Cut For Time
Cut For Time: The Grammys With Bulova, IWC Raises Its Ethical Standards, Flying High With Hamilton, And Abingdon Celebrates Women’s History Month
It’s the week of the higher purpose. Ethics, sustainability, women’s history month and music awards inspired brands to venture beyond the everyday.
By Watchonista
Bulova Returns to the Grammys
It’s officially the start of awards season. And, despite COVID, the shows will go on, albeit in dramatically different formats than the usual red carpet extravaganzas. Bulova is ready, willing, and able to continue its role as the Official Timepiece Partner of both the Grammy Awards and the Latin Grammy Awards. Lucky first-time winners will not only take home the iconic gramophone statuette but an Exclusive Edition Grammy timepiece from Bulova.
The case design is percussion-inspired, and along with the watch’s round dial, the shape of its sturdy case definitely evokes the top of a drum. Moreover, the Exclusive Edition Grammy watch has a special relationship to the gramophone statue. The dial is made from Grammium, a custom alloy developed for the gramophone statuette. Amazingly, each statue is handcrafted by John Billings, the creator of the alloy.
Finally, the sapphire crystal caseback of each Exclusive Edition Grammy will be inscribed with the specific award, the award recipient’s name, and of course, the Grammy logo
Hamilton Renews Its Partnership With smartflyer
Hamilton’s commitment to sustainability continues through its renewed partnership with smartflyer. Founded by Rolf Stuber in 2016, smartflyer is at the forefront of sustainable travel with its electric-hybrid aircraft. A true pioneer in its field, “smartflyer is writing a new chapter in aviation history,” commented Hamilton in a press release. And Hamilton is no aviation neophyte. The brand made its first aviation watch more than a century ago, in 1918. And to this day, Hamilton has continued its focus on aviators with consistent innovations.
“Today, new technologies and new environmental priorities are set to transform [air travel],” the brand said in a statement. “Hamilton, by partnering with smartflyer, will be in the vanguard of the revolution.”
The Abingdon Jordan Racing Watch
In the United States, March is National Women’s History Month, and what better way to celebrate female watch lovers than with a new watch for a women’s-only brand? The Abingdon Co. watch brand describes itself as producing “Adventurous Watches for Adventurous Women,” and the Jordan is the first automotive-inspired watch that the Las Vegas-based brand has made. Specifically, the Jordan was inspired by female motorcyclists, race car drivers, and mechanics.
Featuring a British racing green dial, the 40mm Jordan boasts all of the essential functions specifically useful for drivers, including a tachymeter on the outer bezel and a second time-zone bi-directional inner bezel. At $599, the watch packs a serious punch and a good dose of style.
IWC Raises Its Ethical Standards
IWC has achieved yet another milestone in its dedication to offering watches made from fully traceable precious metal components. To this end, the brand has attained Chain of Custody certification from the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC).
The RJC's Chain of Custody certification is a voluntary standard and certifies that the gold and platinum used in a company's supply chain are fully traceable and ethically sourced. An active RJC member since 2012, the Schaffhausen-based brand released a statement saying, "IWC has been dedicated to transparency for many years and places great importance on establishing supply chain traceability. It has a long-standing commitment to sourcing materials untainted by conflict, human rights abuses, child labor, or environmental damage, and all of its trusted suppliers for precious metals and diamonds are certified RJC members."
Franziska Gsell, IWC CMO and Sustainability Committee Chair, said in the press release, "As a company built on innovation, we are proud to once again be recognized by the RJC as a leading light for responsibility in the luxury watch industry. IWC makes watches that will tick sustainably across generations, and part of that promise is for our timepieces to be made responsibly from start to finish."
Cut For Time: Hublot’s Art, TAG Heuer’s Blue Tourbillon, Star Wars, And NORQAIN’s New Freedoms
By Hyla Bauer
, Contributor & Special Projects
Star Wars fans have a new watch to drool over, Hublot continues its artist series, and TAG Heuer releases a blue tourbillon.
Cut For Time: Audemars Piguet x MARVEL, De Bethune, Richard Mille’s Snow Setting, And Maurice Lacroix’s ELIROS
By Hyla Bauer
, Contributor & Special Projects
Outer space plays into both Audemars Piguet’s new collaboration and De Bethune's new meteorite dial watch, Richard Mille's dazzles with snow-...
Cut For Time: Breitling's Watch Subscription, Nick Jonas’ Omega, Dan Levy Rocks A Cartier, And More
By Watchonista
Entertainment and digital engagement make watch headlines this week at OMEGA, Cartier, and Breitling, plus San Francisco gets three new watch boutiques.