The design interpretation of world war watches

[chrisyen]

Heritage has been the theme for many many watch brand in recent years
whether the brand is actually selling base on his own heritage or design base on certain history.

just to share some photos showing how these 2 very successful and popular brands actually do a modern interpretation when come to designing their watches



BR WW1 Guynemer vs Pam 372

Bell & Ross WW1 series was actually design base on watches used during the world war onethe watch design was very much like the welding the lug on the big round pocket watch.
hence the thin leather strap is used with thin lug.
you may find this design look like watches during 1910-1930
BR case was really one of it kinds, seems sandblasted on a grey pvd, the case looks like an aged silver pocket watch case
the extra step/process into making the case to look this is awesome

while Panerai this particular 1950 case is base on world war two its owned watch design
1950 case was really the case design and built in 1950s
Pam case was polished, just like the old days.... but the material could be different



if you are comparing the Panerai Radiomir series, the case actually design base on its actual 1930s watch
the wire lug in its historical actual piece is welded to the case
while modern radiomir case wire lug is lock with 4 screw


you see the different of width for these Br WW1 Vs Pam
its 18mm vs 26mm
BR strap its on its heritage series tan color, with a nice logo near the luck
while PAM is having a distressed brown with white stitch like the vintage piece
in fact the think leather for WW1 watches is for mostly army and pilot
while pam is designed for divers


hence the crown for pilot need to be easier to grip and wind
while for the divers, you need to think about the waterproof


the BR buckle is still like wire bent thing... with its signature logo as decoration
this Pam pre V buckle also a modernised version from the vintage sewed in buckle


both watch caseback has not replicating the vintage pieces,
BR go for engraving the Guynemer potrait
while PAM reviewing its in house movement


looking at the dial itself
BR has go for old school design, the lume used aged color with hand draw feel
the hands look flame blued filled with aged lume
BR made another effort into watch dial color, in most angle the dial look aged silver like an old pocket watch under its aged crystal... its yellowish. hence the whole watch look aged

Pam has its famous sandwich dial with aged color lume
gold hands with aged color lume



this comparison are not meant to be comparing who is better.
both are good brand, they interpret their heritage different way
in this case PAM may look copying everything of their vintage 6152-1
but we do hv modern contemporary case and strap and so on

after all both are very well looking into every detail of their watch design
i end this with a MWF way, a wrist shot with the very comfortable WW1 Guynemer