American watch brand Tockr has taken its classic Air Defender Chronograph and given it a bold new graphic treatment using the art of hydrographic image transfer. To date, hydrographic printing has been most broadly applied in the worlds of motorsport and industrial design. Tockr is the first watch brand in its price segment and one of few watch brands in the world to produce hydro dipped watches.
The new Hydro Dipped Air Defender feature cases wrapped in daring designs including Tie-Dye, Magma, black or blue Carbon, and black or Hulk (green) Camo. Collectors can also commission a custom Hydro Dipped case from a library of colorful graphic themes, textures, and designs like pink camo, wood effect, fire, animal prints, and more. Custom Tockr Hydro Dipped models can be delivered in as soon as four weeks.
Artful, Industrial Inspired Finish
Since the beginning, the American watch brand has always embraced alternative materials and manufacturing methods to produce its aviation-inspired watches. “We have created movements inspired by engines and incorporated aircraft material into watch dials. With hydrographic technology, now Tockr is taking inspiration from industrial design in a daring and colorful new way,” said Tockr Founder Austin Ivey.
Each Hydro Dipped Air Defender stainless steel case is first primed then passed through a patterned, water-soluble film that is suspended on a liquid water surface. The film substrate dissolves into ink that is applied to the case by immersion printing. The seamless and highly durable graphic application entirely encloses the finished watch case. This process requires the steady hand of a trained technician to ensure that the pattern is evenly applied to the case sides from all angles. Each case is then coated in a highly durable, scratch resistant sealant finish. The hand applied nature of the graphic design ensures that no two Hydro Dipped Air Defender models look the same.
Exclusive Detailing and Rugged Functionality
The Air Defender chronograph watches epitomize the active-lifestyle and aviation inspiration that underline each of Tockr’s watch designs. The series takes cues from 1970s wristwatches designed specifically for military pilots while adhering to rigid NATO specifications.
Now the Air Defender’s 45 mm cushion shaped stainless steel case comes wrapped with eye-catching hydro dipped designs, while still offering water resistance up to 100 meters and a max 42-hour power reserve. Enclosed beneath a sapphire crystal, the chronograph’s 60 second, 30-minute, and 12-hour counters and a day-date window at 3 o’clock offer crisp legibility thanks to the ultra-luminescent markers and reflector ring. The rotating inner bezel is easily manipulated by pushing the crown at the 10 o’clock position. Second and sub-second hands have been custom painted in orange, red, or green to complement each dial. On the reverse side, a sapphire crystal case back reveals a look at the Air Defender’s premium Valjoux 7750 Swiss-made automatic movement and the custom Tockr skeletonized rotor.
The Hydro Dipped Air Defender series comes with exclusive coordinated strap options including hand-stitched calfskin, alligator, or toad leather straps, and each dial colorway can also be purchased with a custom “Stealth” strap produced by Tockr for the Air Defender series in partnership with the HIX Design studio out of Oklahoma City. The hand-cut and stitched custom “Stealth” straps are flared at the lugs, tapered at the buckle, and feature a raised and perforated section near the lugs with leather colors custom coordinated to each dial.
Photographs: Tockr Watches
Each Hydro Dipped Air Defender Tockr model comes with a 2-year international warranty, and the collection retails for USD 2,850.
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