graham

The correlations between high-performance racing machines and high-precision timepieces hardly need any elaboration, and the examples are plenty. It seems every premium automaker and every top-tier racing team has its own line of watches, usually crafted by Switzerland's finest watchmakers. And now Brawn GP has joined the fold.

If you haven't heard of Brawn GP, it's been a while since you've watched a grand prix. The team – headed by strategic mastermind Ross Brawn – that took over when Honda packed up and left Formula One racing last year is leading the world championship with only two rounds to go. But they've run most of the season without the sort of multi-million-dollar sponsorship deals you'd expect of the rookie race winners. At the British Grand Prix at Silverstone this year, however, the team announced a new deal with Anglo-Swiss watchmakers Graham-London, which lays claim to the first chronograph in timekeeping history. Graham has debuted a small line of timepieces custom made for the team, including the Chronofighter and the Silverstone, featuring Brawn GP's signature colors and individually numbered. Only 250 will be made, so you'd better be faster than a Brawn racer to get your hands on one.

It was only a matter of time before the popular Graham Swordfish watch got overhauled into a woman's watch. It doesn't make a heck of a lot of sense given the fact that the Swordfish is a large aggressive watch attempting to evoke an image of air combat, but with popularity comes marketability. The image of the watch has been reformed into something sparkly that makes you think of the well-known Beatles' song. The clever connection links the British band to the British watch brand, and suggests that "Lucy in the Sky" is still a watch with an aviation theme. Though I don't think Graham wants its potential customers considering floating over strawberry fields - forever.

Inside the watch is an automatic mechanical chronograph movement. The bug-eyed chronograph subdial magnifiers remain, but are basically useless as the dials now just have hands with some random placed diamonds. You'd have to be really sharp to use the chronograph with any precision. The watch does look pretty with over 150 diamonds organically placed all over the dial and case. Oddly enough, the watch is still 46mm wide, which would look silly on all but the largest wristed of women. There are plenty of men even who won't wear a 46mm wide watch. The main draw of the timepiece is the aggressive large size with soft decoration making for bold statement of a watch. The Lucy in the Sky collection is available in stainless steel or red gold, with a white or black face. Prices are likely to be between about $10,000 and $20,000.

Ariel Adams publishes the popular watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Nothing says 'fine timepiece" like the word "Overlord" in the title. This should be the watch of choice for all megalomaniacal rising stars! Aside from the functional and lume filled, yet somewhat homely subsidiary seconds dial (bright red on pale green?), this Graham Chronofighter Oversize Overlord Mark Four watch is pretty cool. The best part is easily the "riveted" look of the dial, meant to remind you of mechanized war machines, (or just machines) from the past. Most obviously fighter/bomber aircraft. Actually this watch is named after a specific "Overlord" mission that was part of British Air Force history.

The look of the dial in the 47mm wide case is inspired from Hurricane and Spitfire aircraft interiors. The basic Graham Chronofighter watch theme is there in its full glory, complete with the large size and trigger-like chronograph pusher system. Inside the watch is an automatic movement and quality for Graham timepieces is quite good. I've always felt that their watches are very 'solid' feeling. The Chronofighter Oversize Overlord Mark Four watch will be available as part of a limited edition of 500. I still get irked by use of the term "oversize," as I don't think it makes any sense - for anything really. It feels like marketing fluff. The only things that are "oversized" are to big to actually work/fit - whereas this timepiece will work and fit just fine. Look for availability soon with pricing that I imagine will be between $8,000 - $20,000.

Ariel Adams publishes the popular watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Often I like the watches from Graham, but this one has me cringing. It's the Graham Swordfish Big Bling (a play on Hublot's Big Bang perhaps) which the company is taking to Baselworld. It has a 46mm stainless steel case which makes me wonder if this watch is aimed at men or women (the light pink and blue straps available have me confused). The watch has 322 Top Wesselton diamonds for a total weight of 3.26 carats. It uses the automatic Graham caliber G1710 movement with chronograph function. The Swordfish looks more like a bug-eyed goldfish to me and the logo-ed rubber strap just compounds the overall foolish look of the watch.

[via Time Zone]