invented the toy bear in 1902. Bremont drew industry attention when it produced 251 aviation watches from actual parts from the P-51 Mustang, a renowned World War II fighter designed and built by North American Aviation, a Boeing heritage company. The watches were considered so different that savvy collectors quickly bought out the store. The London watchmaker followed that model with the launch of its 1903 Wright’s Flyer watch, which is constructed incorporating pieces of fabric from Orville and Wilbur Wright’s first airplane. Boeing asked Bremont for something similar in a timepiece commemorating the company’s legacy. To help this idea along, Boeing introduced the watchmaker to the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, a metallurgical research organization Boeing co-founded with Sheffield University in the United Kingdom. Bremont used metal developed at the center—material stronger than stainless steel, scratchresistant and found in the landing gear of Boeing’s F/A-18 jet fighter—to create a pair of limited-edition watches: the B&W, named for original company partners Boeing and George Conrad Westervelt; and the 247, honoring the model number of the world’s first modern airliner, the Boeing 247. The watches are high-end and priced accordingly: One costs $5,450, the other $6,750. Boeing employees will receive a 20 percent discount. Bremont co-founder Nick English recalled: “That’s what’s nice about working with Boeing; they get what we try to do. These are not cheap watches. They are beautifully engineered and will be passed down from generation to generation.” Schott has produced flight jackets honoring three military aircraft: the Boeing B-17 bomber, the P-51 Mustang and the F-4 Phantom from McDonnell Douglas, another Boeing heritage company. Each carries a commemorative patch. Handmade out of sheepskin, goatskin or cowhide, the jackets will retail from $749 to $1,149. Schott was one of the original wartime producers of the flight jacket, guaranteeing an authentic look. Steiff, a 135-year-old company, has produced three different styles of teddy bear with a likeness to Bill Boeing. A limited edition of 100 22-inch (56-centimeter) bears, made with mohair and showing the company founder wearing glasses and a flight suit and carrying a mailbag, will retail for $1,895. A smaller, less-detailed version will cost $365, and an even smaller bear yet will go for $59.50. “It’s a very customized and unique item,” said Jim Pitocco, Steiff president. As for sunglasses, 18 Boeing test pilots agreed to have eye exams and wear several different pairs of test sunglasses for six months in 2011 and provide feedback. Four years later, Groupe Logo has released a signature Boeing pair that reduces overall glare yet doesn’t obscure the view of flightdeck instrumentation, especially electronic display screens. The sunglasses retail from $250 to $490. “The younger guys seemed to enjoy them and thought they were comfortable and still wear them,” Boeing chief test pilot Chuck Killberg said. “They’re competitively stylish.” There is no end to the potential for Boeing-branded high-end nostalgia. Across from Boeing Field in Seattle, unique items fill a third-floor conference room, each polished or repainted in an elegant manner, as the company decides what to pursue next. At the center of this impressive collection is a 747 wing-flap table, a refurbished wing section covered Photos: (Below) English watchmaker Bremont has produced the limited-edition B&W for Boeing, named for original company partners Bill Boeing and George Conrad Westervelt. BREMONT (Right) This keepsake lamp was created from the combustion chamber of a Pratt & Whitney JT8 engine on the 727 jetliner. 28 Boeing Fro ntiers
Frontiers July 2015 Issue
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