Did Felix Baumgartner Just Make This Watch Brand Credible?

Zenith

“When I heard that Zenith was providing a watch for this madman, I had to wonder if old Thierry Nataf had retaken the helm at the brand.“

The Watch Snob is in.

Will Zenith’s Sponsorship Of The Red Bull Jump Give The Brand New Cred?

Hi Snob,So I was watching the Red Bull Stratos jump this past weekend and the first thing that stood out to me was the Zenith sponsorship stickers slapped across Felix Baumgartner‘s capsule. I’ve always been a fan of the El Primero, and from your articles, I know you approve also. My question is: Does the El Primero Stratos Flyback Striking 10th now have a great story to its name that will one day put it in the Speedy Pro rank? Or will people forget about this record-breaking feat, making the associated watch just another Zenith chronograph?The Zenith El Primero Striking 10th is a fine chronograph and frankly one that shouldn’t need to be strapped to the wrist of a suicidal hair-gel model to get noticed. Watch companies never see a branding opportunity they don’t like, and a stunt watched by eight million people probably had more than one brand CEO kicking himself for not getting to Baumgartner before Zenith.  When I heard that Zenith was providing a watch for this madman, I had to wonder if old Thierry Nataf had retaken the helm at the brand. Maybe you’ll recall that Nataf had a certain flair for the, shall we say, dramatic, while he was running the company into the ground. But last I checked, Thierry has taken his hunting falcons and S&M costumes to another watch company.Will the Stratos Flyback Striking 10th be mentioned in the ranks of the Speedmaster Professional? Not unless the topic of conversation is watch brands that rely on engraved casebacks and special editions to extend their shelf lives. At least the Speedmaster was actually used by the astronauts and was considered a vital part of their kit. Did Baumgartner use the Stratos to time his jump? Watch the viral video and tell me if he started the chronograph as he stepped off the capsule or even glanced at it as he was spinning out of control at 1300 kilometres per hour. I would wager a 12-pack of energy drink cans that he didn’t.

Wearing A Watch In Bed: Smooth Or Rude?

Dear Snob,I have worn a watch since I was 10 years old and have not been watch-less for more than a month since. I can’t stand the idea of not being able to check the time, and I find it ridiculous that so many people are using their phones instead of a nice timepiece. That said, many a time when ladies have slept over, they found it strange that I slept with my watch on. I never removed my watch at bedtime before and it hadn’t occurred to me that this was abnormal. Am I breaching etiquette by not removing my timepiece before bed? Should I only remove it when I have a bedtime companion? Or does it not matter at all and is it only a matter of preference? Enlighten me.

The only time I have slept wearing my watch was in a seedy pension in Malta, where my companion’s yacht was put in for some unexpected late night repairs. And that was not because I feared theft but because I feared that the rather derelict building would collapse at any moment and I would need to make a hasty exit.

Do you require a chronograph with which to time your nocturnal manoeuvres with said “ladies?” If not, Don Juan, may I suggest a simpler solution — a bedside clock for your obsessive-compulsive time-checking needs. It is a far less crude solution and could save you and your numerous lovers from potentially embarrassing injuries involving deployant clasps and fluted bezels.
I have a kinetic watch (Oakley Time Bomb), but there is not a kinetic watch winder available. How do I keep it charged without wearing it every day or shaking it up vigorously every day? A standard watch winder won’t do because they only with automatic watches.

I can think of no watch with a more fitting name than the Oakley Time Bomb. It is a disaster. I do not condone wearing this watch every day, to charge it or for any other reason. So it appears that you’re left with shaking it vigorously daily. Throwing it against the wall repeatedly should be equally effective.