Military Grade Titanium Coating (MGTC)

Case Diameter: 41mm.

Case Thickness: 13.45mm

Case Back: Stainless Steel with Sapphire Display back.

Water Resistant: 10ATM - 100m.

Korona K0 Seasons

From Sarpaneva

Courtesy of Sarpaneva

I hope to clap eyes on these in person in a few weeks, but for now I will rely on the words provided by Sarpaneva -

Finland is a country of brutal honesty. When we say we have four seasons, it means we have four seasons. In autumn Mother Nature explodes in colour, but in winter she totally freezes over. In spring she slowly awakes, and in summer she doesn't sleep at all.

To salute these stark contrasts, Stepan Sarpaneva created four distinct watches that keep glowing through the cycle of seasons. Korona K0 Seasons is Sarpaneva’s second collaboration with James Thompson of Black Badger Advanced Composites.

Courtesy of Sarpaneva

If I were picking favorites, it would be the Summer - which reminds me of long winter nights spent in Turku and Helsinki waiting for Mid Summer's Eve ; )

Courtesy of Sarpaneva

Here are the pertinents:

MOVEMENT

• Modified Soprod A10 calibre, 11.5 lines, 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
• Mechanical automatic self-winding
• 25 jewels
• 42-hour power reserve
• Rhodium-plated with perlage finishing

CASE

• Stainless steel, 46 mm in diameter, 11.2 mm in thickness
• 2.5 mm sapphire crystal with multi anti-reflective coating
• Double secured, water-resistant screw-down crown
• Signature moon face relief on caseback
• Water-resistant to 20 ATM

DIAL

• Two-part stainless steel, DLC, TiN
• Luminous teal, green, violet, blue, in collaboration with James Thompson of Black Badger Advanced Composites
• Rhodium-plated hands, polished, matt blasted. Blued steel seconds hand.

STRAP

• Leather in various colours
• Stainless steel buckle

Revontulet - and the Quick Northern Fox

Hyvää huomenta everyone! Having spent four winters in Finland (2 in the "old capital" of Turku, and 2 in Helsinki) I can tell you that it takes a special person to find the magic and express it in a way that is understandable to the ulkomaalainen (foreigners) . Ladies and gentlemen, Stepan Sarpaneva is pretty special.  And it took something pretty special to create this latest offering from Sarpaneva - the Korona Northern Lights.

Courtesy of Sarpaneva

These three pieces are the latest from Stepan Sarpaneva and represent a truly unique collaboration with James Thompson of Black Badger.  The Korona Northern Lights come in 3 versions -

Green -

In the daytime...

Courtesy of Sarpaneva

And at night...

Courtesy of Sarpaneva

Violet -

In the daytime...

Courtesy of Sarpaneva

And at night...

Courtesy of Sarpaneva

And Blue...

In the daytime...

Courtesy of Sarpaneva

And at night...

Courtesy of Sarpaneva

In Finland the story goes that the Revontulet (Northern Lights) are created by the escapades of a frolicking naali (Arctic Fox).  As he/she is running around (as foxes are apt to do) his/her fur brushes the sides of the mountains creating sparks that fly into the night creating the northern lights.

Another version has the playful naali brushing the snow with its tail, sending the northern lights skyward.  I prefer both explanations to the scientific ones.

Courtesy of Sarpaneva

But it would seem that in this instance, it was not the naali, but rather the Black Badger himself helping to create this magic with his fantastic "Moonglow" composite.  But as he explains in his Notes from the workbench, Moonglow was only available in one color - green.  So Mr. Thompson did some research and discovered some additional possibilities.  I don't want to steal the Black Badger's thunder, so here is a link to his site so that you can read all about it straight from the source -

Black Badger Notes from the workbench.

The case is 46 mm in diameter, with a thickness of 12 mm, has a sapphire crystal with multiple interior anti-reflective coatings, and will stay safe and dry to 10 ATM thanks to the Double secured water-resistant SARPANEVA screw-down crown.

The movement is a modified Soprod A10, which is self-winding and features a moon phase indication (29.5 days) that is the result of Stepan Sarpaneva's in-house complication.  It offers 42 hours of power reserve and is Rhodium plated with perlage finishing.

The dials are are DLC coated in green, violet or blue with Super-LumiNova indices, and as mentioned above were made possible thanks to the collaboration with James Thompson of Black Badger Advanced Composites.  The moon phases are of red or white gold.  The hands are also treated with Super-LumiNova.

I am really looking forward to seeing these in person at BaselWorld in a few weeks' time, but for now

here are the complete specs:

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Movement
• Modified Soprod A10 calibre, 11.5 lines, 28800 vph (4 Hz)
• Mechanical, automatic winding
• Phases of the moon (29.5 days), in-house complication
• 25 jewels
• 42-hour power reserve
• Rhodium-plated, perlage finishing
• DLC coated winding mass with 18K gold moon and masses

Case
• Stainless steel, 46 mm in diameter, 12 mm in thickness
• 1.5 mm thick curved sapphire crystal with multi anti-reflective coating inside
• Double secured water-resistant SARPANEVA screw-down crown
• Water-resistant to 10 ATM

Dial
• DLC coated blue, green or violet with Super-LumiNova indexes
• Luminous dials in collaboration with James Thompson of Black Badger Advanced Composites 

• Moon faces made of 18K red gold and 18K white gold
• Rhodium-plated hands with Super-LumiNova

Strap
• Leather in various colours, rubber
• Stainless steel buckle