In case you hadn’t noticed, fly fishing hasn’t gone away since its A River Runs Through It phase. Besides the fresh air, gorgeous scenery and Zen-like calm that comes from a perfect cast, the sport offers loads of cool gear: rods, vests, boots, all made especially for the angler. It was only a matter of time before someone made a fly fishing watch, and this is it: the Montana Watch Company’s BFW-3 ($19,575), part of their Bridger Field Watch line of custom-made timepieces.
The BFW-3 has details that will appeal to anyone that appreciates a hand-tied fly, but the obvious centerpiece of the 37-millimeter sterling silver watch is the single-point engraving on the case back and bezel. The dial features a Bulino-engraved (tiny dots) image of a rainbow trout leaping from a mountain river to grab a huge mayfly; the markers are 22-karat gold, as is the leaping trout’s ephemeral quarry. The 14-karat yellow gold lugs and onion crown accent the richly engraved case. Inside you’ll find an ETA caliber 2824, Swiss made and as hard working as the American cowboy this piece brings to mind. A hand-tooled saddle leather strap, nicely fitted with a hand-engraved buckle, completes the piece. Unfortunately this singular piece has already been sold to one lucky fisherman, but hey, there are plenty more custom designs where this one came from.