HIDE AND SEEK
Like military chic, or just fond of khaki? Have a look at a camo watch (if you can see them)
Serious minded people like to think they know how the world works Logic is the key to understanding as some philosopher probably once said But the world is not a logical place These camouflage watches illustrate the point Watches themselves defy logic On the face of it they are about telling time but if you’re late a wristwatch is never to blame In a similar way cars defy logic too A car provides a useful function sure but is that why you are reading this magazine? You could probably get by with Uber and a bus pass but instead you want metallic paint alloy wheels and a GT sport pack For most people a car is not a logical purchase it’s emotional you want a car that makes you do Al Pacino’s hoo ha noise
Even more difficult to explain logically is war Humankind says it doesn’t like fighting yet it can’t stop doing it conflict is prevalent in our world And yet instead of shunning the symbols and visual references of war we do love a little bit of military chic especially in peacetime In recent years in the UK soldier style and camo print clothes have gone from army surplus to high fashion favourite Unsurprisingly the watch world has also recognised and followed the trend for military influences
Camouflage a product of war which we universally agree is bad is simply the latest in a long line of inspirations for the watch industry Wristwatches came into their own in the warfaring mountaineering noisy motor racing days of the th century and those times will always be a source of inspiration for watchmakers from racing chronographs to explorers’ watches and field watches
The particular irony with camouflage watches is that the purpose of a camo design is to conceal but watchmakers are now using it to make a watch stand out rendering its primary function completely obsolete If you can square away the contradictions and a camo watch is on your wishlist there’s something for all budgets opposite from entry level right up into the land of ‘if you need to ask it’s too expensive’ see Ulysse Nardin