Watches in the Wild: Inflight Magazine Edition
Disclaimer: It's a chronograph?
This is going to be a slightly different sort of #watchesinthewild not the least because this is about some watches that I saw in an inflight magazine. Take none of what I'm about to say seriously.
https://youtu.be/GZYhDMCOyww?si=x71wBhlk8JqqHhYt
Since I was a kid, I have enjoyed paging through the alternate reality of luxury travel, high end matchmaking services, and plastic surgery advertised within the confines of the inflight magazine.
And I have also mourned the slow decline of such magazines as fewer and fewer flights offer them as entertainment, in favor of admittedly superior wifi enabled video.
But United, my airline of choice (choice is a little much, my airline of most direct flight options from my home city), still holds true to the old ways and publishes Hemispheres Magazine. Yes, I would to know that hte St. Regis is the best place to stay in Chicago and please tell me all about how to spend three perfect days in Ireland. U2 is performing in Vegas and I shouldn't miss it? Amazing!
But on a recent flight home from Mexico, I saw something relavant to my other interests. A feature on chronographs!
Behold the pictures with my potato quality phone camera.
For those of you who care to avoid the eye strain, the following watches are highlighted.
Swatch Neon to the Max
Cheap, cheerful, colorful and available
Hamilton Jazzmaster Performer Chrono
A touch of steel bezel Daytona homage, but much better pushers in my opinion
Glashutte Original Sixties Annual Chronograph
I got nothing. This is a staggering cool dress chronograph with a fabulously interesting dial
Zenith Chronomaster Sport (Steel Bezel)
Instead of the classic ceramic bezel version.
Bremont Isle of Man TT Limited Edition
I didn't even know this watch existed....but its pretty cool nonetheless.
So @Edge168n , what's the dealio? So you saw some overpriced watches in an inflight magazine, who cares?
You have a point. But we've all seen a listcle or two in our day and we all know what the usual suspect watches are.
Where's the Daytona? The Speedy? The Tag Heuer Autavia/Carrera/Monaco? The BB chrono? Hell where's the Moonswatch?
Yet absent here.
In fact if you look through random lists of best chronographs, nothing in this article cracks to the top thirty of most places.
https://twobrokewatchsnobs.com/chronograph-watches/
https://www.europeanwatch.com/blog/best-chronograph-watches/
https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/watches/gallery/best-chronograph-watch
Curiouser and curiouser
So it's a paid for feature. Nothing weird about that.
Yeah, except three companies are featured (Bremont, Swatch Group and LVMH/Zenith). Surely any of these companies would demand a company specific feature. Nor was there, as far as I could tell, any reference to a specific jeweler that would provide compensation for highlighting some of the watches in their catalogue.
And as for the specific watches featured, these are some serious watch hipster choices. The Swatch Neon to the Max instead of the MoonSwatch? The steel bezel Zenith Chronomaster Sport instead of the ceramic? The Hamilton Jazzmaster Performer instead of the Intramatic? Any Bremont or Glashutte Original AT ALL?
The implications are clear and staggering. There's a watch nerd on staff at Hemispheres magazine. A simple throwaway article transformed into an expression of watch mania that that likes of us could only aspire to.
Which one of you nerds did this because I love you for it.
By day, investor and father. By night, Seiko nut. #justgooutsideandtouchgrass
Great post! I came back to "potato quality camera" several times and laughed. I'm ordering the swatch.
Great post! I came back to "potato quality camera" several times and laughed. I'm ordering the swatch.
That Swatch made me giggle. Not just the way it looks but the name is exactly everything I want out of a stupidly colorful watch.
I'd rock it over a MoonSwatch any day!
A GO (let alone a fairly obscure beast like the Sixties Chrono) in an inflight magazine??!! There is hope for the world yet!
Thx for sharing this ray of light :)
A GO (let alone a fairly obscure beast like the Sixties Chrono) in an inflight magazine??!! There is hope for the world yet!
Thx for sharing this ray of light :)
Right? RIGHT?
It's exactly the sort of thing I would have wanted out of a throwaway featurette that took me 2 minutes to read.
Is this manifesting? Did I will this into reality? Am I seeing the Matrix?
If I start flying and fighting Hugo Weaving later, I'll let you know.
Right? RIGHT?
It's exactly the sort of thing I would have wanted out of a throwaway featurette that took me 2 minutes to read.
Is this manifesting? Did I will this into reality? Am I seeing the Matrix?
If I start flying and fighting Hugo Weaving later, I'll let you know.
It’s a good thing you included pictures of the magazine, otherwise I might have thought you had one mushroom too many :)
It was a long time ago but I bought brightly coloured Swatch chronos for our daughters when they were in high school, oddly I recently purchased the blue dial Zenith with the steel bezel because I wanted to shut down comments about Zenith producing a Daytona homage watch. Bremont is not exactly a popular brand here in Toronto but earlier this week decided to wander into Yorkville to pick up a few pairs of casual trousers that are not connected to covid-19 lock downs, sat with the menswear shop owner sipping a double espresso when a fella walks in to chat, he owns a small watch shop that carries a few brands including Bremont, of course he wears an AP offshore, another visitor in the shop is wearing a big shiny Breitling Navitimer that he picked up pre owned from a shop that sells mainly grey market steel Rolex watches located in the same shopping district. The shop has always been a meeting place for guys who love watches and a free espresso. I pay mostly cash for my trousers, charge the balance and promise to bring a pound of medium roast coffee beans the next time I am in Yorkville. Apparently a lot of the freeloaders do not favour dark roast beans.
I do a similar thing while flying, but it’s the opposite. I’m always looking for the most egregious pieces of cheap but overpriced fashion watch tat offered on the buy on board programs. Eurowings, which I tend to fly often, never disappoints with the worst offerings from the Festina Group. Some of my picks:
Anybody here fancying a 43 mm brass-cased no-name quartz chrono for 215€?
Or perhaps a competent 50 m WR diver by Sekonda? Case diameter you say? Who cares?
The ladies models are the worst offenders though. They’re basically dropship. These coloured bracelets will remain unscratched for a total of 2.3 seconds after putting the watch on.
You can read the small print by yourself here: https://www.eurowings.com/content/dam/eurowings/downloads/EW_Wings_Shop_Spring_2024.pdf
These magazines and articles are a dying breed. It was written by
It’s a good thing you included pictures of the magazine, otherwise I might have thought you had one mushroom too many :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quWxrOQg9WI
It was a long time ago but I bought brightly coloured Swatch chronos for our daughters when they were in high school, oddly I recently purchased the blue dial Zenith with the steel bezel because I wanted to shut down comments about Zenith producing a Daytona homage watch. Bremont is not exactly a popular brand here in Toronto but earlier this week decided to wander into Yorkville to pick up a few pairs of casual trousers that are not connected to covid-19 lock downs, sat with the menswear shop owner sipping a double espresso when a fella walks in to chat, he owns a small watch shop that carries a few brands including Bremont, of course he wears an AP offshore, another visitor in the shop is wearing a big shiny Breitling Navitimer that he picked up pre owned from a shop that sells mainly grey market steel Rolex watches located in the same shopping district. The shop has always been a meeting place for guys who love watches and a free espresso. I pay mostly cash for my trousers, charge the balance and promise to bring a pound of medium roast coffee beans the next time I am in Yorkville. Apparently a lot of the freeloaders do not favour dark roast beans.
I don't think Bremont is really a popular brand anywhere. I've frankly never seen one in person....though apparently they're doing well engough for Bill Ackman to splash $60M in them for a minority stake.
How do you like the Steel dial Chronomaster sport? I have a thing for chronographs and I always think a Zenith should be in the collection, but figuring out the specific one is....challenging.
Okay, I admit that I moonlight as a writer for Hemispheres!
A nice assortment of oddball choices, including three timepieces I'd prefer over the usual suspects any day. The reader Watches and Wonders who came up with it.
I don't think Bremont is really a popular brand anywhere. I've frankly never seen one in person....though apparently they're doing well engough for Bill Ackman to splash $60M in them for a minority stake.
How do you like the Steel dial Chronomaster sport? I have a thing for chronographs and I always think a Zenith should be in the collection, but figuring out the specific one is....challenging.
I like the Zenith steel bezel well enough but honestly should limit the number of chronos in my collection, servicing the movements are becoming a major concern. I thought about a Zenith for a long time, finally decided the blue dial with no ceramic bezel could be ok. An acquaintance did a deal with his white dial ceramic Daytona for cash and another mint condition steel Rolex, used the cash to buy a black dial Zenith Chronomaster Sport which most guys prefer over the white still to be a little different. The young man who was wearing the Navitimer owns a rarely worn Daytona. A lot of connected folks here in Toronto just need to make a phone call to jump the queue. Hope the situation is not like here in other cities. Have a great day! Always enjoy your posts.
Bremont just has such little presence in the US. I rather like them, but they don’t make it easy to buy. There’s only one AD in the entire SF Bay Area, Topper. I went in once and asked to see a specific Bremont, and the sales person was surprised; she was like “no one ever comes here to ask about Bremont!”
Hopefully their new CEO’s relaunch plans are successful and they get a solid presence in the US off the back of it, because it’d be great if a British watchmaker was successful and became known among the second tier of known watch companies (first tier being the ones every one knows like Rolex, Omega, Cartier, and Tag Heuer).
And love that Roadster! I hope Cartier brings it back sooner than later.
I do a similar thing while flying, but it’s the opposite. I’m always looking for the most egregious pieces of cheap but overpriced fashion watch tat offered on the buy on board programs. Eurowings, which I tend to fly often, never disappoints with the worst offerings from the Festina Group. Some of my picks:
Anybody here fancying a 43 mm brass-cased no-name quartz chrono for 215€?
Or perhaps a competent 50 m WR diver by Sekonda? Case diameter you say? Who cares?
The ladies models are the worst offenders though. They’re basically dropship. These coloured bracelets will remain unscratched for a total of 2.3 seconds after putting the watch on.
You can read the small print by yourself here: https://www.eurowings.com/content/dam/eurowings/downloads/EW_Wings_Shop_Spring_2024.pdf
Skymall! Or the European version of it at least. I do love me some completely overpriced, poorly made watches in a magazine without online comparison!
It's funny, I know Festina as a maker of reasonably legit watches (Perrellet, Soprod etc). I guess it's actually just Spanish Fossil Group.
Sigh.
These magazines and articles are a dying breed. It was written by
No terminator would put out this set of watches. Skynet needs to fool the humans before destroying them and no human would listen to the WIS who came up with this list of watches.
Okay, I admit that I moonlight as a writer for Hemispheres!
Polygraph says false. No Grand Seikos.
No terminator would put out this set of watches. Skynet needs to fool the humans before destroying them and no human would listen to the WIS who came up with this list of watches.
That’s what it wants you to think
Bremont just has such little presence in the US. I rather like them, but they don’t make it easy to buy. There’s only one AD in the entire SF Bay Area, Topper. I went in once and asked to see a specific Bremont, and the sales person was surprised; she was like “no one ever comes here to ask about Bremont!”
Hopefully their new CEO’s relaunch plans are successful and they get a solid presence in the US off the back of it, because it’d be great if a British watchmaker was successful and became known among the second tier of known watch companies (first tier being the ones every one knows like Rolex, Omega, Cartier, and Tag Heuer).
And love that Roadster! I hope Cartier brings it back sooner than later.
I don't mind Bremont at all, though their designs are a bit muscular for me (though most of my experience has been with the Supermarine collection at....Toppers 😉). I don't mind a large watch (I mean I wear a Roadster Chrono) but their most capable watches tend to be absolutely gigantic. Even the relatively restrained ones have very long lugs. I've never quite been sold on the proportions of those guys.
Speaking of....It's just about time for a Roadster reissue with some sort of inhouse (or manufacture) chronograph movement. I think it would be an absolutely banger.
Masterful
This is fantastic. A GO?!
I remember flagging Skymall mags as a kid and teen for random hot tubs, running shoes for heel pain, and trampolines. I would’ve definitely paused, like you, at a Bremont and GO add. Fascinating.
Masterful
Not I but the featurette writer.
Anonymous watch nerd, we salute you.
This is fantastic. A GO?!
I remember flagging Skymall mags as a kid and teen for random hot tubs, running shoes for heel pain, and trampolines. I would’ve definitely paused, like you, at a Bremont and GO add. Fascinating.
I was speechless and then looked around, wondering if someone had played a joke on me.
I have very tender feelings for Skymall, the same tender feelings I have for Sharper Image and Brookstone. Which is to say, not enough to prevent them from reaching inevitable bankruptcy.
I should order something from them some time, if only to satisfy the curiosity.
I was speechless and then looked around, wondering if someone had played a joke on me.
I have very tender feelings for Skymall, the same tender feelings I have for Sharper Image and Brookstone. Which is to say, not enough to prevent them from reaching inevitable bankruptcy.
I should order something from them some time, if only to satisfy the curiosity.
A very “am I being punked?” moment for sure.
I always poured over Skymall and Hemispheres, or any in flight mag, when it was an option. Haven’t seen one for a few years tho’. Boo Covid!
Complete with natty pages, likely high bacterial counts and slightly out of date information, so much random.
Air Canada’s rag, ‘En Route’ was always particularly bad (poutine listicles and best skating rinks of Regina .. etc) so flying any non Canadian airline was always exciting.
The chrono article is so mysterious. Isle of Man Bremont??? WTF! AI isn’t coming up with that option.
(BTW It really should have a skull on it somewhere, several deaths every year 🤯)
Thanks for the nostalgic reminder JC.
Also: who was the black British designers who shook up London 😗?
😂
I always poured over Skymall and Hemispheres, or any in flight mag, when it was an option. Haven’t seen one for a few years tho’. Boo Covid!
Complete with natty pages, likely high bacterial counts and slightly out of date information, so much random.
Air Canada’s rag, ‘En Route’ was always particularly bad (poutine listicles and best skating rinks of Regina .. etc) so flying any non Canadian airline was always exciting.
The chrono article is so mysterious. Isle of Man Bremont??? WTF! AI isn’t coming up with that option.
(BTW It really should have a skull on it somewhere, several deaths every year 🤯)
Thanks for the nostalgic reminder JC.
Also: who was the black British designers who shook up London 😗?
😂
The entire thing was mysterious. I'm still wrestling with it. AI could not create such a masterpiece.
Is there a particular reason why the Isle of Man TT is so dangerous? I know that it is renowned for being super deadly but I've never really seen it explained why it is so.
You know, I did actually read that article on British designers. As is typical when I see watches; in one ear, out the other.
The entire thing was mysterious. I'm still wrestling with it. AI could not create such a masterpiece.
Is there a particular reason why the Isle of Man TT is so dangerous? I know that it is renowned for being super deadly but I've never really seen it explained why it is so.
You know, I did actually read that article on British designers. As is typical when I see watches; in one ear, out the other.
The TT is a race with various classes of bikes, right up to unlimited super bikes, raced on public roads (with trees, houses, rock walls, etc.) raced annually on the Isle of Man.
Racers are amateurs and hobbyists who’ve become addicted to the adrenaline and who keep trying to chase a perfect 15 to 20 minute run across the isle. Pushing the edge of the envelope within a hairs breadth of failure.
Also adding to the risk - it’s on each individual hobbyist to maintain their bike to be safe at 200+ mph. Most racers don’t have much budget however. Equipment failures equally deadly as pushing too hard.
Annual deaths range from 1 to 10 per event. ~ $18k to the winner , might cover travel expenses?
https://youtu.be/UsFyrvhUNCk?si=IF_cWs9EeHAgjkJ9
And you thought us watch geeks were nutty. I guess me racing bikes in the mountains is on the TT spectrum? ..but x1000 less dangerous 🙂
I don't think Bremont is really a popular brand anywhere. I've frankly never seen one in person....though apparently they're doing well engough for Bill Ackman to splash $60M in them for a minority stake.
How do you like the Steel dial Chronomaster sport? I have a thing for chronographs and I always think a Zenith should be in the collection, but figuring out the specific one is....challenging.
I had the impression that they were pretty popular in the UK. I know they heavily market their British-ness, which has a lot of appeal to some. I've heard that you'll see a boatload if you walked around the City or Canary Wharf.
It'll be interesting to see what their new CEO from Tudor does with the brand.
I had the impression that they were pretty popular in the UK. I know they heavily market their British-ness, which has a lot of appeal to some. I've heard that you'll see a boatload if you walked around the City or Canary Wharf.
It'll be interesting to see what their new CEO from Tudor does with the brand.
The next time I'm in London I should try that out. I was there about a year ago and didn't see a single Bremont on wrist....so maybe I wasn't looking hard enough.
It's going to be super interesting to see if they can de novo build the heritage they seem to be marketing. I certainly will be watching.