Watch Spotlight - The Graf Zeppelin 100 Years of Zeppelin Watch

Once upon a time, air travel was not the nerve-wracking exercise that it is today.  The wealthy traveled in style, floating in the clouds, and moving at a leisurely pace in huge airships called Zeppelins.  One of the largest and most stately of the monster airships was Germany's Graf Zeppelin.  According to airships.net, it was commissioned on July 8, 1928 and flew until shortly after the Hindenberg disaster in 1937.  While in service, it circled the globe carrying passengers in grand style.

The Graf Zeppelin

Looking back on the airships today, there is a mix of elegance, romance, technology, the innocence of a bygone era, and the edginess of the danger from hydrogen.  The era of these magnificent airships is celebrated by Germany's Zeppelin watch brand.

The gondola of the Graf Zeppelin. Photo edited by Grombo [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY-SA 2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

The Zeppelin's were ships of the sky and they featured controls and instrumentation that might look more at home aboard a ship at sea.  The classic calfskin band and vintage instrument look of the Graf Zeppelin 100 Years of Zeppelin watch evoke the classic efficiency and engineering excellence of the airship era.  However, this Zeppelin watch is also perfect for the modern traveler as it has a date window at 4 o'clock, and alarm subdial at 6 o'clock, and a subdial at 9 o'clock which looks like it should keep time in another timezone.

Graf Zeppelin Watch

The Graf Zeppelin is a proper watch with stately proportions that look just right on the wrist.  The 42 millimeter diameter case is just perfect for most wrists.  At 13 millimeters thick, it can even fit under a cuff when a gentleman dresses properly for dinner as they did aboard the airship Graf Zeppelin.

Diners aboard the Graf Zeppelin - Source Bundesarchiv, Bild 102-08200 / CC-BY-SA 3.0 [CC BY-SA 3.0 de (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/de/deed.en)], via Wikimedia Commons

While today's Zeppelin watches are powered by precise Swiss Quartz movements, the Zeppelins of the 1920s were powered by massive power plants.  You can see the way one of the engines dwarfs a legion of ground crew.

Graf Zeppelin Engine - Photo from Bundesarchiv, Bild 102-00735 / CC-BY-SA 3.0 [CC BY-SA 3.0 de (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/de/deed.en)], via Wikimedia Commons

One of the coolest things about Zeppelin watches is that they are actually made in Germany.  The watch highlights a proud German achievement.  It's also reasonably priced for a European-made watch with a Swiss Movement.  It's not easy to pull off the tricky combination of elegance, quality, and affordability.  But, the Zeppelin Graf Zeppelin watch succeeds!

Watch Sighting: Raymond Weil Tradition Swiss Quartz Watch

I spotted this Raymond Weil Tradition Swiss Quartz watch at a Costco.  Raymond Weil is one of the last independent Swiss watch makers.  The firm was founded in 1976 by an experienced watch maker that struck out on his own during the height of the Swiss Quartz watch crisis.

Raymond Weil Style

From a design watch, this Raymond Weil is an interesting gold-tone dress watch.  The Roman numerals on the dial look modern and lean forward.  Yet, the watch itself is very traditional.  A small date window at 3 o'clock adds to the functionality.  This Raymond Weil Tradition model has a gold-tone stainless steel case.  With it's genuine Swiss pedigree, a Raymond Weil watch would look great in any business setting.  Even on the weekend, if your idea of casual is khaki slacks and rolled up sleeves on a monogrammed dress shirt, this watch would fit you well.  It has a classy understated look.

A Raymond Weil Tanker-Style Watch

They aren't as unattainable as you might think!

The Perils of Searching For Fine European Watches

I've been researching high end watches lately with searches for brands like Towson Watch Company, Rolex, and Tudor.  Now, according to the ads I'm seeing, the Internet thinks that I may want to buy a Mercedes or borrow up to a million dollars.  I guess that is just one of the perils of searching for watches that I can't really afford.

Aaaah, but, it is nice to dream of European engineering and design. 

Of course, if you look hard enough, you'll also discover some wonderful brands that bring European design to your wrist at affordable prices.  While the manufacturing may be handled in Asia, the heart and soul of some of these brands is European.

ADNA.  The watch I'm wearing right now came to me courtesy of a Belgian firm called ADNA. ADNA XXL watches combine diver-style practicality with innovative interchangeable straps and fun color combinations.  The ADNA XXL collection was designed by one of the best watch design minds in Europe!

Insignum.  Germany's Insignum brand also brings teutonic design sensibilities to your wrist at a reasonable price point.   When the brand was first launched in the U.S. my friends at ZuluTimeZone.com sent me a really cool example to review.

Neither ADNA or Insignum watches are overly expensive.  They fit most wrists and they fit most budgets.  If you aspire to own a product with fine European design, these watches cost considerably less than a Mercedes or Maserati!