Quick, what was the sports watch of the ’80s? Breitling Chronomat? Rolex GMT-Master II? Hublot Classic Fusion? Wrong, wrong and wrong. The only correct answer is the Rochefoucauld. In 1983, it was the thinnest water-resistant watch in the world, singularly unique, sculptured in design, handcrafted in Switzerland and water-resistant to three atmospheres. It told time simultaneously in Monte Carlo, Beverly Hills, London, Paris, Rome and Gstaad. And, most notable of all, it was entirely fictional.
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By now, you’re either completely lost or entirely in on the joke. If you fall into the former camp, here’s the scoop: The Rochefoucauld is the watch that Dan Aykroyd’s down-on-his-luck snobby stockbroker tries to pawn in the 1983 comedy Trading Places, and the description in the previous paragraph is how he pitches the watch to Bo Diddley’s skeptical pawn broker. The watch, which never existed, has long been a bit of a grail for watch enthusiasts and movie buffs who’ve always wondered, “What if?” Well, now the Rochefoucauld is finally a reality (sort of) thanks to a new collab between Rowing Blazers and Zodiac.
The Zodiac x Rowing Blazers Super Sea Wolf GMT World Time
Rowing Blazers has become sort of a watch collab kingmaker over the past two years. It started with the preppy brand’s acclaimed makeover of the Seiko 5, which has since been followed up by tasteful takes on watches from increasingly more upscale models from Zodiac, Tudor and TAG Heuer. Now, the brand has once again partnered with Zodiac — a company that has shown its own willingness not to take itself too seriously — on a tongue-in-cheek version of the Super Sea Wolf GMT World Time.
This version of Zodiac’s travel watch adds the Rowing Blazers logo above six o’clock on the black dial and incorporates the style brand’s trademark shade of blue for the bezel. The watch also includes a #tide ocean plastic fabric strap executed in Rowing Blazers’ famous zig zag pattern in addition to the standard stainless steel jubilee bracelet from Zodiac. But the best change, and the only one that ties this watch to the Rochefoucauld, is the inclusion of all the cities named from the movie scene on the world time bezel.
