Revisiting Something Awesome

Now in fairness, this piece of horological drip (that means dope, which means tight, which... gentle reader, means good) came out some time ago -

Courtesy of Eterna

I go to a LOT of watch events/shows.  Typically, I am not wandering around gawking. I am manning the tables, talking about the brand I am representing, listening (more often than not) to yet another devotee of all things Rolex go on and on and on and on (sorry, just wanted to give you the flavor) and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on about their reference -"ireallygiveashitxjy32skeedoo - you know the one Steve McQueen was wearing while he was taking a bath with his first wife. No, not the one with the Hanhart! No, not the one with the Tag Heuer, the ROLEX one!!!"

The scene, invariably, is Brooklyn or some other similar environ. Ironic tattoos and beer that you didn't want to drink when you were in high school flood your senses with a visceral overload instilling you with an unshakeable conviction that you are truly an alien in a foreign land. COVID-19 is scary enough, don't get me going on Millennialitis!

But I digress...

I think, invariably, we all are looking for something that we identify with. And for better or worse, a strong part of my personal watch identification, my "horological looking glass self" if you will, is intertwined with the Eterna Kontiki. 

Courtesy of Eterna

And this bronze green goodness continues to haunt my waking dreams. But I promise, I will not corner you at a watch gathering wearing a trucker hat with Pabst Blue Ribbon in one hand, and droning on endlessly.  I'll let the watch do the talking ; )

Should you be of a similar mind, here are the pertinents -

MOVEMENT
Calibre Maison Eterna EMC 3902A, power reserve 65h, 28’800 v.p.h, 30 jewels, 1 ball bearing

 

CASE
All brushed bronze, rotating bezel with green ceramic ring, case back secured with screw, sapphire crystal opening in stainless steel
 

CRYSTAL
Scratch-resistant, anti-reflective sapphire crystal
 

DIMENSIONS
∅ 44 mm / 14.05 mm
DIAL
Green, matt structured
 

STRAP & CLASP
Brown waterproof leather strap, bronze pin buckle
 

FUNCTIONS
Hour, minute, second

The Myth of Craft and Heritage

Now it goes without saying that in the digital watch media game, you apparently need to have a bushy beard and a fairly over-inflated sense of your own gravitas to be taken seriously...

All credit due to Jeff Greenspan

And SNAP!  You've fallen into the Hipster Trap!  Throw in a "vintage" strap and any one of five zillion "homage" / "heritage inspired" field and pilot watches hurled up like so many semi-digested street tacos mixed with bile and reconstituted kombucha and you have the horological equivalent of the hipster trap above.  Okay, in fairness, I really like street tacos - I mean, c'mon, nobody hates tacos!  Or as the youngsters would say -

"These sweet potato tacos with mango salsa are LEGIT!"

 But what I am driving at here is a willing suspension of disbelief.  And to quote that other great commentator on the watch business, Black Adder -

"Well, I'm not having anyone staring in disbelief at MY willy suspension!" 

Like any business, the watch business is fueled by a certain amount of codswallop, and hot air and bullshit are easier to bandy about when, in fact, you are offering the same thing as pretty much everybody else.

So without further delay, here are two myths in dire need of busting: 

Myth #1 - Hamilton is an authentic, down-home, old-timey American heritage brand.  A brand where humble artisans painstakingly made watches one by one, by hand.   Yeah, not so much...

Shamelessly borrowed from the world-wide info-web

Now here's the thing, while watches were more hand made "back in the day",  you better believe that the watch brands were looking for any and every possible modern technique that might help them crank out as many watches per day as possible.  Even before Swiss investment came in, and ultimately took Hamilton away from these shores, Hamilton was a mass produced product.  And for what it's worth, so was pretty much every US brand of note.

I personally don't have a problem one way or another with the watches Hamilton makes.  But don't try to sell me on this "American Heritage - Artisan" stuff.  You can put a rock in the oven, but that doesn't make it a biscuit ; )

Myth #2
A made in America, mechanical watch can be made, marketed and sold through retail outlets for just north of  $1,000 in any serious volume.
When just servicing your watch can cost upwards of $300 US, I find it highly unlikely that said watch was sourced, assembled, packaged and sold to the retailer for $500 or so (i.e. keystone). Constituent parts are going to come in around $100 or more (my bet is more).  Time and effort to put constituent parts together (correctly) so that said watch functions as advertised?  Let's factor in another $150 - $200 or so - this is presuming that the movement is being assembled (not fabricated, but assembled) in-house as advertised.  Again, we would presume that at the level of "craftsmanship" that some brands are claiming, this would come at some expense.  It's pretty basic economics.   Keep in mind, although they might amortize their work time through each sale, there is still the cost of owning, or renting a facility, tools, electricity, phone bills, marketing, warranty repair, shipping... I realize this might seem a bit nit-picky, but let's be realistic.  Now, it is also possible that some of these seemingly independent micro brands are being funded by investment.  And then, suddenly, some of that old-timey, bootstrapping success loses some of its luster.  That's the problem with origin myths, sometimes they're a bit too mythical.


So the next time some bushy-bearded Brooklynite tries to sell you on the authentic heritage of his favorite five month old brand, just remember that you can only take a grown-assed, thirty-something year old man so seriously when he's spilling out of his skinny jeans while rocking an Amish Outlaw.

Just Because You Can... Doesn't Mean You Should.

Omega is a great brand with a lot of great products.  They do a lot of wonderful work with charity.  I own two Omegas and still miss my 1969 Speedmaster Professional.  

Having said that...

Courtesy of Omega

This latest effort is a bit of a squib.

And the text provided with the images is enough to make you want to avoid any hipster that you encounter -

Thanks to its reliable design and superb anti-magnetic properties, the original OMEGA Railmaster of 1957 was perfectly suited to a role in working-class life. Today, the updated collection is proudly paying tribute to that industrial past with a new denim-inspired model.

Although they are now a fashion item, denim jeans were once manufactured purely for the benefit of hard-working laborers in the American West. For a long time, the robust cloth was the choice of miners, factory workers, farmers, and of course, those on the railroads. Their sturdy trousers or overalls would have gone hand-in-hand with the watch on their wrist.

To link the iconic material with this new Railmaster, OMEGA has created a vertically-brushed “blue jeans” dial that features indexes and hands with light-grey Super-LumiNova. There is also a beige lollipop central seconds hand and transferred Railmaster indication that are both reminiscent of the colored stitching found in denim jeans.

Most uniquely, the model is beautifully presented on a genuine blue denim NATO strap with brown leather used on the underside and for the keepers. The same model is alternatively available on a stainless-steel bracelet.

Courtesy of Omega

And if you have your heart set on this watch, I would opt for the bracelet version, you won't look like such a goof. 

The message seems to be:  "you don't have to get your hands dirty, but next time you put on your Redwing boots and "faux-vintage" Carhartt work wear, we've got just the watch for you!"  

I find it a stretch that Omega (and pretty much any other brand out there) is actually too fussed about celebrating the rugged integrity of the hard working men and women who actually performed honest toil for below-poverty-level wages.  It's fair to say that I could be wrong.  Having said that, I am pretty confident that the majority of the 30 somethings out there that this item is targeted at do not likely have just south of five grand ($4,900 suggested retail) to drop on an homage to the laborer.   They've spent all their money on student loan repayments and tragic tattoos.  And the amount of tips that baristas are making is not going to put a dent in the sticker price of this one.

I can almost hear the pitch meeting for this one now:

"Hey!  The really cool people featured in the the instafamous feeds we spend so much money on?  They all dress like hobos!"  

"Yeah, you're right!  What we need is an Omega for the trucker hat wearing, Pabst Blue Ribbon drinking, American Spirit smoking trendetarians out there!"

So does this mean that the two Crawford-Gerber ambassadors do the next Omega photo shoot dressed like Box Car Willie? 

Time will tell ; )

Me too, Time's Up, Floyd Mayweather!

Shamelessly borrowed from the world-wide infoweb

Hublot will take great pains to tell you how they are "different".  In absolute fairness, Jean-Claude Biver did something pretty remarkable with a slightly under-developed brand when he became involved in its purchase from Carlo Crocco.  It was done with a combination of insight, product awareness, and some pretty dramatic marketing pieces.  And to their credit, Hublot has done some very impressive charitable work. 

Hublot has enjoyed a fair amount of success in what the hipsters in their pork-pie hats refer to as - "disruption".  Of course, these "edgy" boys and girls know about getting attention, but they tend to have nearly zero knowledge of relevant demographics and very real lack of understanding about any demographic out there that does not make its purchases based on ironic detachment - let's be honest, there is no other way to explain "trucker" hats and Pabst Blue Ribbon in a day and age where there is so much good design, and about a million different beers out there that don't taste like they've been filtered through a cat's urinary tract.

But back to today's topic.  I have banged on and on about Hublot's choices of "partners" in the past.  Some have been very good, and very positive.  And some?  Well, not so much.

So in the midst of Me Too and Time's Up, Hublot has made a very odd (and sorry to say, tone-deaf) decision to spend time and money promoting a gentleman with a very troubling past history of alleged domestic violence.

Courtesy of Hublot

Pugilist, raconteur and noted feminist - Floyd Mayweather.

In a partnership that baffles many of us who cover this stuff, Hublot continues to partner with Mr. Mayweather, despite the somewhat overwhelming reporting on Mr. Mayweather's less-than courtly behavior in terms of "dispute resolution" with some of the women in his life.  I cite a very good piece penned by
Soraya Nadia McDonald and  Lonnae O'Neal-

Why Floyd Mayweather can still box after beating women

No photos, no central authority and black victims

This originally ran on August 23 of last year in the Undefeated.com.  And it one of the most intriguing pieces of coverage on the topic that I have come across. 

Now, in fairness, Hublot has the right to choose whoever they wish for partners.  And I am fairly confident that if an idea got floated through the LVMH halls about potential marketing/PR ideas, if it was sourced back to yours' truly?  The idea would probably be binned right away on general principle ; )   But having said that, I think you get to make mistakes in business, because quite often those mistakes were the result of good intentions and a not completely thought out idea.  But I also think when you continue to do something that offends a large group of people, you are no longer being provocative.  

You're just being sorta' clueless.

But, so that we have a little balance, here is the press release exactly as I received it from Hublot -

The Best Ever
BIG BANG UNICO TMT
A chronograph for the undefeated
Champion of the Noble Art
“Everyone knows I’m crazy about mechanical beauties, especially sparkling watches. So I’m truly proud to see the letters TMT x Hublot glittering on top of my watch. This timepiece means a lot to me, it symbolizes my career, my unbeaten 50-0 record and my last fight when I made history!” 

Floyd "Money" Mayweather, Hublot Ambassador
Five-time world champion Record holder in his discipline with 50 straight wins

“It’s an honour for us to be associated with the Noble Art’s legend of legends. A champion who, in taking his 50th victory, holds the discipline’s record. “The Best Ever”! 50 victories, no defeats, absolute mastery of an art that requires fighting spirit, bravery, self-transcendence, a sense of honour and keen tactical sense. Avoiding punches, and landing precise, clean and powerful ones, without any doubt, round after round, fight after fight. It’s the perseverance that makes all the difference. A champion in our image “first, unique, different!”
Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO of Hublot

Twelve-time, five division undefeated world champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather is boxing’s gold. The champion of champions, who reigned supreme for more than two decades, amassing a 50-0 unsurpassed ring record, joined Hublot executives on Saturday in Las Vegas to unveil two new watches created in collaboration with the luxury watch company. “Money” unveiled the Big Bang Unico TMT, an abbreviation of “The Money Team” and symbol of the powerful and highly visible logo of Floyd Mayweather’s lifestyle brand!
Hublot Crystals Boutique I Las Vegas I 10 February 2018
On 26th August 2017, Floyd Mayweather, the superstar of boxing, entered the ring at the T-Mobile Arena in style. His black shorts studded with gold displayed “TBE” and “HUBLOT”, two words expressing a single state of mind and one of absolute victory. A creation designed by Sophie Whittam, Director of Fight Label, the ultimate luxury boxing shorts and clothing brand. The talented designer chose black and gold to symbolise the athlete’s iconic and timeless character. She created an illustration representing Floyd on his own $1 million note. Cut out of gold leaf, the design was applied by hand onto matte-black lambskin. The belt cut out of suede and brilliant black python is embroidered with Swarovski crystals.

Shorts symbolising connections and a record!
Hublot x Mayweather; the story of this “knockout” partnership began in 2015 at “The Fight of the Century” pitting Floyd against Manny Pacquiao. For the first time, Money sported the name of the brand on his boxing shorts. In 2017, for “The Money Fight” against Conor McGregor, Mayweather wore Hublot on his belt once again. 

These shorts have become the emblem of the legend of legends,
sealing his 50th straight win! Shorts that naturally became the focus of the design of the Big Bang Unico TMT, Hublot have even used the setting where the fight took place to unveil its two limited editions. 


BIG BANG UNICO TMT – The Game Changer – “The watch of all wins”
The Big Bang Unico TMT adorns its winning outfit with a strap in black calf leather enhanced with python and gold studs, transposing the codes of the famous shorts worn by Mayweather during his latest fight. The boxing champion’s gold appears in the details of the two watches. For the first time, 3N-gold-incrusted carbon fiber dresses the watch from its case to its bezel. This is a unique composite material; gold powder is manually inserted into the carbon fiber layers before being compressed. At 12 o’clock, the watch proudly displays the 3 letters TMT in appliqué. The sapphire case back bears the champion’s ultimate inscription,

 

TBE, “The Best Ever”. Released in a limited edition of 100 pieces, the Big Bang Unico TMT is also available in 10 numbered editions set entirely in 3N gold. The flange, bezel, case, counters, index and three golden TMT letters sparkle beneath the light of 48 baguette-cut diamonds and 378 brilliant-cut diamonds for a carat weight of 4.85. 

Two invincible watches delivered with a boxing glove signed by the all-time champion. 

Big Bang Unico TMT! What’s your next challenge?

Courtesy of Hublot

 

Some More Chronofighter Goodness

From Graham -

So I was asked about "trends" at BaselWorld.  Well first and foremost was the "hipster beard".  No, I'm not talking "Ben Clymeresque" studiously curated stubble - no, I'm talking living in Canton, Ohio but trying to project that I live in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.  These were beards of truly epic scale that essentially made me question whether these "bros" had significant others or possibly they just all hung out in "tragically ironic" dive bars drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon and taking selfies of their Bremonts and Shinolas.  Just sayin'....

But rather than further discuss the "Amish Outlaws", I'd rather focus on another trend and that was the "camo" look.  And Eberhard and Graham were the two brands to successfully harness the feeling.

So some basics:

A chronograph with seconds and a 30 minute counter.  The date is in a refreshingly unusual location at 8 o'clock.  Powered by Graham's Calibre G1747 and boasting a power reserve of 48 hours.

The case is of black PVD stainless steel and measure s 47 mm in diameter.  The "fast action" left-hand 'trigger' lever is constructed of black carbon.  The reset pusher is black rubber.

The bezel is black ceramic, and the sapphire crystal is domed sapphire.  The back display crystal is "smoked".

Water resistance is rated at 100 meters, 330 feet or for the more nautical of you out there - 10 bars.

The dial is painted in a green camouflage motif, with an identification number on the seconds counter.  This is based on regimental numbers.

This piece makes up art of the Black Arrow Trilogy - but more on that later.