The invention of the quartz movement powered by a battery brought about a huge revolution in watchmaking. Suddenly, watches became affordable fashion accessories, of which everyone could own even ten. Wristwatches entered the consumer goods phase and the era of watchmaking "fast fashion" began.
Fortunately, despite the crisis that almost wiped out mechanical watches, people have started to return to the tradition of handmade watches over time. This time, however, for slightly different reasons than in the past. Watches that dived into the depths of the sea or helped pilots navigate the sky have become icons that have found their way onto the hands of ordinary mortals yearning for adventure. We have started to look at them differently than just a tool, we have started to perceive them as part of a story that has left their place in history. However, there are really only a few legendary ones in the watchmaking world. That is why, together with our friends from Watch de Luxe , we have selected four short stories of the most iconic watches that should not be missing in any collection.
Fewer people know, however, that this chronograph was not originally designed to fly on the wrists of astronauts, but as a sports watch for car racing. It was a response to the increasing popularity of chronograph watches, which found their application from military artillery to aviation and the world of car racing. Omega named its novelty the Speedmaster.
Although the Speedmaster has undergone many changes over the years, it still retains the features that connect it to its legendary past. Yes, manual winding without an automatic function or a plastic crystal instead of sapphire may seem like a relic in today's modern world. However, these disadvantages are more than balanced when you consider that the plastic crystal was used for the Speedmaster on purpose; if the crystal were to break on board a spaceship, it would shatter into millions of pieces. And why do you have to wind your Speedmaster every two days even if you wear it? Simply put, in 1965, chronographs did not yet have an automatic function.
Heuer Monaco was born in the late 1960s to celebrate the most famous Formula 1 race, the Monaco Grand Prix. At the time, Jack Heuer, great-grandson of founder Edouard Heuer, was in a fierce competitive battle with watchmakers Zenith and Seiko, who were competing with allies Heuer, Breitling, Hamilton and Dubois-Depraz to develop the first automatic chronograph movement. Jack Heuer knew he needed something extra to achieve victory. Not only did he beat Seiko and Zenith, he also added the first square waterproof case in the history of watchmaking to the automatic chronograph (called Caliber 11).
Heuer decided to discontinue the watch in the mid-1970s, but its iconic status saw it find its way back into stores before the new millennium. Although it has gone through many iterations, it is still possible to buy the new 39mm Monaco watch today, with its crown-on-the-left design perfectly matching the original.
As early as 1942, Willi Breitling took a circular slide rule and placed it on the dial of the Chronomat, whose design copied the trend of military watches at the time. Its functionality made it popular, especially among military pilots. Therefore, ten years later, Willi Breitling was approached by the American Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) to develop a watch for them that could help them even more during flights.
The Navitimer has undergone many changes over time, and in 1969 it even stood alongside the Tag Heuer Monaco when Wili Breitling and Jack Heuer developed and used the Caliber 11 automatic chronograph movement. Today, inside the Navitimer you will find the Caliber B01 movement made directly by Breitling, and even though none of us probably need a slide rule in our daily lives, it's nice to know that if we happen to find ourselves at the helm of an airplane with alarms that have failed, we will know what to do.
In 1939, IWC was approached by two Portuguese businessmen who wanted a wristwatch that could match the precision of a marine chronometer. Since at the time the best alternative for IWC was to use a pocket watch movement, a huge wristwatch with a diameter of 43 mm was born. At that time, the average watch measured around 30 mm, making the IWC Portugieser the forerunner of today's large watches.
Over time, the craziest complications began to be added to the large case, culminating in the perpetual calendar from the genius Klaus. This calendar can display the correct time, date, day of the week, month, year and moon phase on the watch, while also taking into account leap years. Simply a masterpiece of mechanical architecture of miniaturization. That is why they deserve to be among the legends written in horological history with capital letters. If you ever have the honor of holding them in your hands, believe me, your heart will stop for a moment.
Omega Speedmaster
It was a challenge from the American space agency NASA in 1965 and its goal to find a supplier of watches suitable for space missions that changed the course of history for the Speedmaster. Omega, together with Rolex, Longines and Breitling, supplied NASA with watches for a series of extreme tests that only the Speedmaster could pass. From that moment on, Omega Speedmasters accompanied astronauts on all Apollo missions, including the Apollo 11 moon landing. To make matters worse, Omega Speedmasters played an irreplaceable role in rescuing astronauts on the Apollo 13 mission as a key tool in returning the damaged lunar module to Earth.
Speedmasters also go fantastically with almost any strap – whether metal, leather or fabric. So it’s up to you whether you make them an elegant addition to your work suit or your weekend casual outfit.
Tag Heuer Monaco
We probably don't need to mention that Steve McQueen brought fame to the square Monaco watch. However, the film Le Mans, where McQueen played the main role with the Monaco on his wrist, was preceded by a marketing move by Jack Heuer, which turned out to be the best decision in the life of the brand. Shortly after the release of the Calibre 11, Jack established cooperation with the Swiss Formula 1 driver Jo Siffert, who thus became the first ambassador of the Heuer brand. He was one of the drivers piloting the cars in the film in 1970 in the film Le Mans. McQueen saw the Calibre 11 Monaco on Siffert's wrist and a legend was born.
Throw on a stylish bomber jacket and nothing stands between you and McQueen.
Breitling Navitimer
Breitling adapted an existing slide rule to enable complex calculations such as average speed, fuel consumption, distance, and rate of climb and descent to be performed quickly in conjunction with the chronograph. Since this model was intended exclusively for AOPA members, Breitling replaced its logo on the dial with the association’s two wings. When the Navitimer was released to the general public a few years later, Breitling placed its logo above the AOPA double wings and never looked back.
Navitimers look great with sporty, elegant outfits, especially on a leather strap.
IWC Portugieser
For the next few years, these watches were only produced sporadically, on a made-to-order basis, as IWC did not believe it could sell enough. Fortunately, a turning point came in the early 1990s, when legendary IWC watchmaker Kurt Klaus (nicknamed Einstein, for his discovery of countless complications) saw an original Portugieser on a customer's wrist and insisted on resurrecting it.
The IWC Portugieser definitely belongs to elegant outfits that will complement their uniqueness.
