If you wanted to find someone with a treasure trove of inspiration when it comes to vintage military style, you’d turn to Nigel Cabourn. The cult British designer has been designing outdoor, workwear, and military inspired collections for four decades and in that time he’s collected thousands of original clothing and accessory examples from around the globe. When it came time for the Timex x Nigel Cabourn Sea Survival Watch — his third collaboration with global watch brand Timex — the savvy designer developed a timepiece inspired by RAF flight crews from WWII.
The yellow dial and pouch echo the “survival yellow,” high-visibility life vests worn by crews forced to crash land in the frigid waters of the Atlantic during the war, and the slip-through leather strap is faced in Ventile, the same material as the flight suits that kept the crewmen from freezing in the water as they awaited rescue. It’s a lot of history — plus thirty meters of water resistance and a 36mm stainless steel case — packed into a stylish $180 package.
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