RECOMMENDED READING: Trust in the Tool Watch

Nick Kenyon

As you might have noticed (here, here and here), I’m quite interested in bulletproof watches being used in situations with bullets (figuratively). I enjoy, as much as the next guy, reading about the (somewhat theoretical) limits of well-made watches, if it be temperature, altitude or water pressure. But what I love even more is reading true stories of watches in dangerous situations and seeing how they perform. I also suspect that I am not alone in being a passionate consumer of horological testimonials that fall outside of a marketing budget, with there being an evident growth in interest in watches with military provenance.

I recently came across this piece in the Financial Times, discussing tool watches being used for their intended purpose — as tools. Despite modern GPS technology claiming more wrist real estate than half a century ago, in 2019 many adventurers are choosing to wear a more traditional tool watch. Unsurprisingly, watches like the Breitling Emergency are seriously functional watches in remote parts of planet earth, responsible for saving the lives of dozens of people over the years. It’s a nice reminder that while #deskdiver watches are crucial tools for navigating the wilds of terra corporata boardroomus (trans. corporate boardroom land), there are genuinely robust watches being used in environments that demand robustness.