As the National Day Parade rolls out its military might, line your wrist with crowd favourites in a salute to patriotic solidarity.
CONTINGENT CROSSING
The parade opens with an impressive show of force as the Breitling Avenger Hurricane Military crashes onto the scene. Clad in high-tech Breitlight armour, the 50mm watch is endowed with numerous defences (scratch-resistance, thermal stability, anti-magnetism, anti-allergenic), while being significantly lighter and harder then both titanium and steel. Its 24-hour time display and desert lume emphasise a profession in field exercises.
Next to march into the arena are the elite special forces. The commando TAG Heuer Aquaracer Khaki is dressed head-to-toe in jungle livery, complete with a tone-on-tone NATO strap. Thanks to its utilitarian titanium case in stealth black PVD, the aquatic sports watch is now capable of navigating all terrains.
Demonstrating an amphibious assault is the RJ-Romain Jerome Steampunk 46 Auto Camo. The watch with the industrial DNA of 20th century transatlantic ships goes to ground in full forest camouflage, the pattern hand-painted on the dial by miniature artist André Martinez and printed on the alligator strap.
AERIAL FORMATION
Above the mobile column, the flypast begins with the sonic boom of twin Hamilton Khaki X-Wind models. The first is the new X-Wind Auto Chrono, now in sleek black PVD after fighting off alien invaders in last year’s Independence Day: Resurgence; hot on its heels is the urbane X-Wind Day Date, making its debut alongside its older sibling. Both pilot chronographs demonstrate aerial manoeuvrability with the world’s only drift angle calculator in a watch, which utilises their bezels to compute crosswinds during flight.
Adding a touch of glamour to the air show are Sally, Anna, Lilly and Nina — four crowd-pleasing beauties poised on the Graham Chronofighter Vintage Nose Art. The pin-ups are painted on the dials of the 44mm stainless steel automatic chronographs, balancing against the masculine chronograph trigger on the left flank of the case.
NAVAL GAZING
As the fleet gathers in formation, one vessel stands out from the rest: the Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver is the world’s first square diving watch, featuring the brand’s iconic case capped with a 60-minute unidirectional rotating bezel. Despite the unconventional shape, the watch is a bona fide dive instrument, with a reinforced steel case and crown guard for 300m water resistance, white lumed hands (contrasted with an orange hour hand) and hour markers for legibility, and a soft iron cage within to resist magnetic fields.
Finally, the Ulysse Nardin Marine Torpilleur targets a new point of entry by being more affordable than its marine chronometer siblings. Nevertheless, it retains an officer’s bearing with classic Roman numerals, a streamlined 42mm case, and a COSC-certified calibre with 60 hours of power reserve and a proprietary silicium anchor escapement.