Around the Web: Babe Ruth’s Watch, Erotic Timepieces in Demand, CIA Watches, and More

Here is a fun piece we found in The Star, a newspaper based in Malaysia.

We would probably all acknowledge that the CIA and FBI are powerful brand names. But are they strong enough to sell watches?

Kryptolite Watch Co., based in Los Angeles, CA, certainly thinks so.

According to the report in The Star, in 2010, Kryptolite was given “exclusive rights to certain U.S. Government insignia, including [those of] the NCIS, CIA, FBI, and Air Force One, for timepieces sold in limited quantities to the public.” The partnership was originally created to support The White House Police Benefit Fund (the brand is now working with a different charity).

The watches, initially available for purchase through The White House Gift Shop, are sold under the brand name US AGENCY WATCH COMPANY, and are available online (Kryptolite owns the brand).

Built with high-action “safety” features, these timepieces would appear to be appropriate for the budding government operative. Each is furnished with “impact gel” technology, which makes them particularly able to absorb high impact blows. The CIA and FBI editions can “function as dive timers” and can withstand depths up to 200 meters, while the Air Force One edition is “water-resistant up to 90m.”

US Agency Watch Company has a couple of new offerings in development. It is currently in production on a watch that was originally supplied to the cast of the upcoming FOX TV series “24: Live Another Day.” Availability will coincide with the launch of the show in early summer 2014. They are also working with Richard Marcinko, the founder and first commander of Navy Seal Team 6, to create a limited-edition watch.

OK, so maybe it’s not a line for high-end aficionados, but it’s a fun collection, and we invite you to read the original story right here.

 

4. Watch Porn

We’ve featured some pretty “erotic” watches on WatchTime.com, such as editions created by Graham and Perrelet. Now CNBC takes a look at the erotic category in a racy new report from their series Secret Lives Of The Super Rich.

Erotica has a long history in the world of watchmaking. According to the CNBC story, jewelry consultant Chris Del Gatto says, “In the beginning, people would commission pocketwatches with faces of their wives or lovers because oftentimes people were separated for months or years at a time.”

It would appear that watchmakers have also long catered to people who have an interest in remembering more than just the countenance of their beloved.

At one 2011 auction, for example, an entire collection of erotic watches was sold, including a “rare 18-karat gold, enameled pocket watch from 1810 with a concealed, animated erotic scene that sold for more than $220,000.”

To get a good overview of the “erotic” watch category, we recommend that you read the original CNBC report right here. We have also included a video report by CNBC’s Robert Frank, who introduces us to the “Caligula” watch by Jacob & Co, an erotic timepiece named after the insatiable Roman Emperor, Caligula.