On an unusually cold night in March 2019, we met TGV of The Urban Gentry for the first time. He was returning a watch he had recently reviewed (Hydra Series I), and we got together for dinner in a small restaurant in Astoria. We were looking forward to getting to know him, as we shared a similar philosophy and taste in watches. Throughout dinner, he kept referring to something he wanted to talk to us about, and then produced from his pocket his vintage Lord Sanford Skindiver–and presented the idea of doing a collaboration on a new model that would capture the intrepid spirit of the now discontinued timepiece.
The watch radiated an energy and charm that drew us in, and we immediately began discussing which features we had to incorporate in our own model. By the time we left, we knew what we wanted to do and had agreed upon the name “Safari” for the new project. Lorenzo had a design drafted the next morning.
Fast forward almost two years and three prototypes later: we still hadn’t cracked it. Our initial enthusiasm was replaced with disappointment; nothing we did could rise to the level of the “Lordy”. And then Lorenzo had an idea.
We had gotten so hung up on the specific features of the Lordy, we neglected the larger goal of reviving its optimistic, adventurous energy. We called up TGV over Zoom and asked him–is it the look of the Lordy that we’re after, or the spirit? From there, our design took a sharp turn, and we went further back in time. By incorporating features that are not-so-common today, such as heat-blued hands, a copper dial, and a bubbleback case, we could create a watch worthy of the “Safari” name. Though it’s a totally different look from the Lordy, it has the same spirit.
In July 2021 our final round of prototypes arrived, and we presented them to TGV (in Philadelphia this time). We could not have been more delighted with the outcome. And now, in December 2021, we are thrilled to finally share the Safari with you. |
