At least, it seems to be for Fortis (for those not musically inclined, pianissimo = very soft, forte = loud) with their B-42 Black Black model. And no, that’s not a typo – they’re calling it Black Black. I have a feeling that has to do with the black dial, black case, and the black luminova.
At first, this seems like it would make for a very difficult watch to read. However, the white-tipped hands (under regular lighting) jump out against the black dial – and when the lights dim, those same hands glow in a soft blue, ensuring readability is kept. This, I think, makes for about the perfect solution for a stealth, or “blacked out”, watch that is actually functional and usable. There is some additional black lume on the numeric indicators on the dial, but I think this might not be as useful as it might seem.
The case itself is 42mm in diameter, made of titanium with a PVD coating to ensure it stays nice and dark. The bezel is uni-directional, and has a lumed dot at the 12 o’clock position. Sitting in the middle of that bezel is an AR-coated (on both sides!) sapphire crystal, and around back you’ve got a rubber strap (hmm, why no titanium bracelet option?) with a titanium clasp holding things on your wrist. And what about inside the case? You’ll get a Swiss ETA 2836-2 automatic movement with an incabloc shock absorber blasting away at 28,800 vibrations per hour, which also drives the day and date display.
This is a limited-edition watch, with a run of only 2,012 pieces. While I can’t find any solid pricing on the Fortis website, I was able to find some prices online around the $3000 mark. Not a cheap watch, by any means – but this one definitely has the appearance (and specs) that would lead one to think that you’re getting what you’re paying for. Of course, at this sort of price range, you have all sorts of options – though if you want a stealth model, this may be just about your best option.
For more information, you might wish to see what Mr. Ariel Adams had to say back in 2009.
