Ex RAF Officer Keith Campbell may be one of the first European partners this historic American watch company has collaborated with, but the origins of our newfound relationship seem to have rooted long ago.
When Keith Campbell http://instagram.com/captureasecond/ reached out to us after many months of mutual engagement on social media, we new right away which TWC piece this legend should be wearing in the sky with him.
TWC is not new to working with Aviators, as our Martin M-130 Limited Edition is one of our signature Pilot chronographs commemorating the infamous “China Clipper” aircraft. This flying boat, built in Maryland, was the first plane to fly across the Pacific.
The development of the Martin M-130 limited edition was born on the wings of a grand dame aircraft. Named after the original Martin M-130 aircraft that opened the skies above the Pacific to commercial flights, the M-130 aircraft, and now Towson’s pilot watch that honors it can both be called by their nickname “China Clipper.” Like the Pride II, Towson’s China Clipper features an engraving of the original aircraft on the back. And unlike the tendencies of several modern brands there are no bits or bobs of metal or fabric from the seat of the original aircraft hidden away on this watch. And there’s no DNA from the first test-pilot to get off the water with the M-130. What you have is an authentic and inspired expression of a pilot’s watch that adds a dash of color to an all too often monochromatic type. Although Towson’s honorarium M-130 watch represents a return to round, the interplay of colors on the dial are the real attraction here.
In his part-retirement, after 16 years circumnavigating the globe, Keith Campbell has translated his experience in aviation to timepieces and horological photography. The prominence of his @captureasecond account results from this creative approach to a clash of two worlds.
