The watch maketh the man
IN a list of the greatest watches, you will seldom find one that isn’t in some way linked to one of the greatest human beings—and, particularly, to a man on whom history has bestowed greatness. The relationship between these men and their watches is eternally curious. It’s symbiotic, but it’s not always clear which party, if either, benefits most.
The prima facie conclusion is that the watches benefit immeasurably more. Omega’s Speedmaster, for example, would be far less but for NASA’s moonwalking astronauts, just as TAG Heuer’s Monaco might have been a non-starter had Steve McQueen not picked one out as filming began on Le Mans.
That, however, is the simplistic view. Doesn’t the humble timepiece deserve some say in the matter, too? How much more presidential does John F.mountaineer Nims Purja, appear for wearing military-grade Bremont watches during their madcap expeditions? No, we mustn’t underplay the wristwatch’s hand. The benefits of this symbiosis are often evenly distributed.
