Off the Cuff: Spinnaker Bradner

The Bradner takes its name from American physicist, Hugh Bradner. During his time at the University of California, Bradner was credited with inventing the neoprene wetsuit. The buoyant, flexible material would revolutionize recreational diving by using an ambient layer of water, trapped between the diver's body and the interior wall of the neoprene, to keep the wearer warm.

Off the Cuff: Héron Gladiateur

The most interesting component is easily the steel bezel, which features a rather unique use of Roman numerals--a nod to the the watch's name to be sure, but also a useful twelve-hour scale which can be used as a simple GMT function for tracking a second time zone if desired. The bezel has a nicely milled coin-edge, like the crown. Beyond the blasted surface of the bezel insert, the rest of the watch has a polished appearance with smooth rounded edges.