2019-08-01_Men_s_Health_South_Africa

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For the upwardly

mobile, it was tantamount to

shooting yourself in the foot: the

habitual wrist f lick, an unconscious

time check that physically

broadcast you’d rather be anywhere

but this late-afternoon client

meeting. But then mobile phones

came along and rewrote the rules of

demonstrable rudeness.

If you need to know the time

but still want to seem “engaged”, a

wristwatch will always be your best

bet. You need discretion. The savvy

choice for a man of manners and

distinction is a timepiece that sports

luminescent numerals and hands –

all the better for subtly glancing into

the depths of your cuff, under the

pretence of a head scratch, say.

Watches with glowing faces

have been around since timepieces

migrated from the pocket to the

wrist. This industry-standard

“lume”, in all its modern guises

and rainbow hues, works by

phosphorescence, a process in which

absorbed light energy is released

slowly by excited electrons. When

applied to watches, it’s handy in

numerous scenarios, intended or

otherwise: scuba divers plunging

into the depths; fathers checking at

what godawful hour their teething

infant has decided to awake;

when to beat a hasty retreat from

a neighbour’s housewarming; or

simply to count down the hours until

going home time.

But, as ever in horology, there will

always be room for improvement.

Night

Watch

WHETHER YOU’RE DEEP-SEA DIVING OR

BATTLING INSOMNIA, WATCHMAKERS

ARE DEVISING INGENIOUS WAYS

TO HELP YOU MAKE THE MOST OF A

GLOOMY SITUATION. IT’S TIME TO

SHINE / WORDS BY ALEX DOAK

Guido

Panerai

Florence’s

go-to man for combat

chandlery. His “Radiomir”

lume lit up converted

Rolex diving watches

for Italy’s Second World

War frogmen. It was

then replaced by non-

radioactive “Luminor”.

LUMINAR-

IES OF TIME

MH Style salutes

three bright

horological sparks

for their light-bulb

moments

Nemoto

& Co

Founded in

1962, this Japanese giant

still feeds the watch world

with its LumiNova and

Super-LumiNova paints,

available in 18 hues. The

off-white “C3” shines

brightest, glowing green

in the dark.

James

Thompson

AKA “Black

Badger”. The expat

Canadian composites

guru based in Sweden is

revolutionising coloured

lume. Collaborations with

MB&F, Sarpaneva and

Laurent Ferrier testify to

his horological clout.

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Seiko Prospex

Solar Diver R6 999

The “Rolex of Japan” has

innumerable innovations

to its name. But things like

precision movements,

pioneering diving technology

and extraordinarily good

value – all of which this

solar-powered edition offers

• shouldn’t outshine Seiko’s
  proprietary “LumiBrite”,
  a lume that absorbs light
  quicker, then glows brighter
  for longer.
  seikoboutique.co.za

03

Hamilton Khaki Field

Mechanical 50mm R17 800

One of 2018’s finest pilot

watches, this Hamilton

defied its immense size

to fly under the radar. With a

50mm diameter based on a

1969 US Air Force navigator’s

watch, its 3D “block”

numerals are made from

pure Super-LumiNova,

making it one of the few

watches you can actually

read side-on.

swatchgroup.com

01

Breitling Professional

Chronospace Military

Black Steel R88 700

The huge luminescent

numerals and backlight of

this burly Breitling means

you’ll have no issue telling

time, even if you’re only

crawling through traffic

on the N1 and not piloting

a stealth bomber. Throw

in a hardened steel case,

SuperQuartz movement, a

chronograph and dual time-

zone capability, and it’s clear

why military men favour it.

Breitling Boutique

011 883 2286

MH.CO.ZA/ August 2019 55

STYLE

MH

CHOICE

WRIST ASSESSMENT

PHOTOGRAPH BY ROWAN FEE; STOCKISTS: BREITLING.COM, HAMILTONWATCH.COM, SEIKOWATCHES.COM