Taking flight with the Breguet Type XX, XXI and XXII
Initially created for the French Ministry of Defence for the French Air Force, the Breguet Type XX, XXI and XXII are timekeeping devices steeped in the history of aviation-specific wristwatches. First released in 1954, the Type XX was the first aviation watch ever created by the storied Swiss watchmaker, who specifically produced the timepiece at the behest of the aforementioned French Ministry of Defence, who had originally approached Breguet to commission 500 examples of a flight-ready wristwatch with a flyback chronograph complication. The rest, as the old adage goes, is history, and now Breguet makes a great many iterations of the fabled aeronautical watch, and we thought we’d take a look at three of our favourite models. Breguet Type XX 3800 The Breguet Type XX 3800 is a faithful reinterpretation of the original Type XX, and is personally my favourite timepiece from Breguet’s sizeable aviation collection. Why is it my favourite, you may ask? Well, for a start, it wears a lot smaller than most flight-ready wristwatches you’ll find on the market, with the familiar stainless steel case measuring in at a reasonable 39mm and 14.4mm thick. It also presents a nicely vintage aesthetic, without being a pastiche. The…
The post Taking flight with the Breguet Type XX, XXI and XXII appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
It’s been a pretty busy year for boutique Swiss watchmaker H. Moser & Cie, from the introduction of several new models at this year’s SIHH, right through to the arresting Pioneer Dual Window Perpetual Calendar, which was unveiled just a few short months ago. The eccentric Swiss marque isn’t done with the 2019 new releases, however, as they’ve just dropped this – the stunning H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Perpetual Moon Concept Aventurine. Based on the underpinnings of the original Endeavour Perpetual Moon Concept, the new timepiece’s Aventurine dial is quite stunning and, according to Moser, is meant to pay tribute to the stars that shroud the moon above us in the night sky. As with previous examples of the Endeavour Perpetual Moon Concept, the case measures a well-judged 42mm and 13.1mm thick, and is available in a choice of two different materials: 18k 5N red gold or stainless steel. Inside the beautifully polished case you’ll find Moser’s in-house Calibre HMC 801, a manual-winding movement that offers customers a bevy of great features including moonphase complication, no less than seven days of power reserve thanks to Moser’s interchangeable escapement, original Straumann Hairspring, 28 jewels and an operating frequency of 18,000…
Editor’s note: I’m sure that at one point or another you’ve been wearing your favourite watch and thought, “This is definitely ‘gram’ worthy”. But taking the perfect wrist shot is by no means a simple task. In fact, it’s an art form that can be exceedingly complicated and multifaceted. Luckily for us, however, back in 2017, Ceri David treated us to an absolute masterclass in how to take the perfect “wristy” for Instagram. And whether you’re a bit light on the follower count, or you’re just looking at ways to up the photographic ante, this is definitely worth a read. If you’re feeling brave, type ‘wristies’ into the Google machine, and you’ll be rewarded with an eye-opening array of results. Who knew, for example, that they were a type of fingerless gloves? Fascinating stuff. Those are not the wristies we’re focusing on today – nor will we be broaching any other varieties, thank you very much. Instead, we’re here to talk about the humble watch wristshot. Many take them, but ever fewer succeed at pulling a like, heart or share, because, well, it’s been years now, and the game is a whole lot harder. So in an effort to make…
Nothing raises the heart rate of a watch enthusiast faster than the story of a tool watch being used in the environment it was originally designed for, which was why I almost needed to call an ambulance when Nic told me the story of his Bremont ALT1-WT made for his RAAF squadron. Nic’s job is flying the fuel tankers of the sky, Australia’s KC-30s, which are able to refuel other aircraft while mid-flight. In his squadron’s collaboration with Bremont, they customised a number of elements of the original watch, including striping the GMT hand the same colours as their refuelling boom, editing the world timer ring to reflect the airport codes of locations they’ve operated out of, and adding their unit crest to the sub-dial at 9 o’clock. It’s one of the coolest custom watches I’ve ever seen, so without further ado – what sealed the deal on Nic’s custom military Bremont. When did you first see/hear about it? I first heard about the Bremont Watch Company when I was undertaking my pilot training. One of our flying instructors had ejected from an aircraft the previous year and was in the process of purchasing the MBI he’d become eligible for, telling…