A CHARMING QUARTET
Although they first appeared in the early 20th century, pin-ups – female figures generally shown lightly dressed and in sensual poses – enjoyed their golden age during the Second World War. Inspired by US comics, their smiling faces and generous curves were reproduced as decorations just under the cockpit on the fuselage (noses) of American, and to a lesser extent, British war planes. Hence the term “Nose Art“. Not only did these works of hope and freedom help identify and customise an aircraft, but they also helped keep up the troops’ morale. The Graham brand has decided to honour this long-standing military tradition by creating a series of four limited edition watches: the Chronofighter Vintage Nose Art Ltd.
Available in 100 pieces per model, the Chronofighter Vintage Nose Art Ltd feature four different pin-ups, two redheads, a blonde and a brunette, dressed in yellow, khaki, blue or pink outfits. Each pin-up has her first name on the left-hand side of the sunburst black or blue dial, above the double subdial showing the date and day of the week.
As is typical of the flagship collection by Graham, the steel case is 44mm wide and equipped with the famous start/stop ‘trigger’ for the chronograph function at 9 o’clock. A monopusher button at 10 o’clock resets everything to zero.
The case back is fitted with crystal glass, unveiling part of the mechanism driving the four Chronofighter Vintage Nose Art Ltd models, the self-winding calibre G1747. The mechanism has a power reserve of 48 hours, and drives the hour and minute functions (at the centre of the dial), the seconds (in a subdial at 3 o’clock), the day and date (at 9 o’clock), the chronograph second hand (in the centre) and the minute totaliser (at 6 o’clock).
Price: CHF 5,450
By Sharmila Bertin