Tag Archives: watches

Graham Chronofighter Vintage Pinups: Sally, Anna, Nina or Lilly?

Denis Martinet, Director of Asia for Graham Watches, at the Time Kulture exhibition at Pavilion in July 2017.

Hardcore history and aviation fans will be familiar with nose art, but the rest of us won’t immediately associate heavy military artillery like bombers and fighter jets with any kind of art.

So it’s apt for Graham Watches to introduce a classic, World War II era, army-man tradition into their latest rendition of the Chronofighter Vintage as reminder of its heritage: nose art of bodacious, ’40s pinup women, each clad — somewhat provocatively — according to her own style.

For background, nose art refers to the personalised decorations that air servicemen placed at the fuselages of their aircraft. Functionally, the paintings or decorations proved a useful way of distinguishing from friend or foe while airborne. Sea monsters, sharks and prancing horses were common, as were raunchier illustrations of women. It was the Germans who began the tradition, but became so popular that when it reached the Americans, it created a niche industry for professional artists like Donald Allen and Hal Olsen to make a name for themselves.

We had a chance to admire the limited edition Chronofighter Vintage Nose Art up close, at the Revolution by Time Kulture Exhibition in Pavilion, ongoing till July 16. Four different women — Sally, Anna, Nina and Lilly — feature on black or blue sun-brushed dials. Each of the ladies are skillfully and painstakingly lacquered on using featherline tools (visit their booth to watch a mesmerising video fo the process.) Calf leather straps come in black, green and blue, and of course, not to be missed is the fast-action start/stop trigger that made waves at Baselworld 2016 for its distinctiveness.

Only 100 of each design is available, according to Denis Martinet, Director of Asia for Graham Watches. Get your girl before she’s gone? We hope so.

Magnificent Watches For The Philharmonic

Classical music — a genre so unspeakably rich in content, vast in scope and so absolutely beautiful is best paired with a complication, because nothing else will quite match up.

Zenith Academy Tourbillon Georges Favre-Jacot

Based off the El Primero chronograph calibre, the movement of this watch is its main draw. The El Primero Calibre 4805 here retains its base movement’s 5Hz frequency, and comes equipped with a tourbillon regulator as well as a fusée-and-chain transmission – features that are arguably archaic, yet rather indicative of a brand’s movement design and production prowess. At 45mm, the watch asserts a stately presence, and comes with a relatively slim bezel to showcase its technical highlights. Black ceramic, approx. RM356,912.

Glashutte Original Senator Cosmopolite

As far as dual time watches go, the Senator Cosmopolite is probably the equivalent of the complete symphony orchestra with more than a hundred members. This watch doesn’t just display local and home time with a set of hands and day/night indicators each, but also accounts for daylight savings time, and even time zones that aren’t offset from GMT/UTC by complete hours. What’s perhaps most impressive is its adaptability – like how a symphonic orchestra can add a separate keyboard section when needed, just a dial change will accommodate new or removed time zones for this watch. White gold, approx. RM218,267.

See also: Perfect watches for a jazz performance.

A. Lange Sohne 1815 Annual Calendar

Nothing says classical quite like Glashütte watches so we have to include A. Lange & Söhne too. Masquerading as a chronograph, the 1815 Annual Calendar keeps its charms mainly for the wearer. Obviously, this is a manual-winding watch that invites quiet contemplation of Calibre L051.3, a composition as elegant as any by Mozart. Dial-side the symphonic action is the ability to advance indications collectively via the push piece at two o’clock. Soloist action can also be performed, with even the date being able to advance separately via a recessed pusher – a first for an A. Lange & Söhne calendar model. Red gold, approx. RM176,280.

Patek Philippe ref. 5930 World Time Chronograph

The time in the major cities around the world at a mere glance, with a flyback chronograph to boot – that’s a good description of Ref. 5930, at least for a start. There’s also the masterful arrangement of elements to keep the dial legible and aesthetically balanced, alongside the shades of blue that do not detract from the classical styling of the watch. There’s even guilloché applied to the middle of the dial that manages to enhance its overall look, without creating any hint of busyness. Truly a timepiece that’s far, far greater than the sum of its parts. White gold, approx. RM301,883.

Words by Jamie Tan. Photography by greenplasticsoldiers. Art direction and styling by Evon Ching. From: World of Watches #37.

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