Auction: The William Wood 9/11 Time For Heroes will help those who risk life and limb in the line of duty
Ricardo SimeCertain days in your life are impossible to forget. Some bring joy and happiness to your heart, like the day you get married or the birth of your first child. Other days, well, other days bring an immense amount of sadness. September 11th is that day for me and millions of other New Yorkers. On that day, in the span of two hours, thousands of family, friends and close loved ones were lost. And of those, hundreds were individuals who in the face of danger, ran towards it, when most of us ran away. One such individual was a Brooklyn firefighter by the name of Stephen Siller. When the world stopped on September 11th, Stephen, with 60lbs of gear on his back , ran through a nearly two mile tunnel to get to the Twin Towers so he could help those in need. Sadly, those were the last moments of his life.
A year later, the Tunnel to Towers foundation was created with its mission to help “military and first responders who continue to make the supreme sacrifice of life and limb for our country”. Through donations, the charity is able to build smart homes for those injured and pay off the mortgages of those who have left loved ones behind. One of their main avenues to collect these donations is their annual 5k run that follows the path Stephen took on that fateful day.
To help with their fundraising mission, the Tunnel to Towers foundation has decided, on this, the 20th anniversary of 9/11, to partner with a watch brand that has deep ties to firefighting. That brand is William Wood Watches, out of Britain. The brand carries the name of the founder’s grandfather, who served in the British Fire Service. One common theme among their watches is the use of upcycled firefighting material and the incorporation of firefighting symbols within their designs. This all comes together in the one-of-one watch William Wood has created to auction off in support of the charity.
That watch is the 9/11 Time For Heroes and it has quite a story to tell.
The 9/11 Time For Heroes is a 41mm automatic chronograph. Its story begins at the set of four straps that come with the watch. Each rubber strap is inlaid with material from used fire hoses with a total of four different colours; London Fire Brigade Red, West Midlands Fire Service Yellow, Tyne & Wear Fire Service Blue and British Armed Forces Fire Unit Green.
As you make your way to the sandwich dial, the subdials at 3 and 9 o’clock are designed after the gauges within the cab of a fire engine; down to the pressure pump styled hands. The checkered pattern around the dial comes from the designs seen on British Fire Engines.
On the back of the watch, printed below the crystal, is the message “In Case Of Fire, Break Glass”. On top of the crystal, William Wood has printed the New York skyline in blue, with the silhouette of the Twin Towers printed in red. Below this, you’ll find “09/11 20 years” engraved.
Inside the watch is a Sellita SW 510 chronograph movement which beats at 28,800 bph and has a power reserve of 62 hours. The chronograph is controlled by two antique brass pushers. That material continues on the crown, which is topped with brass and features the brands Helmet logo. The brass here is forged from an original 1920s fire brigade helmet.
In addition to the watch being auctioned, the winner will also receive a Thank You letter, signed by the Tunnel to Towers CEO and William Wood’s Founder. They will also receive a personal private tour of the 9/11 Museum in New York City. The auction begins on September 6, 2021 at noon with a starting bid of $5000 and bids being accepted in increments of $2000. Bidding will close on Monday, September 13. Of the proceeds from the auction, 100% will go to the foundation.
For those interested, visit https://williamwoodwatches.com/collections/t2twatchauction