Unlikely Watch Collector
The Unlikely Watch Collector: Santa Claus
Santa Claus has to go around the world in one night to place gifts carefully under the Christmas tree. With 24 different time zones spanning 193 countries, Santa has no “time” to waste.
By Viviana Shanks
Contributor
Every year on the night of the 24th, Santa Claus travels from the North Pole to chimneys around the world to deliver presents to everyone on his "nice” list. It is a sacred duty and a task that requires a lot of organization and punctuality.
Over the years, some brands have jumped on Santa Claus’ sleigh, and let's say that Santa isn’t opposed to some help with keeping to his schedule. Imagine the drama if kids were to wake up on Christmas morning without their gifts under the tree! For this vital task, Santa changes watches every year, depending on the reviews he reads on Watchonista.
Cool Santa Breitling
Breitling's latest squad member is none other than Santa Claus himself! The Santa Claus of 2020 is, without a doubt, a multitasker extraordinaire! Cruising the world without tiring, Santa is giving us some cool grandpa vibes. This year, Santa Claus made sure Christmas didn’t get canceled and took matters into his own hands.
Breitling is no stranger to aviation. So, it’s not a surprise that Santa opted for the Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 Swissair Edition. While the colors perfectly fit his Santa suit (and his Santa bathing suit, thanks Breitling!), the Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 Swissair Edition is also easily readable as he travels the world in the dead of night.
Maybe next year, to distribute the gifts quicker and more efficiently, Santa should trade his sleigh for one of the Breitling Jet Team’s planes made by Apache Aviation.
Connected Santa with TAG Heuer
Back in 2017, Santa Claus began following the connected watch trend. And although Santa doesn't age, he likes to keep himself fit so he can get down all those chimneys. Thanks to the TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 smartwatch, Santa made sure he didn’t miss a single one.
At the same time that the TAG Heuer Connected made sure Santa didn't crack under pressure, it also helped him find his way. With the help of some text messages from Mrs. Claus, Santa made sure he found every house and kept hydrated, all while listening to his favorite Christmas tunes.
Santa-Con Bulova
Believe it or not, but Bulova might have inspired the now-infamous yearly pub crawl called "Santa-Con." In 1963, a Bulova ad implied there were 375 Santas. And in fairness to Bulova, it was a genius marketing trick worthy of Mad Men letting customers know that they would be able to choose between 375 different styles of Bulova Watches for Christmas that year.
Back in 1963, Bulova might as well have been Santa's choice of wristwear. Bulova's classic lines and forward-thinking design was a must-have in the '60s. Not to mention how classy it must have looked on Santa's wrist! Santa might have even opted for the Accutron watch, now recently relaunched, to keep track of the time.
Santa's Next Watches
While he has collected many watches over the years, Santa Claus should consider wearing some new releases in the coming years. Knowing how important it is to keep track of the time and the different time zones, I would recommend Santa choose one of the following:
IWC - Santa Goes Top Gun
The new IWC Schaffhausen Pilot's Watch Chronograph TOP GUN "SFTI" Edition would be next an excellent companion on a sleigh ride around the world. This 44mm timepiece is extremely readable at high altitudes, and the chronograph would help figure out the precise length of time Santa should take at each house delivering presents. Not to mention the red jet airplane on the running seconds hand would give Santa the confidence of a "SFTI" pilot.
Ulysse Nardin BLAST
Last month, I had the pleasure of testing the Ulysse Nardin BLAST for Watchonista and WEMPE while we flew high above New York City for WEMPE Fifth Avenue’s anniversary. Therefore, I can attest that this watch was made to endure extreme conditions. If it can fly in an open-door helicopter, it can be on Santa's wrist as he flies his sleigh across the world.
A Message from Santa
Undoubtedly, this year is unlike any other. What is supposed to be the season of togetherness, whether you celebrate Christmas or not, will be quite lonely for a great many people. And though most of the world is making the sacrifice of not seeing their family and friends, we'll always find ways to celebrate together and make it feel a little less lonely.
While researching Christmas ads, I stumbled upon a very touching Christmas message from Rolex in 1942 during World War II. And even though the situations are quite different, the message still resonates today. Despite everything, there'll always be a Christmas.
Merry Christmas from the entire Watchonista team!
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