Chris Pine Wears Smart Turnout Watchstrap

Smart Turnout's grosgrain watch band found its way onto the wrist of James Kirk, Captain of the Starship Enterprise Or at least onto the wrist of actor Chris Pine, who plays him in the latest Star Trek film, via a recent GQ photo shoot. The strap, in the colours of the Royal Horse Artillery, looks fantastic and is part of the fun and vibrant range here at Smart Turnout. The watch bands are a great and inexpensive way of giving an old watch new life, while putting a bit of colour into your summer wardrobe.

The watch band itself is military in origin. In the nineteenth century only women wore wristwatches, as men preferred pocket watches. However, the need for accurate and easily accessible time-keeping in aviation led to the development of a male version by Louis Cartier. During World War I officers soon discovered the pocket watch to be a cumbersome way to coordinate planning and soon the wristwatch became standard issue to all soldiers. With the end of the war the millions of enlisted men returning home held onto their watches, popularising them to one and all. The nylon grosgrain strap has been particularly useful in military circles as it is waterproof, non-reflexive and, if caught in emergencies, can easily be cut off the wrist. Hence the Nato G10 watchstraps, as worn by James Bond in the films Dr No and Thunderball.

These days most wearers are not too concerned by the military utility of the strap, but rather by the style it effortlessly projects. Smart Turnout’s range is comfortable and produced to the highest standard for an enduring and iconic look. They are 18mm in length and specifically designed to perfectly complement our Swiss Made watches.

From University to Smart Turnout London’s stock room. Ben tells his story of life in the stock room.

‘After recently graduating from University in London studying History, life has seemingly changed from lecture theatres and exam rooms, to the unusual experiences found in Smart Turnout’s London based stockroom.’ However, Oddly enough, working in the stock room provides some nostalgia from my time studying History at University. This comes from the continuous reminders of Britain’s fascinating heritage, through the diverse colours and patterns that are associated with Britain’s oldest organisations such as, Oxford and Cambridge, Eton, Winchester, Harrow, Household Division, Royal Artillery and Blues and Royals. One simply has to spend a day in the Smart Turnout London stock room, or simply browse through the website or brochure, to get a decent understanding of the sheer amount of intriguing and fascinating Heritage that Britain holds. Not only have I found myself learning more about the Britain’s oldest organisations, but with Smart Turnout London rapidly expanding and diversifying its interests with the History of other Organisations, particularly in the US such as Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Princeton, and Brown etc. My knowledge of these great American organisations and their associated colours and patterns is ever increasing. Working in Smart Turnout London’s stockroom couples my two passions, history and Fashion. It’s great to be part of a brand that shares the similar values that I do. It's exciting to be one of the first to see the latest additions to the Smart Turnout London collection. Equally as exciting is seeing first-hand the lengthy process from design to sample, from sample to the final item. Anyone who appreciates history and fashion, Smart Turnout London is the brand for you!’