A Dash of Camouflage: Graham Chronofighter Oversize Black Arrow
Even hardcore professional military watchmakers like Marathon and Stocker & Yale don’t do that: disguise the dials of their watches. And for good reason, as legibility is key when entering a war zone. But just as many diver’s watches never see water other than the occasional pool, many military-inspired watches similarly won’t see any combat. This gives watch brands the space to experiment that might be impractical in war but fun while enjoying a free life. Graham fake certainly took a liberal approach to the idea, launching not one, but three different watches, all painted in camouflage.
A bold move by Graham, because a watch like this has to be done exactly right or you really risk making a joke. That being said, Graham does have a reputation for creating more uniquely styled watches that are fun but also have serious undertones. The same goes for the Chronofighter Oversize Black Arrow. The Chronofighter’s large 47mm case is PVD-coated and features a black ceramic bezel, giving it the menacing look of a special forces member staring at you in the dark. A nice detail is that the iconic chronograph trigger is made of carbon fiber, giving the watch a high-tech and sturdy look.
The Chronofighter Oversize Black Arrow is available in three different camouflage dials and Graham applied them using silkscreen; jungle green, mountain grey or sand beige. Each color gives the Chronofighter Oversize a distinct look, further amplified by a rubber strap. While the comfort of the rubber strap is very pleasing, we would have liked to see this watch come with a sturdy NATO strap just to take the watch a step further.
As mentioned earlier, it’s easy to make a camouflage watch that looks like a joke, but this Graham actually has a pretty serious side. Its dial has telemetry scales in miles or kilometers, the first of which is calibrated to 77 degrees Fahrenheit and the second to 25 degrees Celsius. This may surprise some, but the speed of sound is not always the same and depends on the temperature. Graham took the average temperature on Earth and calibrated its telemetry scale based on that. Most homeowners will probably use it to measure the distance of a thunderstorm, but it can actually be used to determine how far away an explosion has occurred.
Sure, the Chronofighter Oversize Black Arrow is designed for active duty, just like The Expendables are active duty military units, but it’s fun! Having said that; when they start shooting Expendables IV, the fake luxury watches might be a good choice.