BaselWorld 2018 - The Shit That Killed Elvis

Ordinarily, I try to get all BaselWorld updates going while the fair is going on.  But this year I made the conscious decision to hold off a bit until the dust had settled.

This is the Tudor Black Bay GMT.  And it is the shit that killed Elvis.

It is available with a strap -

Courtesy of Tudor

On a NATO -

Courtesy of Tudor

And my personal favorite, with bracelet -

Courtesy of Tudor

Now it is interesting to relate, that although some of my BaselWorld buddies did like this watch, there was a bit of "bite back" from several others.  They were saying things like:
"But Tudor never made a GMT".
to which I said (in a more polite manner than the following):
"No shit, Sherlock". 
Because I think that is particularly low-hanging fruit to try and pick at.  It really has nothing to do with anything.  Wouldn't life be boring if you merely focused on staying strictly in your own lane?  Now in their presentation, the Tudor guys went out of their way to stress that these products were legitimate in terms of "inter-family heritage and DNA".  Well, if as the journalist or the customer you need that sort of reassurance to feel okay about liking this watch you should either be writing about something else, or you should mortgage your house and buy a Rolex.  And if you harbor fears of your watch buddies razzing you about what you like?  Well then frankly, this watch isn't for  you, and you are clearly not ready to pee in the tall weeds with the other big dogs.

For me, this one ticks all of the emotional boxes.  Ask any American guy of a certain vintage where he first caught sight of the Rolex GMT and they will recall that doer of daring - Magnum PI.  A fictional private investigator, living as a guest in a millionaire's estate, always catching the bad guy and doing the right thing?  For many of us the GMT became an icon.  Is this contrary to just about ANYTHING I usually state as a good reason to like or love a watch?  Absolutely.  But I stand by my opinion.  And here's why - it's PERSONAL.  To the best of my knowledge, Rolex did not reach out to the producers of the show and try to make a product placement.  It was an organic partnership that got Rolex far more mileage than any paid partnership ever could have.  In this manner, the GMT became more than a watch for some of us, it became a piece of our personal history (albeit through a Thursday night TV show) even if we will never own one.  

About current partnerships, I will say that Tudor's now seemingly relentless attempt to gain legitimacy through paid partnerships with Lady Gaga, David Beckham, and some actor who I know absolutely nothing about is a slippery slope that may not have the payoff that the marketing folks are hoping for.  As the guy who had to cook up these potential partnerships for a brand, I know that it is a perilous, often thankless exercise that oftentimes results in an aggregate loss both in terms of publicity and actual cost.  Because in all honesty?  These are products that don't need a paid celebrity "chum". 

On a strictly "BaselWorld Reporter" level, the Tudor Black Bay GMT was a visceral sucker punch that I did not see coming this year.  And it is also clear that others in my press reveal felt the same way.  A gentleman from Australia stiff-armed me in an effort to get to this piece first in the display area.  Well, it is a country founded as a penal colony...
I kid, of course ; )

I also think some reporter's poo-pooing of this watch might, in part, be due to the fact that Rolex came out with a GMT update this year - just a wee-bit south of $10,000.  That's A LOT OF MONEY.  I saw it, it's plenty nice, but I also have come to understand that while I write about watches that the great and the good might own and wear, those people and I live in very different financial worlds.  And that's okay.  And in all honesty, isn't that why the Tudor brand has been positioned where it is?  The Tudor Black Bay GMT with bracelet comes in at well under that aforementioned $10,000 price point at very  reasonable 3,700 Swiss Francs.  So you may, in fact, pay your mortgage and put some money in your kid's college funds while enjoying a truly awesome watch.

For me, this is pretty simple.  A very good looking watch, 41 mm in stainless steel with a manufacture COSC movement.

I want one.  I want one very, very much.  

Here are the pertinents -

REFERENCE 79830RB

CASE
41 mm steel case
with polished and satin finish

BEZEL
Bidirectional rotatable
48 notches bezel in steel with 24-hour graduated anodized aluminum disc in matte burgundy and blue

WINDING CROWN
Steel screw-down winding crown, with the TUDOR rose in relief, with circular satin-brushed steel winding crown tube

DIAL
Black, domed

CRYSTAL
Domed sapphire crystal

WATERPROOFNESS
Waterproof to 200 m (660 )

BRACELET
Riveted steel bracelet, with polished and satin finish, or “Terra di Siena” brown leather strap with folding clasp and safety catch, or black fabric strap with burgundy band and with buckle 

MOVEMENT 

CALIBRE
Manufacture Calibre MT5652 (COSC)
Self-winding mechanical movement with bidirectional rotor system
Built-in architecture

PRECISION
Swiss Chronometer officially certified by the COSC (Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute)

FUNCTIONS
Jumping hour
(second time zone), 24-hours, minutes and seconds at
the center
Instantaneous date at 3 o’clock without non-correction range being synchronized on the jumping hour hand
Stop seconds for precise time setting

OSCILLATOR
Variable inertia balance, micro-adjustment by screw
Non-magnetic silicon balance spring
Frequency:
28,800 beats/hour (4Hz)

TOTAL DIAMETER 

31.8 mm

THICKNESS
7.52 mm

JEWELS
28 jewels

POWER RESERVE
Approximately 70 hours

 

Why You Should Not Care Who Wears Your Watch

So this is, perhaps, a cold cup of coffee on a Monday morning.  But like removing a band aid, sometimes you just have to grip it and rip it.

My in-box has been bursting with "seen on the red carpet", and the latest Omega brand ambassador who won a medal, or an astronaut visiting the hospitality tent - and it begs the question -
who the f*&ck cares?

Shameless borrowed from the world-wide info web 

When I was a young man of a certain age, I was obsessed with the Rolex GMT Master - because Thomas Magnum wore one on Magnum PI.  Whether or not this was an intentional product placement or not, it made a big impact.  And it was effective because it was not overt.  And it bears mentioning that Magnum PI was a fictional character ; )

It has been proven by some tiny little brands that hundreds of thousands of dollars do not need to be dispatched to the pockets of famous athletes and entertainers to ensure the longevity of their brand or the desirability of their watches.

Who is the celebrity ambassador for Patek Philippe?  Panerai?  Vacheron Constantin?

Exactly.

And what of other big-boy brands?  Audemars Piguet had Lebron James as a paid ambassador at one point, but clearly nothing lasts forever as he was photographed wearing a Rolex recently.

Hublot was partnered with Manchester United, then they weren't, now they are again - at a cost of mere millions.

And Omega took pains to inform me this morning that a famous fashion designer visited their hospitality tent - needless to say, I wasn't invited - and neither were you for that matter, so why should you care?

The list goes on and on.  And if anyone was honestly looking at the balance sheet for a real understanding on the return of investment gained out of these partnerships, there might be some very uncomfortable questions to be answered.

Which then brings it back to you, gentle reader.  Panerai might have gotten a jump-start from Sylvester Stallone wandering into their boutique way back when, but what is now driving it is the desire people have for their watches.  The same for Patek and others who aren't chugging the PR Kool-Aid.

Shamelessly borrowed from the world-wide info web

So before you get all worked-up to go and plop down your American Express Unobtainium card to "Be Like Mike" and buy a watch based on a celebrity partnership, just ask yourself:

Are you excited about the watch, or about the person who is paid to wear the watch?  And more importantly, as a consumer is it your responsibility to help fund the vainglorious marketing foibles of a PR office completely devoid of creative ideas?

Big Baller

According to the Urban Dictionary:

Originating from a term referring to a very talented basketball player, typically a pro or from "street ball", who lives lavishly--this phrase is commonly used to refer now to anyone who likes to "live large".

And in fairness, we are still living through the hangover of the big ballers of the past 20 years in the watch industry.  And when we think about big ballers, we often let our minds wander to a sexy machine - like a Ferarri.  So it would seem natural, that if we like watches, and we like sexy sports cars, why wouldn't we want a Ferrari watch?!?  

As we are now more firmly into the "Post Biver" era of Hublot, the Hublot/Ferrari partnership rolls onward.We are all familiar with all of the arguments for such partnerships - prestige, the VALUE of the BRAND identity of Ferrari, and of course my favorite - CHINA! They're trying to push more firmly into the Chinese market!  Of course, this little partnership will solve EVERYTHING!

Or not…

First and foremost, it is not exactly a formula that has worked too well for other brands, most recently a tiny little firm - Panerai.  The Ferrari / watch partnership has not been an unqualified success for the watch partners involved.

But it's about exclusivity!  Really?  When we take this into consideration - i.e the "exclusivity" - why, oh why does Movado have a licensing/partnership deal of their own with Ferrari?  Maybe they could also have one with Timex?  Oh, wait, I know, how about Invicta - I mean seeing as we want it to be "EXCLUSIVE" and all, I am sure that exclusivity will really shine through once it hits SHOP NBC!

Here's the thing, I am not denying in any way, shape or form that Ferrari is seductive.  They make beautiful cars, have a storied tradition and if we're very honest, Magnum PI would not have been nearly the same if he drove a Porsche - and certainly not a Corvette ; )

But if you're going to be exclusive...