If you’re looking to buy the world’s toughest watch, you might want to take a look at the Kaventsmann Triggerfish Bronze A2. This little timepiece has been pressure tested to 300 bar (that’s 3000 meters of water pressure), blown up with 10 pounds of C4, and survived to tick another day.
Kaventsmann Uhren is a one-man business run by Michael Barahona Fernandez, who creates all of the watch case parts by hand, in his Berlin workshop. It’s a time consuming process, so only a few of these solid watches go on sale each month. For his Triggerfish Bronze A2 model, the watchmaker used shock-resistant CuSn8 phosphor-bronze, the same material bridge load bearing plates are made of, stainless steel for the detachable back cap, and a 10 mm domed polycarbonate crystal. The finished watch measures 45 mm wide and 20 mm tall, and is a bit heavier than conventional wristwatches, but that’s to be expected, considering its extreme durability. After confirming the timepiece can resist water pressure of up to 300 bar, Fernandez enlisted the help of U.S. Special Forces for the ultimate test – his KAVENTSMANN Triggerfish Bronze A2 against the blast generated by 10 pounds of C4 plastic explosive.
A group of soldiers that had commissioned Kaventsmann for a military version of the Triggerfish made from an aluminum alloy, placed the wristwatch just 1 meter from the C4 charge and detonated the explosives on a bombing range. Except for a few scratches and a missing leather strap, the watch survived intact. The timing mechanism was also knocked out of place, but its maker says he has developed a new holder that will prevent this from happening in future tests. That’s great to hear, but if you ever find yourself just 1 meter away from a bomb, the integrity of your watch should be the least of your worries.
According to the Kaventsmann Uhren Facebook page only 30 Triggerfish Bronze A2 bombproof watches were made, and as of 15 hours ago, only two were still available. They’re priced at €1,600 ($2,000), in case you’re interested.
Photos © Kaventsmann Uhren
via Daily Mail
