Terra Cielo Mare Orienteering Watch
World War Z wasn’t a particularly good film (just ask anyone who is a fan who read the book) However, for the keen watchers, there’s an interesting small piece of trivia about the Terra Cielo Mare Orienteering Watch worn by the film’s main character Brad Pitt. One of the most highly-paid actors in Hollywood, performers, Pitt certainly could have been the pick of the many options when it comes to the top watches, but an adept costume designer looking in Italy to find a reliable.
However, under-the-radar-watch was the catalyst for Italian brand Terra Cielo Mare, which was a private company. Terra Cielo Mare making its big screen debut using the Orienteering model that was worn by Pitt during the movie.
Brad Pitt wearing the Terra Cielo Mare Orienteering Gen. 1 model during World War Z
Terra Cielo Mare (‘earth, air water for those working the basics of Italian) Director of operations and fourth generation maker of watches Luca Fontana admits that landing his company in World War Z was a sort of fortunate accident, however the fact is that Orienteering is very much.
Like it could be a great choice in the case of a zombie apocalypse with its high scores for visibility, no batteries needed to keep the ETA 2824 automatic movement in operation as well as a useful solar compass that is located on the bezel that rotates to function as a navigation aid in the event of a crisis.
But there’s extra to the watch than the fact that for more than 20 decades, TCM is quietly but regularly releasing a small number of great watches that are influenced by the adventures of soldiers in Italy’s three branches of the armed forces. TCM’s Terra Cielo Mare is in fact the brand that is owned and operated by a long-standing family-owned manufacturer of bracelets and cases who’s clients are among the biggest players in the business.
What is the weight?
Let’s say that the case and bracelet that belong to one of the more recognizable and sought-after sports watches available that are available today aren’t produced by the company in-house. The folks at TCM were not surprisingly secretive about the issue which is why this is an open secret that has not been confirmed as of now.
There’s no doubt that it’s a little bit from insider baseball to speak about what watch parts are produced by which company and when, but in a market that has a few horizontally integrated companies, it’s fascinating to discover where certain of the essential elements that make up movements are produced, especially between ultra high-endbrands and luxury mid-tier brands.
A good instance is Sachsische Uhrentechnologie GmbH Glashutte (better known as SUG and owned jointly by Sinn) which is recognized for its ability to make cases and also sign them for other German bigwigs like A. Lange & Sohne and other.
However, back to the Orienteering and the fact that the case is very likely to be made by the same people who make watches that cost up to ten times the price however, it also has plenty going for it: a distinct style and great function with the 100m water-resistant and a remarkable level of wearability and comfort, despite its rather large 44mm dimensions.
A large part of this is due in part due to the attractive titanium case design with downward-curved lugs encase the wrist, especially on the strap made of leather. The “destro” (left-hand left-hand crown) design also aids in comfort by keeping the large crown for time adjustment in a safe distance from wrist movement.
The second crown that is oversized at 2:00 is also able to keep away from the view as it handles the essential bezel rotation. It’s a good thing that this crown (which comes with an elegant black anodized red barrel) is also grippy , and big enough to be adjusted even while the watch is in the hand and that’s kind of the idea when one is in the woods and have nothing more than the sun’s rays to trace the route.
Contrary to most watches that are based upon the 24-hour GMT timers (like that of the Bremont Endurance, for example) the sun compass of this watch Orienteering can be utilized for either Northern and Southern hemispheres. It functions a bit as follows: First you take off the crown around 2:00 and make use of it to move the bi-directional bezel until the 24-hour time format is in line with the time displayed at the 12 hour display. making note of the is which hemisphere.
As you’ll notice there are two scales for 24-hours on the ring, that for Northern Hemisphere (in blue) and the other to those in the Southern (in the yellow). When you’re matched, plug the crown back into place and align the watch with the horizon, then turn the watch around on horizontally till the hours hand appears straight at the sun.
The bezel’s cardinal points will show the navigational marks. As with all boy scout wilderness methods, this is an approach that is subject to a certain amount of ambiguity, however should you find yourself in the wilderness and have an inoperable GPS device (lithium-ion batteries are extremely susceptible to rapid drain in cold conditions (just saying) It should be sufficient.
If you flip the watch over and you’ll see a neat connection to the navigational components that the watch built: a blue PVD-treated titanium medallion featuring relief of the celestial map which allows wearers to (theoretically) find themselves at night using real north, or even true southern by finding it in relation to the North Star while in the Northern Hemisphere or the Southern Cross for those living in the Southern Hemisphere.
In the past, both these celestial bodies served as lampposts for explorationists who were seeking their ways. However, whether this particular caseback will ever be useful as a navigation instrument is a different matter, but an interesting detail, however.
The second generation is now in operation
Its second generation of Orienteering is fast becoming an iconic piece for Terra Cielo Mare, thanks in part to Fontana’s love for the outdoors , as an avid mountaineer and alpinist. The most recent edition to the line is the “Tactical” version that was introduced during Couture featuring a dark-green dial, and the applied brown Arabic numerals.
While the normal Orienteering features the black case coated with PVD with bold with white Arabic numerals, the model can also be purchased with different variations of the dial that include a textured concrete dial that was inspired by Brutalist urban design as well as an engraved dial made from stones from the summit of Cerro Torre, one of the largest climbing routes on the Southern Patagonian Ice Field.
Bottom Line
Its Terra Cielo Mare Orienteering has an entry price of just EUR2,600 for the basic model but collectors are likely to pay a bit more for rarer, more exclusive dials. terracielomare.com