Watches For Thrill Seekers

There seems to be a watch for every occasion and every activity.  Here are some watches for thrill seekers; the people who love to seek adventure in the most extreme ways.

A few people in this world would have the courage to walk over the Grand Canyon on a tight rope without a harness or a net. On June 26, 2013 , American tightrope walker, Nik Wallanda, successfully crossed over the Grand Canyon wearing a Jean Richard Terrascope.  This was an extremely dangerous and difficult stunt.  For nearly 23 minutes Wallenda battled winds gusting up to 45 miles per hour, as well as up drafts and down drafts while walking on a metal rope that stretched to a length of 430 meters and a height of over 450 meters.

The Jean Richard Terrascope was the first option for this daredevil, however, there are a few other brands that are also known for being tough, sturdy and reliable.  These watches are normally the first choice for the most famous adventurers and stunt artists:

Bear Grylls once said “The difference between ordinary and extra-ordinary is often just simply that little word – extra.”  Wild man Bear Grylls is known for his TV series Born Survivor (Man vs. Wild).  The concept of the show is for Grylls to draw upon his survival skills in the most extreme locations in the world.  His stunts include a number of fun activities such as running through forest fires, wrestling alligators, climbing cliffs and parachuting from helicopters.  His watch of choice is obviously a Breitling Emergency.

Another thrill seeker is explorer Mike Horn, known for his extreme adventures in locations such as the Arctic Circle, the Amazon and many more.  In 2006 he turned his attention to the North Pole Winter Expedition, the objective of which was to travel across the thousand or more kilometers of ice.  This area separates the northern most part of Russia from the North Pole.  His watch of choice was his Panerai.

Officine Panerai became an exclusive partner of the North Pole Winter Expedition.  They developed a technically advanced watch, the Panerai Luminor GMT North Pole, which had been tested specifically for the expedition.  The watch has a steel case with the “characteristic bridge protecting the winding crown (an Officine Panerai patent) and an additional internal case made of soft iron, a material which protects the mechanism from the influence of the earth’s magnetic field, the intensity of which increases considerably in the vicinity of the North Pole.  The Calibre OP VIII, with automatic winding, has been lubricated with special oils to guarantee the best performance even close to the North Pole.”  But that’s not all … the watch is also water-resistant to a depth of 300 meters.

Remember the skydiver who “fell” from space and landed on earth?  On October 14, 2012, Felix Baumgarter hit three world records by climbing 24 miles into the sky (breaking the world record for the highest manned balloon flight).  He then jumped out of the helium balloon establishing a new world record for the highest parachute jump.  During the jump, he fell to earth so fast that he broke the sound barrier, hitting a speed of over 843 miles per hour.  This broke the record for the fastest free fall speed.  Baumgartner is also famous for his base parachute jumps from tall buildings and has been seen wearing numerous Breitling watches.