Sand, steel and sapphire
The Aviator Mk II RAAF Centenary watch features sand from the parade ground of RAAF Air Base Point Cook. Squadron Leader Kylie Long collected the sand and sent it to Bausele’s watchmaker Christophe Hoppe. These historic grains are protected by sapphire crystal glass for optimal clarity.
Sapphire crystal glass is not actually glass but it is actually sapphire. Synthetic sapphire is an extremely hard, scratch-resistant material measuring 9 on the Mohs scale. Just like natural sapphire this means it is trumped in hardness only by diamond.
Synthetic sapphire crystal is made by crystallising pure aluminium oxide at high temperatures. The transparent material forms in large mounds called ‘boules’. The Aviator, Aviator Mk II and Airfield Air Force watches all have sapphire crystal faces.
The Royal Air Force Centenary watch collection also has some hidden gems, literally. The watch movements have jewel bearings made from synthetic ruby. Also known as corundum, this synthetic jewel is made using the same high-heart processes but forms beautifully coloured single crystal boules. The jewel bearings in Bausele precision watches are protected with the Incablock shock protection system.
The next level of protection in the Aviator and Aviator MkII is a Faraday cage made from soft iron to protect against magnetism. All the precision timepieces in this RAAF commemorative watch collection are housed in high-quality stainless steel cases. These are made from 316L steel commonly referred to as marine steel or surgical stainless steel.
The straps are premium quality recycled PET plastic with reinforcing. Also available is Bausele’s homage to the popular G10 NATO strap.
