Despite the fact that it seems like sporting a bar of chocolate in your wrist, the Sicura Safari knife watch is a pure marvel. It had been a very long time since I put it on my want checklist, and I lastly obtained one. I actually thought it could be a lot simpler to search out it…
I used to be mistaken. The Sicura Safari knife watch pops fairly not often. It’s one of many watches that I attempted to actively seek for by a number of public sale websites for years, however not a single itemizing confirmed up. I stored bugging certainly one of my watch penfriends to let his Sicura Safari go, however he efficiently resisted my annoying calls for.
Touchdown a Sicura Safari
In the midst of November final yr, Rainer, one other certainly one of my watch penfriends, despatched me an Instagram hyperlink and requested if I noticed the Sicura with a knife that Levan, the Austrian watchmaker from Vienna, present in a case. Rainer had no clue that I used to be making an attempt to hunt one down. And I couldn’t imagine {that a} Sicura Safari had resurfaced proper subsequent door and I’d missed it. By the point I reached out to Levan, the watch was already bought. Rainer traced it to a vendor from the UK. My jaw dropped after I heard it had bought for over €2,000. I discovered it surprisingly excessive contemplating that the re-chromed case had misplaced its unique character.
Not giving up
The subsequent day, I did what I normally do. I ran “Sicura Safari” by an Instagram search to see who had posted something in regards to the watch. This introduced me to a different man who owns three of them. I believed he could be keen to let one go. He finally may, however I didn’t like his manners, so I stepped again. Fortunately, I discovered one other one listed with an Italian vendor. Because it was in fairly good situation, I pulled the set off, and right here we’re.
First impressions of the Sicura Safari
The Sicura Safari appears cozy, nevertheless it’s not. Properly, it might really feel tiny for these with Arnie-sized wrists, however the measurement might shock you when you repeatedly put on 36–38mm classic chronographs or divers. And the way about that form? It had been years since I studied it in photos, however that didn’t put together me for my first encounter with the watch within the steel — a number of steel. It’s really only a massive piece of metal. Neglect any curves, beveled edges, the concord of skinny and thick components, and the poetry of shapes. It’s a brick. A heavy and barely cumbersome steel brick. Neglect making an attempt to slide this watch below a cuff. The Sicura Safari will demolish it within the course of.
Unwearable
I’m taking a look at my Sicura Safari proper now, and I’m nonetheless speechless. The bezel, crystal, and lugs are virtually flat. I don’t know if I may even name them “lugs.” There’s nearly a 2mm chunk into every finish of the large case. In the end, they seem like a foul parody of lugs. On high of that, the Sicura Safari is lengthy and all the time stands out from my wrist. It’s so heavy you could additionally see the way it struggles with gravity at every tiniest twist of the hand. Does it sound to you want I’ve been consistently complaining about Sicura Safari up so far? Properly, that’s true. However on the similar time, I find it irresistible too.
Blade Runner
You don’t have to guess twice why I find it irresistible a lot — a knife blade is applied into the case! That will clarify the watch’s “no-lugs coverage.” For those who put on your watches in your left hand, on the interior facet of the case, nearer to your coronary heart, there’s a folding Victorinox blade.
Buy tip
One of many extra educated Sicura Safari house owners educated me about blades a bit extra. For those who look nearer on the interior facet of the blade, there needs to be a Victoria emblem stamped on it. If you don’t see it there, the blade was most likely changed by a contemporary model. Truthfully, it wouldn’t even cross my thoughts to test that, however I used to be grateful for the recommendation, and I used it when shopping for mine.
A little bit of background
As defined right here, Sicura had a full lineup of flashy watches. Quartz watches had been demolishing mechanical watches massive time, so Ernest Schneider, Sicura’s CEO, didn’t give a lot consideration (or cash) to the standard of the actions in his watches. Pin-lever actions had been virtually customary as a result of Schneider targeted totally on circumstances and dial designs.
Trying to find unique advertisements
We are able to discover dozens of epic designs. I might even name them advertising and marketing stunts to draw potential patrons, simply to maintain them from going quartz. For those who think about the burden below which Schneider was working, his perspective to go in opposition to the quartz stream was actually admirable. What stunned me, although, was the truth that I failed to search out any leaflets, manuals, and even print advertisements presenting the watch. I even reached out to collectors who specialise in watch advertisements, however I had no success in any respect. Please, when you’ve got any advertising and marketing supplies from the period when the Sicura Safari got here out, I might be grateful when you shared them with us.
Discover your model
What we all know for certain is that there have been a number of dial variations out there. You may select from an orange, blue, or inexperienced dial mixed with a darkish grey or silver central ring. And there even had been MG-branded dials out there. However I’d recommend not being choosy with regards to the colour and catching no matter instance comes your approach. What I might be choosy about, nevertheless, is the case. These had been chromed, so that you don’t need one which was crushed an excessive amount of. The 2 screws holding the blade are sometimes fairly worn or presumably replacements. For those who discover a watch with unique screws and their heads untouched by a screwdriver, you possibly can pat your self on the again.
Final ideas
The front-loaded Sicura Safari doesn’t home a horological marvel of a motion, however the built-in blade makes it an actual stunner. I haven’t examined how helpful it’s when reducing bacon on my journeys to the woods, however you need to admit the knife integration isn’t that dangerous in any respect. Simply examine it to a show mild on my Orient Toyota Puma. I don’t count on the Sicura Safari to turn into my favourite Swiss knife, however in case of an emergency, it might turn into a significant merchandise.
My Sicura Safari even made it to a proper enterprise assembly in a elaborate convention room at a giant company yesterday. I assume 99.9% of attendees would have by no means guessed that there was a knife on me. Joyful looking!
