Do you celebrate Talk Like a Pirate Day? Should you? Do you need a watch for it? Well, Ballast has you covered, along with anyone else who has a bit of the Pirate in them, with the Jolly Roger Watch. Adorned with the skull and crossbones of the Jolly Roger made famous by movie pirates everywhere, the watch adds a little edge, or playfulness, to your daily wear.
In general, I tend to see new brands go the crowdfunding route, or perhaps new-ish brands returning to the crowdfunding scene for a second or third model. The Techne SparrowHawk II Eco, however, is the second recent project I have seen that was launched by an established brand. Techne has been covered on these pages previously, and I own a Harrier model, so they are not unknown to us. The produce quality wristwatches with a military/aviation theme, and the styling of this project is not a departure for the brand.
I don’t currently own a chronograph, but have been temped to pick one up. Fjord Timepieces recently lent me one…
Magrette is offering fans a chance to order a new watch from them, the Leoncino (Little Lion), an automatic that takes its design cues from the styles of the 60s. The case is a squared off cushion style, with lugs that taper from the edges of the case to the strap. The finish is polished stainless steel (brushed on the sides), perfect to go with bright chrome fenders. The dial, however, that is pure Magrette DNA with a clean modern look.
How many of us rely on our phones… a tad too much? How often are you out and about and find your phone on the brink of death because you have left the GPS on or posted a few too many pics to your facebook page? How many of you have space power cells with you? Well, Energy Bionics has mated a Japanese quartz movement to a power pack recharged through a solar cell and strapped it all on your wrist. Viola, the Carbon.
Romain Jerome does things… differently. Their latest watch is a commemoration of a grand geologic event, that happened to ground air traffic in Northern Europe for 6 days. The Eyjafjallajökull (Icelandic for “Island mountain glacier”) volcano erupted in April 2010, creating some spectacular images, but also producing an ash cloud that disrupted air travel in Europe. The watch is part of the DNA series, meaning that it contains a part of the namesake, in this case volcanic stone. This iteration, with an Evo designation, is the third in the line, with a black PVD stainless steel case.
Projects Watches Terra-Time 1Projects Watches is a small brand that puts out playful and interesting watches with an emphasis on the design of the watch. The brand began by producing architectural elements for homeowners and then branched into timepieces. They pair with various designed, architects and artists to design their watches. The latest offering, with sales starting on May 20, is the Terra Time, a watch inspired by the look of topographic maps.
There is a term for cyclist that applies to those of us who ride that are obsessed with getting a bike as light as it can get. They are called weight weenies. Well, for you weight weenies out there, meet your watch. Zenith is releasing a limited run of their El Primero Chronograph that tips the scales at a mere 15.9 grams. That is a bit over 1/2 an ounce, or to put it in another context, about 3 seedless grapes.
Victorinox, yes the Victorinox that makes the ubiquitous Swiss Army Knife, has been in the watch business for a while. While a number of their watch offerings have been attractive, I rarely see something from them that makes me want to buy one. Well, I think they found their sweet spot, at least when it comes to what I like in a sports watch. A limited edition, Swiss automatic chronograph dive watch, and a serious dive watch at that.
I have long been fascinated with skeletonized watches. Apart from the sweep of the second hand, there is not a lot to indicate that a watch is an automatic, especially if it is on your wrist and the caseback is not in view. With a skeleton, the guts are on display with the balance wheel, at the very least, ticking away the time. The Earnshaw Longcase brings a skeletonized automatic down to an attractive price point, with the list at $600, but the street price often significantly lower.
