FRIDAY WIND DOWN: A one of a kind visit to London and a pit-stop at The Wing with Bremont
Zach BlassI’m pushing through the jet-lag, fresh off the plane back in New York City after a week in London. I only wish I could have stayed longer, but fortunately the days I was there were packed with fun and watches – 162 to be exact.
Having been to their exhibition in NYC back in 2017, I thought I had already seen the best possible assembly of Patek Philippe watches. The OAK Collection exhibition, however, may have even topped that display. The One of a Kind name is no joke, Patrick Getreide’s highly curated collection boasts not only an extraordinary array of vintage and rare Patek, but some truly one-off bespoke pieces created at his request that you’d never be able to see anywhere else.
He even has commissioned modern unique revivals of his rare vintage references – showcasing side by side the same watch made then and now. With over 600 watches in his collection, allegedly and conservatively estimated to be worth $300M, to own just one of these pieces would be an exit watch for 99.9% of watch lovers.
After taking in all those incredible pieces, I had to walk off the horological feast I had just experienced – strolling the streets of London wishing I had a better stock portfolio or had got in on crypto currency early.
Of course, as a watch person, I had to stop in each Swatch boutique I strolled past. Most did not have any MoonSwatch inventory, but one had a line down the block – which surprised me considering the watches were debuted over two months ago.
Before returning to Heathrow to head back to New York, I squeezed in a quick visit to Bremont’s Manufacture “The Wing”. I have always respected what Bremont works to create, but being at the source made me appreciate everything they do that much more. Most of the manufactures I have been to can feel like time capsules at times, but at The Wing you don’t feel vibes of the past – it’s all about the present and the future.
Getting to walk through and see all the machinery, and their respective operators, you really get a sense of all the work that goes into creating their robust watches. And considering 20% of their inventory is sold to military organisations each year, the builds need to be rock solid – marketing spin alone won’t suffice. In watchmaking, we tend to laud hand-craftsmanship and the imagery of a watchmaker filing away at the edges of a bridge, while diminishing the skill of machining. Having seen the effort that goes into various CNC processes, my visit made me realise the art of the science. I still prize and covet traditional methods, and exquisite hand-finishing, for sure. But do not dismiss the value of quality and highly refined machining. And if you really dig the case finishes you see on these final products, be sure to send your thanks to their polishing specialist Toby who ensures each case receives a bit of hand-finished love (resulting in the curvaceous smooth cambers that help form a Bremont watch around your wrist).
Naturally, before I left to make my plane back home I had to sit in their own. Having a genuine cockpit outside the manufacturer (as well as cars and motorcycles inside the manufacture) may seem like a gimmick, but they really are tangible reminders of just how deep Bremont’s love runs for racing and aviation – two passions that fuel and inspire many of their designs.
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
– Zach
Watch meme of the week: The reason we all have to create separate watch Instagrams…
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Whenever people outside of #watchfam ask me about watches, and why I love them, I always give them a look that says: are you ready to go down this rabbit-hole? It is so easy, in our passion, to talk extensively about timepieces. But be sure to read your audience, and recognise when your answer should be one minute long versus one hour.
Wrist shot of the week: Andrea Casalegno continues to flex the Crash-like Exaequo Softwatch
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It just comes so natural to Italians doesn’t it? Swag and style to the max, Andrea Casalegno rocks the watch Cartier Crash admirers, who cannot pay the six or more figures required to snag one these days, should really look into: The Exaquo Softwatch. You can learn more about this Salvador Dali-inspired creation from Andrea here.
Time+Tide Shop select of the week: Hamilton Khaki Field Auto (38mm & 42mm)
When you’re planning an expedition, your equipment should be reliable, resilient, functional and compact. This watch is all that and more. At 38mm, or 42mm if you’d like it a bit larger, this watch is punching above its weight when it comes to military-inspired features. It delivers bold looks, a rugged and robust case and strap, plus a movement that won’t let you down. With 80 hours of typical power reserve in the exclusive H-10 automatic caliber, the Khaki Field Auto will keep you going wherever your destination.
Price: $975 AUD
Buy it now at the Time+Tide Shop.
Our favourite Time+Tide coverage of the week:
Mark Ronson told me the story behind his go-to Royal Oak
Before Mark Ronson’s hour-long DJ set and a live performance of the new AP co-produced single Too Much (feat. Lucky Daye), I sat down with Mark, Lucky, François-Henry Bennahmias (CEO of Audemars Piguet) and Michael Friedman (Head of Complications) to delve into the project. But, as intriguing as it was to get a deeper sense of the musical collaboration, at the end of the day I am a shameless watch geek. So, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to briefly hit pause on the music discussion and ask Mark about his go-to 36mm Royal Oak in yellow gold and the story behind its acquisition. You can read the full story here.
A quartet of Nomos Tetra neomatik celebrates 175 years of Glashütte watchmaking
Easily the most underappreciated of the four classic Nomos designs, the Tetra is a rarity among modern watches. While there are plenty of rectangles and stylised, rounded-off squares, the Bauhaus approach that Nomos is so known for has influenced the Tetra in a big way, albeit with a few subtle design touches. You can dig into Borna’s full introduction here.
VIDEO: Seiko President reveals the origin story behind the Grand Seiko Kodo Constant Force Tourbillon
Andrew met up with Seiko Corporation President Akio Naito at Watches & Wonders, and during their chat he revealed the origin story behind the Grand Seiko Kodo Constant Force Tourbillon. Check out the video above for the full story.