iBeastie - for when you need more Time...

This photograph captures the launch of the new MINI GP perfectly for us. The new boy on the right is getting all the attention and the original GP on the left is sad and lonely and ignored. But is he?  Notice how he shines, how he hogs this photograph and pulls your eye to him. He screams I wont be ignored and looking from afar as we were, where we could see the wood as well as just the trees, we could hear his voice, his primal supercharged scream as he shouted, " I am the Lord of all Superchargers and I will own your head and soul like no other car can!"

We were on holiday in the South of France last week and one thing I enjoy on holiday is checking out the watch shops to see if anything catches my eye. The South of France has some fine watch shops so  the selection is always impressive. This holiday, it was this watch that really caught my eye and we saw it both in Ste Maxime and in St Tropez.

I like this watch because first, I am a big fan of the Chopard Mille Miglia range and already have a Mille Miglia XL GT power Control in my collection, which you can see here. Secondly, I also have a Christopher Ward C70 Rosso Corsa, which again you can see here. The Chopard Mille Miglia XT GT Chrono marries the two  into one watch, so for me there is nothing not to like except the price, which is the wrong side of 7000 Euros! Still this is the watch that really caught my eye on holiday and was my favourite of all the watches I looked at.

Here is the blurb from Chopard and the watches specifications:

The early 20th century witnessed the appearance of motor races with various countries competing against each other in cars sporting their national livery. Red was first attributed to Alfa Romeo before it was taken over by Ferrari and finally became the color of a whole country: Italy. It is to this nation that the Mille Miglia GT XL Chrono Rosso Corsa pays vibrant homage.

Technical details

Case:

• Titanium

• Total diameter 44.00 mm

• Thickness 14.36 mm

• Water resistance 100 metres

• Titanium crown with Mille Miglia arrow logo

• Glareproofed sapphire crystal with magnifying lens and transferred 6 and 12 numerals on front

• Glareproofed sapphire crystal with Mille Miglia transfer on back

• Titanium bezel with tachometer

Movement:

• Mechanical self-winding chronograph

• Total diameter 37.20 mm

• Number of jewels 25

• Power reserve 46 hours

• 1 barrel

• Frequency 28,800 vph

• Chronometer-certified (COSC)

Dial and hands:

• Red varnished dial with three silver-toned snailed hollowed counters at 12, 6 and 9 o’clock

• Superluminova-enhanced rhodiumed hour and minute hands

• Rhodiumed sweep-second hand with red tip

• Rhodiumed counter pointers

Functions and displays:

• Central hour and minute display

• Chronograph

• 30-minute counter at 12 o’clock, 12-hour counter at 6 o’clock

• Date window at 3 o’clock

• Tachometer

Strap and buckle:

• Perforated black barenia leather with red stitching

• Titanium pin buckle

Ref. 168459-3036 – 1,000-piece limited edition

Officine Autodromo specialise in racing style  watches and have a select collection of motoring watches with a very distinctive style. Now they have added these two chronographs to their range. They promote the watches on their website as follows:

Vallelunga is a beautifully minimalist chronograph inspired by racing tachometers used in many Italian Prototype and Grand Prix racing cars of the late 1960s and early1970s. 

Located 20miles outside of Rome, Vallelunga is a challenging road circuit designed by Italian racing legend Piero Taruffi. It was the site of many thrilling races in the1960s and 1970s, featuring all of the legendary Italian marques.

The Vallelunga Chronograph features features a stopwatch, 30 minute counter, and big date calendar window.

Pronunciation: VA-LAY-LOON-GA

Available in Black over Black or White over Stainless.

Specifications

The Chronos are based on the best selling three-hand version of the brand's range and use the same tachometer style. To us the look is distinctly retro and very different. The watch stands out on the wrist and looks very classy. Die hard Automatic fans will no doubt look down their noses at the quartz movements but these watches are worth making an exception for. Also if they were automatic they would not be available for the appealing price of $550.

These are on the Wish List at Beatie Folly, but do we prefer the white with a stainless case or the all black version? Tough decision.

The watches are available now directly from their own website at Officine Autodromo.

Today I got a new Casio band for my old Casio Yacht Timer (see it here) as the pin on the buckle had broke way back in the late 1990s.  Anyway, the watch is now back on my wrist and working away like a good un! It got me thinking about Casios again and I started to have a look at their G-Shock watches, which are truly iconic watches these days. "A real tool watch" would be the stock phrase that real men would churn out to describe this watch range so if like me your not really a "real man" but have pretensions like the best of us, then a G -Shock should be in your collection. Get one and you have the "tool watch" thing well and truly covered.

This one caught my eye, an Aviator G-Shock with an analogue display. Doug FNJ has reviewed this watch on You Tube and while I know that watch reviews are perhaps not the most exciting things in life, you really should watch one or two. See it as a penance for the fabulous life you lead the rest of the time. Doug's review isn't too bad at all in truth - if your life was really exciting I'd make you view a watch box opening video as a penance! Doug's review sells the watch to me and looking at the comments on his video, one or two others as well!

BRM announce a new range of watches and while speed remains the theme these are for the aviation enthusiasts rather than the normal automobile enthusiast offerings. The BRM promotion describes them thus:

They called them "Warbirds.” In their day, these legendary aircraft ruled the skies...

It was the heyday of machine guns and piston engines. Flown by brave and accomplished young pilots, these magnificent aircraft engaged in fierce air battles, spearheading their nations’ air forces during the Second World War and filling history books with tales of skill and honour. Today, surviving machines fascinate aviation enthusiasts at air shows all over the world, with streamlined silhouettes and rumbling engines. A few dedicated enthusiasts have managed to preserve the excitement of these flying marvels through careful restoration and maintenance, rebuilding them to their original glory.

BRM pays tribute to this technical prowess-celebrating the spirit of these beloved warbirds-by designing a new series of watches directly inspired by the most significant fighter aircraft of WWII: TheSpitfire, The P-51 Mustang North American and The Mitsubishi Zero. The BRM timepieces are crafted like a fuselage, complete with inserted rivets, propeller-shaped hands, cases featuring roundels from different countries, horns that reference exhaust pipes and harness-inspired leather straps. With this new collection, BRM once again demonstrates its deep commitment to speed, high-performance and bold engineering.

Specifications

Available : July 2012

We think they are great. Serious watches with pedigree yet the thought "fashion watch" comes to mind. For me they are strictly a casual watch that I could only wear with jeans, but hey what do I know. They are loud, brash and expensive -  essential criteria I always look for!

Orange straps seem to be de rigueur in the watch world lately, either that or I am noticing them everywhere I look because I have a notion fixed in my head that I need an orange strap in my life. Here is just a few to whet your appetite matched to the musings in my head. First up is the Timex Intelligent Quartz T2N707 which looks fantastic and at around £130 is not out of the way in price terms. However, I have just got the Timez T2N700 which has all the same functions as the above Timex but dressed in a Bell & Ross vintage style of black face and beige leather strap. The two watches do the same thing.

Next up we have the evergreen Omega Planet Ocean, a stylish, timeless beauty, a grail watch for many and certainly the car salesman's watch of choice. A few years ago out with my pal RVW, I was offered one of these at a bargain price and I passed it by (a bargain is only a bargain if you have the money in the first place, I didn't and I missed a real investment opportunity at the least). I have two thoughts on this watch, the first it is too expensive for me just now, £2700 in standard guise or £3700 with the liquid metal bezel and secondly, actually I would like the black face and black bezel with an orange strap. I have never seen this combination anywhere, so if anyone has please point me at it. Gibbs from NCIS wears a Planet Ocean on an orange bezel, maybe that is where I got to thinking about the whole orange strap thing. Yep that's it, my wife fancies Gibbs, I felt threatened by this and realised I have to get me an orange watch strap to compete! Phew I'm glad I at least understand the psychology of this whim now!

Here we have a new offering from Hamilton which I have showcased here.  This is a quartz with a mixed analogue and digital display ala Breitling Aerospace and to be honest there is nothing I don't like about it. Some watch aficionados can be a bit snobby about "high end" quartz  watches but  I just don't have that mind set and a Breitling Aerospace has long been on my want list. This Hamilton tempts me because it is a half price Aerospace in groovy colours. However, at £980 it is not a watch to buy on a whim.

Last but not least is the Suunto Core which I looked at here. This is a watch for the outdoor kinda guy, or girl and it is feature rich with a barometer and altimeter just for starters. It is  currently around the £235 mark which for me is  a great price but nonetheless expensive enough to make me think long and hard and it is a 50mm case which is a big boy and I have in truth got small wrists. Not one to mail order on then, I need to try one of these on first. I like it a lot, my wife likes it a lot, but it is a big big boy. My wife said "Who cares that it is huge at 50mm, it has a storm warning alert!"  That one comment has put this just about at the top of this list but clearly we need to do more research.

Anyone else fancy a black and orange and know of a sexy model that we should look at?