Let's not kid ourselves. Films this summer have ranged from mediocre to downright abysmal. Super 8? Middling. Thor? Pointless. Green Lantern? Abject. Transformers: Dark of the Moon? Possibly the worst film ever made. And guess what's coming next? The Footloose remake. I think I need a lie down.
Why remake Footloose? The constant remakes and sequels show there's a dearth of originality in Hollywood, but Footloose? Really? The original was awful and there are so many better films from the 1980s worth a remake, such as Back to the Future, or Heathers, or even Top Gun. Don't deny it, we all wish we had cool nicknames and could engage dastardly villains in aerial dogfights. Thankfully, looking like a 'Top Gun' is a lot easier than going through all that arduous and time-consuming pilot training. And, with a pair of Ray-Ban aviator sunglasses and the right pilot's watch, we can all be Maverick, Goose and Iceman.
IWC Schaffhausen has made things even easier for the armchair flying ace with the Pilot's Watch Double Chronograph Edition Top Gun (above). The watch is not officially tied to the film, rather the elite United States Navy fighter- jet training school depicted in the movie. Feature rich and ludicrously hi-tech, the watch has a 46mm case made of an innovative black ceramic. The push buttons, crown and case back are made of titanium, making the movement resistant to magnetism. The dial features a mechanical double chronograph and the design has echoes of the altimeter dials found in aircraft. Costing a cool HK$96,500, only 1,500 IWC Pilot's Watch Double Chronograph Top Gun timepieces will be made each year.
Breitling is a brand synonymous with all things aviation and the recently released limited-edition Blackbird Red Strike (below right) continues the fine tradition. The timepiece is what a pilot's watch is all about, with shiny steel, busy dials, tachometers and chronographs. The meaty 43mm case comes with a hefty polished-steel bracelet and imposing 360-degree rotating bi-direc- tional bezel. The black dial is juxtaposed with vivid red detailing, which nicely offsets the three totalisers and oversized date window as well as Breitling's winged logo. There is also the obligatory certified chronograph, but, rather curiously, the watch is water resistant to 300 metres, which is either a testament to the quality of the Blackbird Red Strike or Breitling expects a lot of people to be ditching their planes over very deep water. The Breitling Blackbird Red Strike costs a shade under HK$50,000 and is limited to 2,000 pieces.
If you're looking for a pilot's watch that is a little out of the ordinary, then the limited-edition Bell & Ross BR01 Red Radar (below left) might be just the thing for you. Bell & Ross is a relative newcomer when it comes to aviator watches but it's certainly among the more innovative. The BR01 Red Radar features a dial that recreates an air-traffic control radar screen. The dial contains three concentric circles, with a sweeping beam of light indicating hours, minutes and seconds. There is a danger of the dial appearing gimmicky but it's hard not to marvel at the technical mastery behind the watch. The black stainless-steel case comes in Bell & Ross' signature rounded square design complete with chunky rubber strap. The Bell & Ross BR01 Red Radar is limited to 999 pieces and costs HK$55,000.