BEAU Adventure Watches May 2016

The briefing from Brummell magazine — The adventure watches issue — May 2016

I suspect that, for most visitors from the UK, the Hudson River is just an annoying stretch of water separating Manhattan from Newark airport, meaning they have to pay the taxi tolls to pass through the Lincoln tunnel. Wide, grey and relatively benign, the Hudson thereabouts is nobody’s idea of adventure, apart from the hardy souls who swim in it or kayak along it. Travel north, though, and it’s a different story.

Take the train to Poughkeepsie and ride the lift up on to the Walkway over the Hudson. Formerly the Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge, the longest cantilevered and truss-span example in the world when it was completed in 1888, it’s now the longest footbridge on earth. Looking down on the wide, straight stretch of water, herringboned as the wind riffles it, you can see treacherous currents, mudbanks, buoys warning of wrecks, and the barges, tankers and tugs that still ply this part of the 507km river, and can appreciate it would take a brave chap to navigate it in anything other than a substantial vessel.

It would need someone with a reckless streak as wide as the river itself to attempt the upper reaches of the Hudson, particularly the 27km white-water section in the Adirondacks known as the Hudson River Gorge.

Especially solo. And in a homemade boat.

Enter James Bowthorpe, Somerset native, Edinburgh University graduate, cyclist, furniture designer and documentary-maker. Early last year, he declared that, in winter 2015, he was going to navigate the entire length of the Hudson, from its ice-crusted source, Lake Tear Of The Clouds, at an altitude of 1,317m, all the way to Manhattan. And, like something from a postmodern version of The Owl and the Pussycat, he was going to set off in a boat built from rubbish gathered on the streets of New York.

Furthermore, it would be powered by something that Edward Lear would recognise – no sail, no motor, just a set of oars and brute strength. At this point you could be forgiven for thinking, WTF? ‘I wanted to make this journey, and the accompanying film, because the ideas behind it are important to me,’ says Bowthorpe, whose background – thankfully – includes spells working in boatyards.

‘It’s about how we connect our city environments to the world around us, how we relate to wilderness and how we can reinvigorate the concept of “adventure”, so it’s about much more than one individual.’

The 36-year-old has form in the madcapadventure department. He might affect a bearded hipster-slacker look, but in 2009, he completed a circumnavigation of the globe by bicycle, in a then-world-record 175 days – or, as he puts it, ‘pretty fast’. The bicycle was not, however, built out of discarded waste scavenged from NYC. ‘No, it wasn’t. But it’s a key part of the whole enterprise that the boat was built on the streets of New York, mostly from scrap metal, because it was vital we captured the excitement and Continued on page 2

James Bowthorpe, sporting his North Flag watch, by expedition sponsor Tudor

Come hell or high water

NOT CONTENT WITH CIRCUMNAVIGATING THE GLOBE ON A BIKE, JAMES BOWTHORPE HAS SINCE ROWED THE HUDSON IN A BOAT BUILT FROM RUBBISH

Words Robert Ryan Photos Antony Crook

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Greased lightning The Rolex Cosmograph Daytona can measure speeds up to 400mph, but for Andy Green that’s still way too slow

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Sending out an SOS Helping hands: it’s small enough to wear on your wrist, yet this watch can save your life wherever you are

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Buoy racers A regatta countdown function is a must on your nautical watch if you don’t want to end up all at sea

P.03 WATCH THIS SPACE The best of times in the world of horology • P.04 LIFE IN THE FAST LANE The most covetable chronometers inspired by cars P.06 MAKING A SPLASH Take things to another level with a timepiece designed for diving • P.10 HIGH FLIERS What makes the jet set tick • P.12 SAILS TALK Whether you’re taking to the seven seas or simply messing about on the water, invest in a nautical watch • P.14 GIVE ME STRENGTH The sturdiest models for the great outdoors 01

Welcome to BEAU, a new briefing from Brummell magazine. Brummell is the magazine known as ‘the little black book for the City’, a publication for professionals that takes a sideways glance at City culture but is not about work; it looks at what we do with the fruits of our labours, covering subjects such as food, drink, motoring, travel, culture, collecting, design and style. It also champions those who possess the entrepreneurial spirit, others who use their success to support philanthropic concerns, while honouring the inspirational who encourage and mentor up-and-coming talent.

You can’t buy Brummell, as it is only distributed privately and available on subscription, so we thought it would be a good idea to bring a flavour of what it’s

all about to a wider audience, hence Beau, with each issue focusing on a particular theme. In case you are wondering, Brummell and Beau are named after George Bryan ‘Beau’ Brummell, the famous Regency dandy who is said to have established the fashion for the modern men’s suit.

To find out more about Brummell, or indeed to subscribe to it, please visit brummellmagazine.co.uk.

Until then, enjoy this edition of Beau, which explores multifunctional adventure watches.

Beau and Brummell are created and published

by Show Media Ltd, the fully integrated creative agency; showmedialondon.com; info@showmedialondon

Lake Tear Of The Clouds – the source of the Hudson River and the start of James Bowthorpe’s adventure

Continued from page 1 energy of the city. If I’d built it in a workshop, it would have felt very static.

I also wanted to make a link between cities – where most people live now – and the huge area outside those cities that supports them and enables them to exist.

The river seemed a really simple way of connecting those two things. This trip isn’t going to save the world on its own, but the world doesn’t need saving – it’s man’s relationship with it that needs to change.’

Just because an adventure is in the midst of a ‘civilised’ country does not diminish the danger.

The New Yorker recently ran a poignant story about Dick Conant, an eccentric solitary canoeist who had paddled from Plattsburgh, near the Canadian border, down the Hudson, then taking obscure waterways and canals into North Carolina, before going missing. His canoe was discovered overturned in late 2014, but there was no sign of him. His body has never been found.

I spoke to Bowthorpe shortly before last October’s launch date, a couple of weeks before the boat was taken upstate and not long before The New Yorker story appeared. What, I asked, were his particular concerns about the undertaking? He laughed.

‘Everything! I’m not thinking this will be plain sailing.

In the two-week descent, there’s wilderness, white water, international shipping lanes and everything in between. There will be challenges along the way.’

One thing he was sanguine about, however, was his choice of timepiece, which was supplied by expedition sponsor Tudor, sister brand of Rolex. ‘We spoke to a number of companies about sponsorship, but Tudor was the first one that felt right. I treat all my gear pretty hard, so it needs to work well and be really resilient. The brand has a history of supporting undertakings such as the 1952 British North Greenland Expedition, and its North Flag

model is reminiscent of the watches worn by those early explorers. That resonates with me. Like them, I’ll just have to adapt to any problems that come along – if the boat breaks in white water, I’ll fix it; if we experience storms, we’ll weather them.’

And weather them he did. There was operational silence from his team for a while, and then I got a message saying the elusive James was ‘walking and talking, safe and well’ in New York City, having successfully completed the journey. Right now he is editing a documentary about the trip, which was shot

by Antony Crook. ‘How did it go?’ I asked one of the production team, trying to get a sneak preview.

‘Any hair-raising moments?’ ‘Ah,’ said the man, with the amused confidence of someone with a good story to tell. ‘You’ll just have to wait and see.’ The Hudson River Project documentary will be released later this year; rsafilms.com; tudorwatch.com 02

THE OLYMPIC IDEAL TO GO FASTER, FURTHER, STRONGER AND HIGHER MEANS TECHNOLOGY HAS TO KEEP UP Photos: Getty Images, Blancpain/Laurent Ballesta, Patrick Gosling

Winning formula

Impeccable timing

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Cutting-edge watch brand Richard Mille has cemented its relationship with the motor-racing world with the recent announcement of its support of the Aston Martin Racing team in the FIA World Endurance Championship, LeMans 24 Hours and Nürburgring 24 Hours. The brand already works with the new Haas F1 team. And rarely has a partnership been so well matched as the one between the watchmaker and the McLaren-Honda F1 team.

The new McLaren collaboration is particularly fitting for the firm’s eponymous, luxury-car-crazy boss. ‘I still vividly remember, back in 1981, when McLaren was the first constructor to introduce an all-carbon-fibre monocoque to Formula 1,’ said Mille when the 10-year deal was announced. ‘It was technology that would revolutionise the sport, and still does to this day. Years later, I was able to adopt the same solution – a carbon-fibre structure – for the baseplates of our watch movements and cases.’ Mille, a well-respected collector of vintage Formula 1 cars – many of them McLarens – went on to describe the partnership as a ‘love story’ and a ‘marriage’. He has described his ultra-technical watches as ‘racing machines for the wrist’. richardmille.com

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When the finalists in the 1948 men’s 100 metres took their positions in Wembley’s new-fangled starting blocks, a hush fell over the crowd. Then, as now, this was the premier track-and-field race and the line-up was so closely matched it was impossible to predict the medal order. Which made Omega’s timekeeping crucial. The starter raised his gun. In 10 seconds’ time, the results would be revealed…

Rio will be Omega’s 27th Olympic Games. It was first responsible for timing at the 1932 Olympiad, where it supplied 30 high-precision chronographs and a handful of timekeepers. Omega’s team for Rio will involve 250 professionals, a mix of timekeepers, technicians and data handlers, along with 400 tons of equipment and 200km of cabling. All of which is necessary: the Olympic ideal to go faster, further, stronger and higher means technology has to keep up.

That 1948 100 metres, right, introduced a mainstay of every major event since: the photo finish. At the end of the track was the Magic Eye, a camera linked to photoelectric cell timing by Omega. The cell projected a beam of light across the track; breaking it stopped the chronometer, while the camera delivered shots of the runners crossing the line. As they chested through the tape, Barney Ewell (USA) began to celebrate, but Harrison ‘Bones’ Dillard (USA) thought otherwise.

And he was right – the photo finish showed he was first.

Olympic timekeeping has made strides since 1948. Omega’s Swim Eight-O-Matic Timer, the world’s first semi-automatic swimming timer, was unveiled at Melbourne in 1956; ‘touchpads’ for swimmers to stop their own clocks were introduced in 1968 in Mexico City, right. In 1972, the new Swim-OMatic was accurate to a 1,000th of a second, which wasn’t technological overkill: in Beijing 2008, only 100th of a second separated gold and silver medallists Michael Phelps and Milorad Čavić.

In 1984, to determine if anyone ‘jumped the gun’, Omega introduced pressure-sensitive devices that measure the time between the start signal and an athlete leaving the blocks. The gun itself is also but a distant cousin of the models of old. In Vancouver in 2010, Omega launched a pistol, above right, with a ‘bang’ that plays through speakers behind each runner’s block.

The Swim Gate system can track swimmers’ progress in real time using wrist transponders. Similar technology is used to monitor times and positions in the marathon, rowing, canoeing, cycling and sailing.

There was a time when steel tapes measured how far or high an athlete had propelled him or herself.

Today, competitors in the long- and triple-jumps, hammer throw, javelin, shot-put and discus competitions all rely on Omega laser systems to calibrate their performance. And devices have become smaller. The Swim-O-Meter weighed a back-breaking 150kg in 1976. By 1980, it clocked in at 1.2kg.

The accuracy may have improved, the equipment shrunk and the number of operators grown, but Omega’s mission is the same. As company president Stephen Urquhart puts it: ‘Omega’s objective has remained unchanged: the flawless timekeeping of the world’s best athletes.’ omegawatches.com

What a dive —

No stranger to intrepid underwater adventures, marine biologist, photographer and research diver Laurent Ballesta recently teamed up with watchmaker Blancpain for a third diving and photography expedition, Gombessa III. Headquartered at the French Dumont d’Urville scientific base, the mission aimed to measure and raise

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awareness of the impact of climate change on deep-sea ecosystems in Antarctica, and formed the underwater element of the ‘Wild-Touch Expeditions - Antarctica!’ project led by film director Luc Jacquet.

Founded in 1735, Blancpain has a connection with diving that goes back to 1953, when the first Fifty Fathoms diving watch was specially created for the French navy’s elite combat swimmers unit to withstand pressure at

depths of about 50 fathoms (90m). Today, the latest versions of the Fifty Fathoms model are worn by professional divers for underwater descents to depths of hundreds of metres.

The Gombessa III team is contributing a number of its environmentalist images to an inventory of deep-sea fauna, and several documentaries and an IMAX film produced by Jacquet are planned. blancpainocean-commitment.com

Words: Simon de Burton Photo: National Motor Museum/Heritage Images/Getty Images; Stefan Marjoram; Flock London

Tag Heuer Monza One of the hits of this spring’s Baselworld watch show was Tag’s latest reissue of the ‘Monza’ drivers’ watch, first launched in 1976 to celebrate Niki Lauda becoming F1 world champion the previous year, when Heuer was Ferrari’s official timekeeper. The new model lacks some of the original’s quirks (such as the asymmetrical sub-dials and the left-hand winding crown), but retains a suitably vintage look, thanks to the use of the old Heuer logo and a similar tachymeter/pulsometer scale printed on the dished inner bezel. The case is very different, however, measuring 42mm (the original was 39mm) and being made from grade-5 titanium. Inside you’ll find Tag Heuer’s Calibre 17 self-winding movement.

Although not a limited-edition model, each watch is numbered on the case back. £4,000; tagheuer.com

DRIVING FORCES

Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Famed for being the favourite watch of Paul Newman and for its links with the Daytona International Speedway after which it is named, the Cosmograph Daytona has been regarded as the quintessential driver’s chronograph since its launch in 1963, so even a small update is big news. The latest loses the engraved metal bezel in favour of a more legible and resilient ‘Cerachrom’ component – and, despite its modernity, it harks back to the 1965 model that had a similar look thanks to its bezel being fitted with a black Plexiglass insert. Available with a black or white dial, the new model also benefits from a ‘Superlative Chronometer’ certification, meaning the movement is passed by the independent testing facility COSC before being tested again to the Rolex standard. £8,250; rolex.com

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Watches designed to be worn by drivers have been around for decades, but the choice has never been greater than it is today, as dozens of major brands see sense in capitalising on that famous synergy between horology and the automobile.

As the late, great English watchmaker Dr George Daniels once said: ‘Cars and watches have one very obvious thing in common – they are all about achieving the act of propulsion in the best possible way.’

On a more commercial level, however, cars and watches have a great deal more in common than that.

Several leading dial names have forged alliances with similarly prestigious car-makers, as it brings them to the attention of wealthy buyers who are as likely

to appreciate the micro-engineering of a mechanical movement as the performance of a highly tuned engine.

And, of course, wearing the appropriate watch enables them to demonstrate allegiance to their chosen marque, even when they’re not behind the wheel.

But it’s not only drivers of modern motors who buy car-themed timepieces. The boom in the ‘classic’ market has given watchmakers a golden opportunity to revive past chronograph designs, to create new ones with a vintage vibe and to establish themselves as sponsors of major racing events, which attract cars that can be worth tens of millions of pounds.

So, when it comes to choosing a car-inspired watch – what drives you? Here are eight to consider...

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Up to speed —

Chopard Mille Miglia 2016 XL Race Edition Chopard co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele is a lifelong automobile enthusiast with a particular love of classics – as evinced by his collection of more than 30 cars, ranging from a pre-war Bentley to a rare Ferrari 750 Monza to a 1960s Mini Cooper. His enthusiasm also extends to competing in the annual Mille Miglia rally, which Chopard has sponsored since 1988 and for which it produces a new special-edition every year. The 2016 model, called the XL Race Edition, is the first Mille Miglia watch to feature the brand’s in-house, chronometercertified chronograph movement, which can be seen through the back of the 46mm case. The timepiece is the largest MM watch ever made, and it’s limited to 1,000 examples, each supplied on a leather band based on the look of a car bonnet strap. £7,120; chopard.com

Bremont Jaguar MKIII British-based Bremont’s official link with Jaguar was strengthened in 2014, when it produced a limited run of just six white-gold watches to be made available to the buyers of six Lightweight E-Types that continued a run of 12 aluminium-bodied, race-orientated cars built in 1963. The watch, based on an E-Type rev counter, was so enthusiastically received that it resulted in a line of more affordable, full-production models – this MKIII version being the latest. Featuring a similar dial design to Bremont’s original E-Type watch but in a slimmeddown, 43mm steel case, its automotive imagery also runs to a tyre-tread pattern on the winding crown and heritage Jaguar logos on the dial and case back. Like all Bremont watches, the MKIII is chronometer-certified for accuracy. £3,495; bremont.com

Zenith El Primero Chronomaster 1969 Tour Auto Edition Zenith has been making a serious effort to associate itself with the automotive world, creating tie-ups with the Historic Endurance Rallying Organisation (HERO) and the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride motorcycling event, and becoming the official timekeeper of several major European car rallies such as the Spa-Classic, the Monza Historic and the Tour Auto Optic 2000. The latter resulted in Zenith producing its second Tour Auto version of the Chronomaster 1969 with a red, white and blue stripe running through the dial to match the fabric strap, and the Tour Auto logo on the case back. The watch is powered by the brand’s ‘El Primero’ 4061 chronometer movement, which beats at 36,000 vph, making it one of the most accurate mechanical watches on the market. £8,100; zenith-watches.com

Breitling for Bentley GMT B04 S Carbon Body Breitling forged its association with Bentley way back in 2002. The partnership has resulted in dozens of different chronographs bearing design cues taken from the cars they complement, with one of the best being this dual-time chronograph. Initially available in titanium, the latest iteration of the watch gets the all-black treatment with a carbon-fibre case and dial.

Featuring a red secondary hand to indicate ‘home’ time, the main hands can be easily adjusted to the wearer’s current location with a twist of the crown – while a rotating, 24-hour inner bezel makes it possible to keep track of time in 24 cities simultaneously. Just 250 examples of the 45mm diameter, chronometercertified watch will be available worldwide, each on a Breitling rubber strap. £17,550; breitling.com

Baume & Mercier Capeland Shelby Cobra Last year, Baume & Mercier established its collaboration with US car-tuning house Shelby American by launching a range of watches inspired by the Shelby Cobra sports car. The partnership is now being furthered with a pair of chronographs based on one of the most successful racing Cobras – chassis number CSX2128, which established the model’s reputation when it first took to the track in 1963. The watches are based on CSX2128’s colours, with gloss-black dials, silvered chronograph counters and yellow indicators. Two editions of 1,963 examples will be available: one on a leather strap, and a ‘Competition’ model on a rubber strap. Both are engraved with the name of the collection and ‘one out of 1963’, and applied with the car’s racing number, 15.

From £3,200; baume-et-mercier.com

IWC Ingenieur Chronograph Edition, 74th Members’ Meeting at Goodwood IWC Schaffhausen commemorated its status as backer of the annual Goodwood Members’ Meeting by unveiling a special version of its Ingenieur chronograph, designed specifically to celebrate the event. Notably different from the line of Ingenieur watches the brand produces with the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One team, the Goodwood watch features an elegant 42mm redgold case and a gloss-black dial. The chronograph totalisers have indicators highlighted in red, with an inner tachymeter bezel enabling the watch to be used for speed and distance calculations. The quilted calfskin strap echoes the upholstery typically found in a vintage car. With just 74 examples being made, this watch could become a classic in its own right. £18,250; iwc.com

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Wing Commander Andy Green OBE, below, became the first – and only – man to break the sound barrier in a car when he drove Thrust SSC to 763mph nearly 20 years ago. Now, he’s planning a new speed record: over the next two summers, on a 12-mile-long mudflat in South Africa, he will attempt 1,000mph in his new car, Bloodhound.

Green, a fast-jet pilot, has the capabilities to execute a complex series of procedures in a short time while pulling 3g, maintaining a straight line and analysing how the car is behaving and whether it’s safe to keep the throttle open.

He sees Bloodhound as a car, though it better resembles a rocket on wheels. But it does have some familiar features, including a bespoke analogue speedometer and chronograph made

by Rolex, which will provide an instant visual reference and a back-up should his displays fail.

Green will also wear a Cosmograph Daytona watch, long associated with going fast on four wheels. He won’t have time to check it. bloodhoundssc.com; rolex.com

Words: Tracey Llewellyn Photo: Neudin/ullstein bild via Getty Images

Marine maestro

THE LIFE AQUATIC —

Dive watches have been a favourite since the 1950s, but in recent years they have became a staple for almost anyone with a passing interest in timepieces (even if their requirements are for no more than a quick paddle in the Med in July).

Chunky and bold, a dive watch can be spotted from a mile away and most brands now have at least one model in their collection, varying in style from vintage retro to big, beefy and totally pro.

Common to (nearly) all is a movable, unidirectional or locking bezel, typically external and with a 60-minute ring that can be used to time a dive – among myriad other things. Self-winding models are preferable, avoiding the need for a dial-hogging power-reserve indicator. Legibility is paramount, so indexes and hands are big, easy to read and have a luminous application. The watch will almost always be on a bracelet or rubber strap – very few brands have mastered the technique of truly waterproof leather – which for a professional dive watch will be extendable.

Finally, the watches all have a depth rating – anywhere from 100m to over 1,000m – the good solid average for a scuba diver being 300m. As a general rule, 100m is ideal for swimming and snorkelling, while 200m-plus is more suited for recreational diving.

Anything beyond 500m is likely to have a heliumrelease valve to equalise pressure and prevent the dial glass blowing out in saturation diving conditions.

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Mark Healey, below, has devoted his life to the sea. Born in Hawaii, he could swim before he could walk, and, at 34, is a champion surfer, freediver, pro spearfisherman and movie stuntman. Precision timing is crucial to these activities, of course – particularly diving.

He also runs Healey Water Ops, which designs high-end ocean adventures for private clients. He says anybody can learn to free dive, and claims he can help nearly anyone hold their breath for two minutes. Healey can hold his for six.

‘We have something called the mammalian dive reflex that we share with dolphins, whales and sea lions,’ he says. ‘Our bodies do similar things to these animals when we’re immersed in water.

It’s just tapping into the primal side of your being.’ healeywaterops.com

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Rolex Submariner Picture a dive watch in your mind, and chances are it will resemble the Rolex Submariner, the dive watch from which most others take their cues. The Submariner was favoured by Steve McQueen and worn by the legendary James Bond (played by Sean Connery) in Dr No. Since being introduced in 1953, the design has remained more or less unchanged. The latest version features an Oyster case, water-resistant to 300m; the familiar sub-dial, now with a distinctive blue Chromalight display; a graduated unidirectional Cerachrom bezel, made from a hard ceramic material that is virtually scratch-proof; and a solid link Oyster bracelet and Oysterlock clasp. As the watch is almost identical to its 63-year-old ancestor, Rolex has adhered to the belief that ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. £6,050; rolex.com

Patek Aquanaut Travel Time Patek Philippe launched the first Aquanaut in 1997.

Modern and functional, it has a screw-down crown and ‘tropical’ strap that make it perfect for messing about in the water, yet it retains its refined aesthetic. The latest version is a rose-gold edition of an Aquanaut Travel Time (ref 5164R). It comes with a chocolatebrown embossed dial and brown rubber strap, and the 40.8mm case is satin-brushed with mirror-polished edges on the bezel. It’s water-resistant to 120m, making it perfect for most snorkellers – though the lack of a rotating bezel prevents it being used for serious diving.

Powered by an automatic movement with dual timezone and 45 hours of power reserve, this is the watch for anyone who is equally at home chairing the board or riding the waves on one. £22,380; patek.com

Omega Seamaster This year, Omega launched three versions of the Seamaster Planet Ocean watch containing an all-new Master Chronometer movement. The new models – a three-hand automatic, a chronograph and a GMT watch – also feature slimmer cases and new materials, including Sedna gold (Omega’s own 18ct-rose gold), Liquidmetal (the Swatch Group’s proprietary glass metal alloy), rubber and ceramic. The Seamaster Planet Ocean 43.5mm Auto has a bezel made of rubber and ceramic.

A watch for the serious diver, it’s water-resistant to 600m and has a screw-down crown and a heliumrelease valve. It’s available in stainless steel with a black ceramic dial and applied orange numerals, but if that’s just too ordinary, the watch is also available in titanium or Sedna gold. From £6,450; omegawatches.com

Cartier Calibre de Cartier Diver Bleu When Cartier introduced the Calibre de Cartier Diver in 2014, it was to universal acclaim. And this year, the dive-watch family has some new additions with striking blue dials. The case remains an impressive 42mm in diameter and 11mm thick and comes in three metal variations – stainless steel, pink gold or a combination of the two, with blue dial and ADLC-coated time-lapse blue bezel. Super-LumiNova on the numerals and markers gives maximum visibility under water to a depth of 300m. With typical Cartier panache, this tool watch is taken to glamorous new heights thanks to the guilloché on the dial and the ceramic bezel. All variations come with a blue rubber strap and a dark-blue sailcloth strap, and are powered by the automatic Cartier Calibre 1904 MC movement. From £5,800; cartier.co.uk

Casio G-Shock Frogman GWF-D1000 G-Shock is the watch of choice for many professional divers, including those of France’s Marine nationale, the US military and NASA. Now, we have the latest G-Shock Frogman – Casio’s dive-watch family – in the form of the GWF-D1000. This is the first new Frogman in seven years and, as is to be expected from a brand like Casio, it features a host of functions, including a depth sensor, barometer, thermometer, compass and tide graph.

Its reinforced carbon-fibre strap, abrasion-resistant sapphire-crystal, asymmetric case shape, LED backlit display and large buttons (which facilitate easy use when wearing diving gloves) all cater to the needs of the diver. And, since it is a G-Shock, the watch is also resistant to gravity, extreme temperature, high water pressure and magnetic fields. £800; g-shock.co.uk

Oris Great Barrier Reef Limited Edition II This year saw Oris turn its attention towards the seas with a series of dive watches, including the retro Divers Sixty-Five, a tribute to diver Carl Brashear, and a new watch in support of the Australian Marine Conservation Society. The second model made in partnership with AMCS commemorates the charity’s 50th anniversary.

The Great Barrier Reef Limited Edition II has a neat day display in a tiny aperture, but remains a solid dive watch with unidirectional rotating bezel in black ceramic; large white hands against a dark-blue dial; and yellow accents.

Water-resistant to 500m, the 46mm case houses an automatic movement and comes on a black rubber strap or stainless-steel bracelet. If this watch floats your boat, you’d better not tread water – only 2,000 pieces are available. £1,500; oris.ch

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms No diving-watch story would be complete without the Fifty Fathoms, one of the world’s first purpose-built diving watches. To celebrate the timepiece’s 60th anniversary in 2013, Blancpain re-released one of the best-known Fifty Fathom models from the late 1950s: the Bathyscaphe. For 2016, Blancpain has introduced a three-hand Bathyscaphe with a plasma-grey ceramic case, a grey ceramic bezel with a blue ceramic insert and a deep-blue sunburst-finish dial. Luminous indexes on the unidirectional bezel enhance legibility, and the red-tipped central seconds hand indicates the watch is functioning correctly. Water-resistant to 300m, it’s powered by an automatic movement – Calibre 1315 – which works for five days when fully wound and is visible through the case back. £8,930; blancpain.com

Tudor Heritage Black Bay Bronze In recent years, bronze has become a case metal of choice for many watch manufacturers. But the timepiece grabbing the lion’s share of the headlines is the Tudor Black Bay Bronze. The latest in Tudor’s Black Bay line is water-resistant to 200m and has a 43mm warm-pink-gold-coloured case made of bronze and aluminium, which, over time, acquires an aged look as a result of reactions to air, humidity and wear. This patina adds a customisation that money cannot buy. The chocolate-brown dial and bi-directional bezel, plus the creamy numerals and gold accents, ‘big crown’, domed sapphire and snowflake hands give it a vintage feel. For 2016, Tudor has introduced an in-house Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute-certified calibre with 70 hours of power reserve. £2,730; tudorwatch.com

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HOW IT WORKS

The Breitling Emergency II Even the most experienced action hero comes unstuck.

Or stuck – be it up a mountain, behind enemy lines, down a pothole. Fortunately, the ultimate adventure watch, Breitling’s Emergency II, could make the difference between life or a lonely death – its antenna, when uncoiled from the case, acts as a personal locator beacon. First launched in 1995, Breitling’s Emergency was the first wristwatch with a dual-frequency personal

locator beacon (PLB) – a device that summons searchand-rescue helicopters to whatever remote desert, Pacific outcrop or ocean you’re stranded on, via the civilian distress frequency of 121.5MHz and CospasSarsat, a network of satellites in low-altitude earth orbit (LEOSAR) and geostationary orbit (GEOSAR).

Breitling Emergency II is £12,040 on a bracelet and £11,530 on a rubber strap; breitling.com

Words Alex Doak Illustration Leonie Bos

MINIATURISATION

TRANSMISSION

SIGNAL

The Breitling Emergency II came to the market in 2014, the micro-transmitter functions that set in motion the alert, homing and rescue processes having been refined. Breitling’s challenge was to miniaturise the dual-frequency transmitter, which it did successfully.

In 2009, Cospas-Sarsat phased out satellite support for 121.5MHz in favour of the digital frequency, 406MHz. The Emergency II has a beacon – actually a metre-long coil of wire unravelled from the lower strap attachment – that transmits on both frequencies.

The 406MHz signal emits for 0.44 seconds every 50 seconds, while 121.5MHz lasts 0.75 seconds every 2.25 seconds. The dual frequency helps the signal reach the search teams.

The old analogue alert is often relied upon for last-minute location fixes.

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POWER SOURCE

APPEARANCE

Battery life was a hurdle: small enough to fit in a watch but still transmit on two frequencies for 24 hours in –20ºC conditions, it required a rechargeable lithium-ion battery separate from the watch movement’s battery. After intense research, Breitling devised a highly advanced power source.

The diameter is a hefty 51mm, and the titanium case weighs in at a wearable 140g. Its complex construct is light, anti-magnetic, corrosion-resistant and non-allergenic; dials are either black, yellow or orange, with a titanium bracelet or rubber strap. Dapper with a chunky knit. Or a parachute.

MULTIFUNCTIONAL

MOVEMENT

RESCUE

The bezel is engraved with the ordinal points to create an ersatz compass. To find due north, point the hours hand at the sun, or align it with the shadow cast by an upright twig, then twizzle the bezel so N sits halfway between the hours hand and the 12 o’clock mark.

Its Breitling Caliber 76 SuperQuartz movement is 10 times more accurate than standard quartz, and features a thermocompensated quartz electronic, analogue and 12/24-hour LCD digital display. There’s a timer, a second time zone, a calendar and battery indication.

Many sold have been instrumental in rescue situations – including British explorers Steve Brooks and Quentin Smith, who, in 2003, were forced to ditch in the Antarctic after attempting to become the first to fly a helicopter to both the North and South Poles.

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Words: Ken Kessler Photo: Rex/Shutterstock

Lunar ticks

Could a pilots’ watch have been Richard Attenborough and James Stewart’s salvation?

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Affectionately monikered the ‘Moonwatch’, Omega’s legendary Speedmaster did not earn the title lightly.

In 1969, the world was captivated as man stepped on to the moon’s surface for the first time, and on Buzz Aldrin’s wrist was his Speedmaster.

The NASA-approved timepiece has played a part in all the lunar landings, right down to accompanying the last man to set foot on the moon. When Captain Gene Cernan, below, left its surface in 1972, little did he know he’d be the last for decades.

‘I looked down at my final footprints and wondered how long they’d be there, how long my daughter’s initials would stay written in the sand, how long the flag would stand,’ he says.

Omega continues to pay tribute to its lunar legacy with a new generation of the collection, including the Grey Side of the Moon ‘Meteorite’ model (£9,875), on sale from July, referencing the colour of lunar dust and featuring an appropriately cosmic dial. Meteorites are believed to originate in outer space – so it could be said this timepiece has flown even further than Captain Cernan. omegawatches.com

HOW TIME FLIES —

Aviation is one of the primary reasons wristwatches exist: the pioneering Brazilian aviator Alberto SantosDumont asked his friend Louis Cartier to come up with an alternative to the inconvenience of wrestling one’s pocket watch from waistcoat mid-flight. Thus – after isolated attempts at making wristwatches in the 19th century – the modern solution came into being.

Since World War I proved the efficacy of pilots’ watches, they have been fixtures in many brands’ catalogues. In 2015, even Patek Philippe introduced the Calatrava Pilot Travel Time, which actually recalls the intent of its ‘instrument’ timepieces.

Pilots’ watches are subject to specific criteria, such as the need for superlative legibility, as pilots are

among the most adept multi-taskers and quickly digested data is essential. Also useful are anti-magnetic properties and chronograph functions for calculating time, distance and fuel consumption.

Of course, fly-by-wire technology precludes the need for a pilots’ watch, but the dependability of a wristwatch, especially mechanical, makes it an ideal back-up for instrument failure. Then again, if such an eventuality occurs in an airplane, it’s likely that the crew and passengers will end up as statistics.

Morbid thoughts aside, should a stricken plane survive and land in uncharted territories, as in the film The Flight of the Phoenix (above), an analogue watch has another useful purpose: it can serve as a compass.

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Bell & Ross BR Desert Type Born in the 1990s, Bell & Ross rapidly forged an identity as a maker of fascinating pilots’ watches, creating its own ‘hero’ model with the BR series: square cases with round dials, which resemble cockpit gauges.

It has produced many designs, from basic time-telling versions to chronographs, skull dials and tourbillons.

With the BR Desert Type, the company has again used a ceramic case, but the colour makes it a standout.

Designed to meet the specifications of air forces operating in warm countries, the BR 03 Desert Type is sand-coloured and adheres to ‘the four fundamental principles of Bell & Ross: legibility, functionality, precision and water resistance’. Completing the look is a beige leather or black ultra-resistant fabric strap, in full camouflage mode. From £2,800; bellross.com

Breguet Type XXI 3817 Ah, the early 1950s… What an era for watches. Breguet, best known for some of the most refined examples of haute horlogerie, contributed mightily to aviation, with both aircraft and timepieces. A direct descendant of the Type XX, the Type XXI has its roots in the military, the original having been commissioned by the French naval air army. Its special application was a flyback chronograph function, for an instantaneous return to zero to commence another timing sequence.

For the Type XXI 3817, the company applied a vintage look, with a period font for the numerals, a retro-style dial with sunken sub-dials, day/night indicator at 3 o’clock, 12-hour counter, date at 6 o’clock, creamy luminous material that suggests ageing and a calfskin strap. £9,900; breguet.com

Breitling Navitimer 01 (46mm) Breitling’s legendary Navitimer has a permanent place among the all-time greats in aviation-watch history. Its unique feature was the addition of a rotating slide rule, allowing pilots to calculate fuel consumption, estimated time of arrival and other data. Amusingly, as this watch arrived in 1952, its functionality was quickly overtaken by electronic instruments. Despite this, and because of its sheer desirability, it’s never been out of production.

Every few years, Breitling updates the Navitimer, most recently increasing its case size to address the change in tastes toward larger watches, and adding a GMT version. It is powered by the in-house Calibre B04, with full COSC chronometer certification. And, yes, it still features a slide rule in this age of the app.

And so it should. £5,990; breitling.com

Bremont Boeing 100 Few aviation watches are associated with specific aircraft or aircraft manufacturers. Not so for Bremont, which has honoured the Spitfire, among other planes, often incorporating a piece of a craft in the watch. For 2016, the British watchmaker has issued a two-button, three-dial chronograph to commemorate Boeing’s centenary. Limited to 300 examples, the watch sports the Boeing ‘Totem’ logo on its vintage-look dark brown dial. True to form, Bremont has integrated a bit of carbon-fibre composite into the crown of each timepiece, taken from the historically significant Boeing Dreamliner ‘flying test bed’. The 43mm titanium-cased timepiece is also a GMT, with second time zone and COSC chronometer rating. Its movement is visible through the sapphire case back. £5,495; bremont.com

IWC Mark XVIII For some, IWC is the pilots’-watch manufacturer. There is no questioning the history, the watches’ credibility, nor how this model’s predecessors defined the visual requirements of the ideal time-only aviator’s watch.

As well as pioneering anti-magnetic cases (essential in a cockpit), the Mark II launched in 1948 can be seen in this, its great-great-great grandson. This most pure of IWC’s pilots’ watches is also its entry-level model.

Its raison d’être, beyond accurate timekeeping, is faultless legibility, the triangle at 12 o’clock serving the purpose of always letting the observer see it’s right side up. Inside the 40mm, stainless-steel case is an automatic movement, while the date is at 3 o’clock.

It is offered with black or white dial, and calfskin strap or stainless-steel bracelet. From £3,190; iwc.com

Junghans Meister Pilot Junghans’ made-in-Germany Meister Pilot is an oversized chronograph nearly indistinguishable from the 1950s original. The most distinctive feature is its rotating bezel. Instead of fine serrations, it features 12 concave notches, designed to ensure usability and prevent slippage, even by the ham-fisted.

Unbelievably, the Meister Pilot costs less than £2,000, a bargain not just for a pilots’ watch but also for a chronograph. The 43.3mm stainless-steel case, riveted strap, self-winding movement and two sub-dials update the features of a post-war aviator chronograph.

It’s also water-resistant to 10 bar, and the legibility is to professional standards. It is offered with black strap and pale green luminosity or brown strap and ‘antique’ cream-coloured numerals. £1,870; jurawatches.com

Rolex GMT-Master II It was the advent of affordable, commercial flight and the need to accommodate time-zone hopping that gave birth to the most universal of all aviation watches: the Rolex GMT-Master. In continuous production since 1954, and seen with bezels in red/blue, red/black, all black and, most recently, blue/black, the GMT-Master II is the default two-zone watch for travellers.

Its clever design allows for both rapid time changes and instant legibility – which is what Pan Am pilots wanted back in ’54 when the airline realised that the increase in transatlantic flights would involve frequent crossing of time zones. The two-colour bezels provided the added benefit of showing, on a 24-hour scale, if it was night or day back home. Pure genius, and the source of many a collector’s item. From £5,950; rolex.com

Zenith Heritage Pilot Café Racer Although honouring a type of motorcycle and the bad boys who rode them in the 1920s, the latest in Zenith’s Pilot Collection is terra-bound in name only. Zenith owns the rights to the term ‘pilot’ watch and is the only brand allowed to put that on the dial.

What a stunner this is. It’s chunky at 45mm across, and its distressed look screams ‘hipster’ as much as it does ‘biker’ (although ‘pilot’ is emblazoned on the face). Inside the aged-steel case is the phenomenal El Primero 4069 automatic chronograph movement, while the slate-grey dial is adorned with period-font luminescent numerals and two sub-dials. Aptly, the watch is fitted with ‘an oily nubuck rubber-lined wristband’. Too bad a circa-1953 Marlon Brando isn’t still with us to model it. £5,600; zenith-watches.com

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Louis Vuitton Tambour Navy Chronograph Whether you’re sailing professionally or for pleasure, Louis Vuitton should be among your first ports of call for a stylish and robust timepiece. Not only does the brand have an intrinsic understanding of the lifestyle, but it also has the technical background to back it up – its involvement with the America’s Cup stretches back three decades.

This latest addition to its signature Tambour line has a nautical palette and an attractive deep-blue dial, with sub-dials arranged around its trademark ‘V’ motif. At 46mm, this sporty chronograph is large and easily readable, and its black rubber strap and the additional rubber moulded onto its crown ensure it will survive all the knocks and scrapes that are par for the course at sea. £4,500; louisvuitton.com

Bremont Regatta OTUSA Bremont is the America’s Cup’s official timekeeper and has an ongoing relationship with current champions Oracle Team USA. This year, it has added to its roster of sailing-influenced watches a collection of functionpacked models that mean serious business.

Considerable investment has gone into Regatta OTUSA’s movement – it has both a 15-minute display countdown and a five-minute start time, as well as a 12-hour counter and date indication. Continuing the British watchmaker’s signature use of historical materials, the crown is made from high-grade carbon fibre taken from the AC72 yacht that defended the America’s Cup title in 2013. As such, only a limited run will be available: 235 each of both the blackand white-dialled versions. £4,995; bremont.com

Alpina Sailing Yachttimer Countdown Alpina is no stranger to adventure – it has built watches designed to both withstand arctic travels and survive extreme altitudes, so it’s little surprise it has also turned its attention to the sea.

The countdown window, with its unmissable fluorescent ‘start’ indicator, dominates the dial, while the focus on legibility continues with its bold orange seconds hand, which provides a contrast to its black dial. The Yachttimer’s essential functions are completed with a unidirectional rotating compass bezel, while a water-resistance of 30 ATM (denoting atmospheric pressure) guarantees its seaworthiness.

The limited edition of 8,888 pieces is beautifully boxed up with a miniature replica of an Extreme 40 yacht. £2,495; alpina-watches.com

Omega Seamaster Diver 300M ETNZ Though Omega has passed the mantle of timekeeper on to current sponsors Bremont, the brand still has an intrinsic connection with the America’s Cup. Its involvement in sailing started in 1995, when Team New Zealand’s skipper Peter Blake became an ambassador, and it continues to champion the team today.

The Seamaster Diver 300M ETNZ was undoubtedly designed with the rigorous demands of the sport in mind. The clearly legible dial has three sub-dials: a small seconds and 12- and 30-minute recorders, the last doubling as a five-minute countdown for the start of a regatta. Subtle details complete the nautical theme: the underside of the strap incorporates the team colour, red, with a design that is reminiscent of sails. £4,935; omegawatches.com

Panerai Luminor 1950 Regatta 3 Days Chrono Flyback Titanio Panerai’s origins were in creating watches for the Italian navy, and it still has an affiliation with water, having sponsored the Classic Yachts Challenge since 2005.

While vintage boats may not reach top speed, timing is just as crucial on the start line, which it recognises in this special iteration of its Luminor – one of the most elegant, unobtrusive regatta countdowns around.

Reverse the chronograph in minute increments and, once started, when the hand reaches zero, you know the race has begun. It will then measure its duration with no further input. Finally, with Panerai, you know you’re getting some heavyweight horological clout – this comes fully equipped with its in-house P.9100 chronograph movement. £12,900; panerai.com

Seiko Prospex Marinemaster GPS Solar Designed with the assistance of professionals such as skipper Kojiro Shiraishi, this new addition to the Prospex line is one of the most practical watches on this page. Every inch has been considered through the eyes of a sailor, from the crown and buttons (easy to use when wearing gloves) to the shape of the case and bracelet (crafted to avoid being caught on ropes).

It incorporates the Japanese watchmaker’s signature GPS technology, allowing the wearer to adjust to local time anywhere in the world with the touch of a button, and, being solar-powered, never needs a battery change. Distinguishable by both day and night, the dial utilises Seiko’s patented LumiBrite – a high-performance luminous paint that’s free from radioactive substances. £2,500; seiko-prospex.com

Tissot T-Touch Expert Solar The fact that the regatta countdown on this timepiece is one of its less notable features is testament to just how useful a digital watch can be when sailing – especially from a brand with the technical pedigree of Tissot. It comes with all the functions you’d expect and some you may never have heard of – its timer, weather forecaster, compass and azimuth (navigation aid) make it well suited for sailing, while its calendar and two alarms provide on-shore functionality.

Best of all, it’s solar-powered – just one week in the sun will keep it going for a year, with no worries about winding or batteries. The ergonomic details have also been carefully thought through: its leather strap with Velcro closure allows it to be extended to fit comfortably over clothing. £695; tissotwatches.com

Corum Admiral’s Cup Legend 47 Worldtimer Corum’s Admiral’s Cup collection, with its distinctive 12-sided case, has become emblematic of the classic yachting watch, having existed in various forms for over half a century. Much like its namesake regatta, which fell by the wayside in 2003, this latest addition may not be destined for the races, but it certainly makes an elegant companion for longer voyages.

Despite being decked out in nautical pennants, the dial is configured to showcase the world-timer function with clarity. Choose from 24 cities, each one denoting a different zone, with the secondary hour read via an aperture on the left. The automatic movement, which has a power reserve of 48 hours, is mounted in a chunky 47mm titanium case, making this both a sturdy and stylish option on deck. £8,400; corum.ch

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Words: Eleanor Pryor Photo: Alamy

SEA CHANGE —

Horology and the ocean have always been natural bedfellows. It started on these shores in the 18th century, when John Harrison’s quest to solve the problem of calculating longitude at sea resulted in the creation of his marine chronometer, for which he was handsomely rewarded by the British government. And while technological advancements have made this particular traditional form of timekeeping increasingly superfluous, the connection with the watch world continues today – head to any yacht race and you’ll be surrounded by the logos of some of Switzerland’s finest, emblazoned on the sails of competitors’ boats.

There are numerous timepieces on the market specifically designed to make life on deck a little easier, whether you’re a hobbyist or a professional. One of the most integral additions for the latter is a regatta countdown: among the many watch complications that seem esoteric to the untrained eye, this is even more specialised than most.

Starting a race on water, where one is at the mercy of the wind, is no easy feat. A countdown to the beginning of the race – typically five minutes – is signalled by the judges. The trick for the skippers is not to cross the start line before this time is up, or risk severe penalties. This is where the regatta function comes in, allowing the wearer to track the remaining time quickly and easily. The biggest prerequisite is that the dial is clear and legible, and able to be easily read in harsh conditions.

Race hero —

Jimmy Spithill, above, two-time winner of the America’s Cup and captain of the current holders, Oracle Team USA, is a sailing legend.

He often talks about how the more technical demands of boat-racing today, and the physical requirements, have brought in a different type of competitor.

The experience, he says, is akin to flying – travelling at three times the speed of the wind means the boat can hit 50 knots (46mph). The new AC45 catamarans that race in the qualifying stages of the Cup not only hover above the waves, but also have a solid fixed ‘wing’ instead of a sail. Spithill, who also has a pilot’s licence, compares it to flying a helicopter, requiring the skipper to balance, manage and anticipate.

Extending its links with aviation to include the passion founders Nick and Giles English have always had for adventure on the high seas, Bremont is both the official timekeeper of the America’s Cup and the timing sponsor of Team Oracle USA. It recently created two watches to celebrate this nautical partnership, and Spithill and his crew will be wearing them on board for the duration of the competition. oracle.team.usa; americascup.com; bremont.com

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Words: Richard Holt Photo: Getty Images

TOUGH GUYS —

Do you wear a watch for time-telling purposes or because it’s a stylish thing you enjoy having on your wrist? Probably a bit of both. And the more you’re engaged in vigorous, outdoorsy activities, the less easy (and safe) it is to break off from what you’re doing to put a hand in your pocket to consult the time on your phone. So a decent watch is essential; one that is not going to be upset by a little bit of water, some bouncing around and the occasional accidental knock. You want something that will stand up to some pretty tough conditions, and it needs to be legible enough to be read in a quick glance in thick fog. But even if you prefer life in the slow lane to life on the edge, these watches deliver ruggedness in a stylish package.

Hamilton Khaki Field Auto Although now part of the mighty Swatch Group, Hamilton was founded in Pennsylvania in the late 19th century and became the official supplier of watches to the US armed forces. It also supplied marine chronometers and equipment for calculating longitude and plotting location and direction. In fact, such was the need for military timekeeping that Hamilton had to stop supplying the public during WWII. With its military colouring and NATO-style fabric strap, the Khaki Field is a tribute to the design codes of army watches from the 1940s. It comes with an automatic winding movement, which gives it a very respectable 80-hour power reserve, and the 40mm stainless-steel case with sapphire crystal is waterresistant to 100m. £540; hamiltonwatch.com

Tissot PRS 516 Automatic Chronograph As the official timekeeper for tough sporting events such as Aussie rules football and NASCAR racing, Tissot is well known as a maker of watches for the adventurous.

And this is no new obsession for the brand, which has been timing ski races at least as far back as the 1930s.

The newly updated PRS 516 Automatic Chronograph is an automotive-themed timepiece inspired by Tissot watches of the 1960s. It has an ETA automatic winding movement with a 54-hour power reserve and a 45mm ceramic bezel. It has little motoring touches, such as the open caseback showing a winding rotor in the style of an old-fashioned steering wheel, as well as holes in the strap to evoke a vintage steering-wheel cover.

It also features a tachymeter scale for timing the speed you can drive a standing mile. £1,490; tissotwatches.com

Luminox Original Navy Seal 3000 Series In the early 1990s, Luminox, which was working with a new self-powered illumination system, was contacted by a procurement officer for the US Navy SEALs. He wanted a watch that special-forces troops could use on night missions. The collaboration was to make Luminox’s reputation for creating timepieces fit for the world’s toughest troops. All Luminox watches feature the illumination system – tiny gas tubes mounted on the hands and dial. These glow constantly, not relying on external light sources to power them, and last for up to 25 years. The Original Navy Seal 3000 Series watches have a 43mm carbon-reinforced polymer case, hardened mineral glass, quartz movement, unidirectional diving bezel and are water-resistant to 200m. £280; luminox.com

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Casio G-Shock G-Steel In 1983, Casio revolutionised the rugged-watch market when it brought out the first G-Shock. The engineering brief to produce an unbreakable watch resulted in the ‘triple 10’ concept: 10-year battery life, 10-bar (100m) water resistance and the ability to be dropped from 10m without sustaining damage. The range has been developed ever since, with the addition of analogue dials as well as the pioneering use of titanium.

The G-Steel range was introduced to wrap all the G-Shock toughness up for those who prefer a metal watch. The stainless-steel case maintains the impact absorption of resin, and the watch has scratch-resistant glass and is water-resistant to 200m. It’s solar-powered, and the built-in radio receiver automatically changes the time wherever you go. From £270; g-shock.co.uk

Danger man —

Colonel John BlashfordSnell OBE, left, is one of the world’s most renowned explorers.

He served for 37 years in the Royal Engineers, during which time he saw active service, and which also involved travelling through uncharted territories and creating maps. Still arranging expeditions, he now works with underprivileged youth in the UK and on aid projects in remote parts of the globe.

With colleagues, he founded the Scientific Exploration Society in 1969, which supports expeditions focusing on scientific, education, conservation and community-aid projects.

Seiko Astron A family-owned Japanese firm celebrating its 135th birthday this year, Seiko offers a huge range, but perhaps the watch with the most visibility is the Astron, often featured alongside the face of brand ambassador and tennis superstar Novak Djokovic. The Astron was the world’s first commercially available solar watch with GPS. It has a perpetual calendar up until the year 2100 and will use satellites – four or more at once – to set itself to the exact time in any of the world’s 39 official time zones. The 47mm stainless-steel case is fitted with an anti-reflective sapphire crystal and is water-resistant to 100m. The Astron also has a power-save function, a satellite reception indicator and an aeroplane mode so you can turn off the GPS when airborne. £1,795; seiko.co.uk

Ralph Lauren Safari Chronometer Steel As a watchmaker, Ralph Lauren is still a relative newcomer. Since launching its first fine timepiece collection in 2009, the company has established itself as a serious player, with some of the most talked-about watches of recent years. Many have an automotive look, reflecting the boss’s credentials as a car collector.

But the overriding theme is getting out and having adventures, a spirit exemplified by the Safari Collection.

They come in case sizes of 39mm or a chunky 45mm.

The movement is an automatic-winding chronometer, as certified by COSC, the Swiss organisation that strictly regulates accuracy. They have oversized, Super-Luminova-coated Arabic numerals for easy legibility, and straps in alligator leather or weathered canvas. From £2,150; ralphlauren.com

Bulgari Diagono Magnesium Chronograph A very fine watchmaker, Bulgari has been working with cutting-edge materials for years, releasing the Diagono Aluminium back in 1988. The new Diagono Magnesium Chronograph uses a combination of hi-tech materials to maximise durability. In addition to magnesium – a super-lightweight metal popular for fighter jets and racing cars – the 42mm case is reinforced with PEEK, a space-grade polymer used in spacecraft design.

Bulgari has also studied motor-racing technology to develop a proprietary ‘Motorlac’ lacquer, which further protects the case and gives it a unique finish. The bezel is made of a high-tech ceramic that Bulgari claims is unscratchable. It is powered by an in-house automatic-winding chronograph movement with a 42-hour power reserve. £3,960; bulgari.com

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Back in 1972, he led the British Trans-Americas expedition, which included a three-month crossing of the Darién Gap jungle in Panama.

Watchmaker Zenith sent six waterproof, automatic El Primero chronographs for the team to wear. Many decades later, BlashfordSnell donated his battered but still-working watch to the brand’s museum, and in return was invited to work with its experts to develop a limited-edition explorer’s watch, one that could also time currents and parachute jumps. The watch may no longer be in production, but Blashford-Snell’s relationship with the brand continues. ses-explore.org; zenith-watches.com

Victorinox Swiss Army INOX The company began supplying knives to the Swiss army in the late 19th century, and by the 20th became the world’s unrivalled producer of clever little pocketknives.

On top of this, Victorinox has established itself as a major presence in the watch market. It describes the INOX – which is subjected to 130 stress tests – as its strongest to date. There are videos of it being run over by a giant digger, frozen into a block of ice, then melted free with blowtorches, and shaken about on the front of a speeding bobsled. It has a Ronda quartz movement housed in a 43mm stainless-steel case with a screw-down crown. The watch is water-resistant to 200m and comes with either a vibration-resistant steel bracelet or a rubber strap matched to the wide range of dial colours. £379; victorinoxwatches.com

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