A Call To Arms (and Wrists)
Today more than ever it’s important to support and stand behind our Great United States. It seems like the most famous names in the watch industry have embraced the worlds craze for Military style watches and developed a few gorgeous, versatile, and soon to be legendary pieces.
Bell & Ross, is a company that got their start making instrument panels in helicopters and planes and transformed that into a wristwatch. Bell & Ross leads the way for savvy military-inspired timepieces with iconic pieces like the BR01, BR03, and Vintage Series. New to the lineup this year is the highly anticipated WWI series. Paying tribute to the first watches worn by Pilots in the early 1920’s, the WWI (Wrist Watch 1) features a large 45mm case and welded case lugs. This piece will be available in a series of colors that have now become staples in the B&R lineup.
Breguet has a tradition and history that is unparalleled in the industry. It should surprise no one that when the French Royal Air Force needed a reliable, readable, and functional watch they turned to the legendary manufacturers at Breguet. The Type XX was born and 500 pieces were made for the Air Force. Over 50 years later, the collection still continues to turn heads, with its newest addition the Type XXII. The Type XXII introduces us to the first wrist mechanical watch that beats at an unprecedented 10hz, and is accurate for timing up to 1/20th of a second! Let that soak in, in order to actually capture the measurement, the seconds hand rotates 2 in one second.
Since we are on the topic of Military grade watches, we have to mention Breitling. Introduced in 1884 by Leon Breitling, the brand is best known as a “professional” watch. It seems like almost all of Breitlings’ instruments are designed for function that would properly serve any soldier. Originally designed for pilots, the brand has spread its collection over many case sizes, and families. To me, the staple of the Breitling Line up is the Navitimer. It was first introduced in 1952. Its defining feature is the circular slide rule which, prior to the invention of modern electronics, was capable of performing a variety of necessary in-flight calculations. The 2011 addition to the lineup is the all in house Navitimer 01. Limited to a total of 2,200 pieces worldwide, this piece is sure to fly off the availability list!
Josh Nigut
Watch Specialist
jnigut@hpjewels.com
303-333-4446
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