The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Money
Mission accomplished
The new generation of military-inspired watches are hitting the mark, says Timothy Barber
With its dial and rubber strap in dusty olive green, the version of Patek Philippe’s sporty Aquanaut, launched at the Baselworld watch fair in March must be the watchmaker’s first ever model to appear suited to the wrist of a special forces combatant. Never mind that it’s cased in white gold: it joins a brotherly band of watches in which the gleaming tones of traditional luxury have been rejected for something that's fundamentally more battle-ready.
Take, for instance, Montblanc’s Geosphere complication – an unconventional worldtime display featuring two hemispherical globes rotating through 24 hours. When it first appeared in 2015, this was the focal point for one of Montblanc’s fanciest and most exotic timepieces, hand-decorated in enamel and replete with a vast tourbillon, and a six-figure price tag. Now it’s reimagined at a more accessible price point, as a whimsical field watch in the military mould, cased ruggedly in bronze, with a dial and rotating bezel (complete with compass markings) in mossy green.
Breitling’s khaki-green version of its Aviator 8 Automatic 41 ostensibly takes inspiration from a Second World War fighter plane, the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk. Its rough-and-ready style, though, is more suited to fashionably dressed-down urban types than to those who browse the ‘aviation enthusiasts’ magazines at WHSmith.
Fans of the ultimate boy’s-own war movie, Where Eagles Dare, will appreciate the name Bremont has given to its modern spin on the Second World War soldiering watch, the Broadsword (if you know, you know). The British firm has released a trio of hardy models bearing the insignia of the British Army, the RAF and the Royal Navy, that forms a new entry-level strand for the British luxury firm.
IWC, which has a long history in military watches including its famous Mark 11 models for the RAF, takes the theme in a more hi-tech direction with the ‘Mojave Desert’ edition of its Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Top Gun. The case is made from a special sandy-toned ceramic that’s new to the watch world.
Hamilton also made RAF watches in the 1970s, now recreated with the Khaki Pilot Pioneer Mechanical. Despite its name, there isn’t a trace of khaki on it. But its subtly-textured dial, patinated markings, ‘Admiralty Grey’ Nato-style strap (a leatherstrap version is also available) and handwound movement give it a lived-in, nostalgic warmth.
What it doesn’t have is the ‘ broad arrow’ that traditionally featured on the dial and case of MOD-commissioned watches, denoting property of Her Majesty’s Government. You will, however, find the arrow on watches from Vertex, a revived historic name in British army watches, including its sleek, all-black MP45B chronograph (available in manual or automatic versions).
Finally, military history of a different kind bobs to the surface with Blancpain’s latest Fifty Fathoms dive watch, recreating the ‘Barakuda’ model given to West German naval divers in the 1960s. Whether or not you have an interest in the mid-century exploits of the Bundesmarine, its funky style and military provenance explain the huge collectability of the original, and make the new version one of the most compelling luxury dive watches in recent years.