El-Primeros are used to time the wait at the local post office, this highlighted
the timepiece’s capabilities at the very edge of space.
ROLEX DEEPSEA SPECIAL
Rolex has been involved with undersea exploration for decades, and the
introduction of the DeepSea Challenge simultaneously paid homage to their
involvement with past expeditions and a new collaboration with filmmaker/
adventurer James Cameron when it was released in 2012. An example of the
production watch, based on the Sea-Dweller, accompanied Cameron to the
bottom of the Marianas Trench affixed to the outside of his submersible, giving
it “street cred” most manufactures could only dream about. No wonder why it
has become one of the most collectible pieces in Rolex’s contemporary range.
BREMONT MB-II/U2
Bremont forgoes most of the flashy marketing that other luxury brands
thrive on, but their watches are indeed Tested Beyond Endurance. The MB-II
line, developed in partnership with Martin Baker ejection seats, are not only
chronometer certified, but are subjected to the same testing as military-grade
ejection seat hardware, including vibration, altitude and extreme temperature
experimentation. Bremont U2 models were developed originally on request
for pilots of the legendary U2 spy plane, who regularly fly at altitudes of
80,000 feet. Credit where credit is due.
James Lamdin is the Founder of Analog/Shift, a leading vintage watch retailer
based in New York City. He is also a freelance contributor to a number of automo-
tive and horological publications.
SUMMER 2018 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | 117