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WATCH SPOTTING: Brad Pitt’s perfect TAG Heuer in Moneyball and the interesting story behind it

During the pandemic, many have used the time at home to catch up on a recommended TV series or film they may have missed in busier times, or re-watch some comforting favourites. In my seventh or eighth run-through of The West Wing television series, I almost spilled my beer in excitement when I spotted an Omega dress watch on my favourite fictional president (Bartlet 2020?).

This hobby has made watch lovers increasingly aware of what actors are wearing on their wrists. Just the other week I got a message from a buddy asking me what was on Sam Neill’s wrist in Jurassic Park III (an Oris if you were curious). The mark of a true watch enthusiast is when you find yourself rewinding and pausing, even at the risk of annoying your friends and family, to get the perfect screengrab of a watch worn by a character in film/television to post in your watch group — initiating a race among your #watchfam to name the reference spotted on your favourite character. The latest watch spot in pandemic movie night … Brad Pitt’s best fake TAG Heuer in Moneyball.

Brad Pitt wears the best watch fake TAG Heuer Kirium WL1113.BA0701.
Brad Pitt wears the best watch fake TAG Heuer Kirium WL1113.BA0701.
The movie

Moneyball, based on the book ‘Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game’ by Michael Lewis, tells the story of the Oakland Athletics baseball team and its calculating general manager, Billy Beane. A struggling Oakland A’s franchise (who had just lost superstar Jason Giambi among others) was revived and rejuvenated by advanced statistics and mathematical probabilities, which at the time was a novel departure from the traditional means of analysis and recruitment in baseball. This critical thinking, brought to the team by the genius mind of Billy Beane, has now become the standard for how teams look for the next generation of talent.

Male Replica TAG Heuer Kirium WL1113.BA0701 Watch
The story of the watch

Fortunately for those wristwatch-curious viewers, Brad Pitt is often wearing a short-sleeve shirt, giving the Swiss fake TAG Heuer on his wrist ample screen time. Thanks to Jeff Stein, founder of OnTheDash and expert on all things TAG Heuer, this was an easy watch to identify. Why? Because he actually helped make it possible for Brad Pitt to wear the watch in the film.

How was the watch chosen for the film? By Brad, of course

According to Jeff, on the first day of filming, the property master for Moneyball presented Brad Pitt with three watches to wear as options for the movie. Two of the watches were from the property master’s own supply and the third was from the wrist of a fellow crew member. Naturally, Brad didn’t go for the prop master selections. It was the crew member’s actual watch that Brad would eventually declare worthy of his wrist; the TAG Heuer Kirium. Cue Jeff Stein. As a known TAG Heuer historian and expert, who even the brand calls on for help and research to this day, Jeff identified the watch for the property master and even sourced the three watches that would be the “back-ups” for Brad.

As Jeff tells it, in the name of continuity (as well as ensuring the crew member got his watch back), the prop master sent a photo of the watch to a production company who contacted TAG Heuer. TAG Heuer then contacted Jeff, as the watch was no longer in production or their catalogue. Jeff identified the watch and proceeded to secure three examples, at approximately $400 – $500 USD a piece. Thus, he irrefutably knows firsthand what the watch on Brad Pitt’s wrist was: the TAG Heuer Kirium WL1113.

Blue Dial Fake TAG Heuer Kirium WL1113.BA0701 Watch
The watch details

The quality fake TAG Heuer Kirium WL1113 was produced by TAG Heuer in the late 1990s, as part of its Professional collection. The particular watch worn by Brad Pitt in the film has a midnight blue dial, Mercedes-style hands (most notably found on Rolex sports models), a unidirectional rotating dive bezel, with a classic case build, water resistant up to 200 metres. Outfitted on its factory-integrated stainless steel bracelet, it was a perfect choice for a dive in the ocean or a dive on the (baseball) diamond.

As Jeff explains in the forum post, this watch really suited Brad’s character. A pragmatic man and thinker, working for a struggling MLB team, the Kirium made sense for someone who had a keen eye for value. A reliable and robust timepiece, it was a great match for the film’s protagonist. And while Brad Pitt’s Citizen “Bullhead” Challenge Timer in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was not period correct, this watch was produced in the late ’90s, which means it’s very feasible that it was worn during a film set in the early 2000s.

Most men can relate to four accessories: belts, hats, sunglasses and watches. They are windows into the character and taste of a person. While a conscious or subconscious choice, it can reveal a sense of how a person thinks and chooses to express themselves. It’s arguably why when we watch spot during our favourite films, we rush to identify and source them ourselves. Horology, or at least its consumers, are highly driven by emotion. If we can slap something around our wrist that makes us feel stronger, bolder, tougher, wiser, and with a greater sense of prestige – we will make it happen whenever possible. Fortunately, in this case, if the Kirium watch resonates with you, it won’t take a movie star’s budget to source one of them today – a decade later, they are roughly available for the same price Jeff paid on behalf of the studio.

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Why I Bought It: Best Fake Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Black Matte Ceramic

The first time I got to handle a Bell & Ross watch was in the mid-2000s during a visit to Kuala Lumpur. I remember feeling a bit shocked at how passionate the Bell & Ross collectors were and surprised at the camaraderie among them. They casually referred to themselves as “BRos.”

During a get-together with the BRos, I tried on the most popular BR 01 watch: the 46 mm square watch looked massive on my 17-centimeter wrist. I loved its design, but felt I just did not have the wrist size to pull it off.

However, this get-together was the spark that led me to pursue my perfect Bell & Ross instrument watch.

Pilot Rafale wearing his Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Black Matte Ceramic in the cockpit
Love at first sight: best Bell & Ross BR 03-92 replica

Over the next few years visiting Baselworld, I closely followed the evolution of the smaller 42 mm BR 03 series. And in early 2011, at a time when I was living in Prague, I visited the Bell & Ross headquarters in Paris, where I tried on the BR 03-92 Heritage, which I immediately took a liking to.

I bought the watch and took it to my favorite leather atelier in Prague for a custom strap. But my bond with this watch lasted a year and I ended up selling it in 2012. We are called WIS – Watch Idiot Savants – for a reason: I ended up buying and selling this watch twice over the next two years!

Fast forward to 2016, and I’m now living in Austin, Texas. As one of the sponsors of the Renault F1 team, Bell & Ross hosted a Formula 1 event in Austin. There I borrowed a BR 03-92 Black Matte Ceramic and it dawned on me that it was what I hoped the Heritage would be.

This was the perfect Bell & Ross watch for me, checking all the boxes for the characteristics I expected from an aviation-style instrument watch. I placed my order after the event, and it has been part of my core pilot’s watch collection ever since.

Male Fake Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Watch
What makes the Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Black Matte Ceramic so special?

So what does make the Swiss copy Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Black Matte Ceramic so special? In a nutshell, it is the simplicity of the design and appropriate materials. Bell & Ross removed any gimmicks, complications, bells, and whistles – the brand removed “the noise,” as I like to say.

My Heritage had orange numerals and hands (nowadays referred to as “fauxtina” lume), while the contrasting beige strap seemed like too much of a deviation from an aviation instrument watch.

More importantly, the bead-blasted steel case with black carbon powder coating was a scratch magnet and not as comfortable to wear as the ceramic due to its weight. I connected with the design of the Heritage model, but I was yearning for a tool watch.

Bell & Ross must have heard pretty much the same feedback from all the BRos as the brand solved the problem in 2014 by switching to ceramic cases. Ceramic is the perfect material for a tool watch: it is lightweight, does not scratch easily, is hypoallergenic, easy to wear, soft to the touch, and quickly adapts to body temperature.

Using ceramic was also consistent with the watch’s aviation theme. In aeronautics, and especially in aerospace, ceramics are the material of choice for parts that must withstand extremely high temperatures as well as exposure to acids, corrosion, and erosion, so is commonly found in thermal cladding and the nosecones of spacecraft.

Black Matte Ceramic Fake Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Watch
My Perfect Replica Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Black Matte Ceramic

My Black Matte has a high-contrast dial with bright white markers, numerals, and hands against a matte black background. The combination of black and white offers the best contrast for high legibility over any other color combination, which is necessary for an aviation-style instrument watch. The addition of anti-reflective coating and a generous application of Super-LumiNova makes for excellent legibility.

The 12, 3, 6, 9 dial layout with the smaller minute marker track shows direct influence from modern German flieger watches. Which makes total sense as Bell & Ross founders Bruno Belamich and Carlos Rosillo studied under the mentorship of German pilot watch “godfather” Helmut Sinn before launching their own brand based in Paris.

I like the way Bell & Ross executes the date between 4 and 5 o’clock. I usually dislike a tilted date display at that position, which is why, as much as I like Zenith’s El Primero chronograph, its date ruins it for me.

But Bell & Ross designed the small, round date aperture to fit the dial very naturally. The focus remains on the time unless you are looking for the date.

My BR 03-92 Black Matte is powered by an ETA 2892-2 automatic movement, which has a slightly slimmer profile than the 2824-2 movement. In recent years Bell & Ross has also chosen to use a base Sellita SW300-1 caliber, which is similar to the ETA 2892-2.

With a case height of just 9.8 mm I can easily wear it under my shirt cuff, too.

Luminant Dial Copy Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Watch
If I had a magic wand, what would I change about the quality copy Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Black Matte?

I’ll start with what I wouldn’t change: I would keep the ceramic case, black-and-white dial, date, slim movement, and rubber strap exactly as they are.

However, I would make the case slightly smaller, as Panerai has recently done with its downsizing of models (see Panerai Luminor Due 3 Days Automatic Acciaio: Good Things Do Come In Smaller Packages).

This watch wears flat on the wrist, but a flat watch with no bezel wears large, even at 42 mm. Bell & Ross also offers a 39 mm Black Matte BR-S in a variety of combinations, but it is powered by a quartz movement.

I have been wearing the Black Matte watch for four years very consistently as part of my rotation. I have swapped out the straps a couple of times, but in the heat of Texas’ climate I find it wears best on a rubber strap.

The ceramic case remains nice and cool during the hot days. I know it is rather cliché to refer to the Ross BR 03-92 Black Matte as being reflective of a brand’s DNA, but this watch is unmistakably Bell & Ross. Just the way I like it.

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Why The Perfect Patek Philippe Nautilus Replica Is King: A Collector Weighs In

An introduction by editor-in-chief Elizabeth Doerr: At Quill & Pad we are often contacted by readers. Most are requests for information, but some lead to an interesting exchange of opinions. A recent message from Perry Heim had much to do with his thoughts on one of today’s blue-chip watches: the Swiss fake Patek Philippe Nautilus.

He has organized his thoughts well, which I believe makes for a great conversation starter.

Perry Heim writes:

I’ve had the idea for this piece in mind for quite some time now, but as always when I think of writing something I inevitably ask myself, “What’s the point?”

Well, after reading article after article discussing the virtues of Patek Philippe’s Nautilus – such articles seem to be popping up exponentially – it became clear to me that none state a self-evident truth that appears obvious to me. So I decided to give it a go.

Here is what I find so appealing about the best replica Patek Philippe Nautilus Reference 5711.

Patek Philippe Nautilus Reference 5711A (photograph courtesy GaryG)
Patek Philippe Nautilus Reference 5711A (photograph courtesy GaryG)
Water resistance and a thin case

What I find most remarkable about the design of the Patek Philippe Nautilus Reference 5711 is that it offers 120 meters of water resistance within a case merely 8.3 mm high. You may ask, “What of it?”

In my humble opinion, the two most important factors when evaluating a luxury sports watch are elegance (hence, luxury) and durability (hence, sports). And while the following might err on the side of reductionism, I believe these two can be quantified quite easily using just two parameters: water resistance as a signifier of durability and case thickness as a measure of elegance.

Granted, there is more to luxury than elegance, and there is more to elegance than a thin case (the same going, of course, for sports, durability, and water resistance), so some may disagree with the significance of these two.

I do have more criteria. Being a watch enthusiast for several years, I have developed a specific ideal for my everyday watch. You know the watch I’m talking about: the beach-to-boardroom-go-anywhere do-anything kind of watch.

My ideal everyday watch has to be mechanical (automatic or manual winding, both fine by me) with an exhibition case back, some degree of luminescence, no thicker than 10 mm, and with a water resistance equal to or greater than 10 atm (100 m). As we shall see, finding the conjuncture of these last two is challenging within the confines of a single watch.

Tom Holland at the Wimbledon 2018 men’s finals wearing a Patek Philippe Nautilus Reference 5167 (photo courtesy Ralph Lauren)
Tom Holland at the Wimbledon 2018 men’s finals wearing a Patek Philippe Nautilus Reference 5167 (photo courtesy Ralph Lauren) 
Not-so-competitive landscape

I will now demonstrate that this is a feat unmatched by any other watch, save Patek Philippe’s own 5167 Aquanaut, which manages to fit the same movement in an 8.1 mm thick case while retaining said water resistance. Does this mean the 5167 is superlative to the 5711? Of course not; originality, design, and heritage are but a few of the additional factors at play here.

Putting aside these other aspects by which we are to judge a timepiece, and regardless of which one you prefer, Patek Philippe, at least of the holy trinity – an informal WIS grouping comprising Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, and Vacheron Constantin – appears to be alone in achieving this challenging combination of demands.

Patek Philippe Reference 5711-1A Nautilus (photo courtesy Tim Mosso)
Patek Philippe Reference 5711-1A Nautilus (photo courtesy Tim Mosso) 
What the other two holy trinity brands and a few select others offer

The water resistance of Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oaks are rated to a mere 50 m, with a screw-down crown on Reference 15202 and without one on the three-handed variants.

Many debates have arisen over the interpretation of water-resistance ratings, and while some claim that 50 meters with a screw-down crown is sufficient for swimming, I am reluctant to submerge any luxury watch with less than 100 m water resistance.

In any case, the models with a screw-down crown are about a centimeter thick. And while the 15202 is a delightful 8.1 mm thick, no one would advise you get it too wet.

And the Royal Oak Offshores? Sure, they’re water resistant. But whether Chronograph or Diver, they have all the thinness and finesse of a Big Mac.

Vacheron Constantin’s second-generation time-only Overseas is a fine candidate; with a depth rating of 150 meters and a reasonable case thickness of only 9.7 mm, my main gripe was its lack of an exhibition case back (I also felt the hands were a tad too short).

Vacheron Constantin added just such a case back to the third generation of the Overseas in 2016 – all the better to show off the new in-house 5100 caliber – but at the expense of adding nearly 2 mm to the case height. At more than 11 mm thick, it doesn’t appear at all sleek.

What about the white gold ultra-thin Overseas Perpetual Calendar? Oh, if ever there was a delicious watch to behold. Sadly, it achieves its clean design by doing away with a date window and second hand, and its 7.5 mm thin profile is accomplished at the expense of water resistance, down from 150 to 50 meters.

The A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus, Breguet Marine, and Glashütte Original Seventies all exceed 11 mm in height as is prone to happen with a big date complication (interesting enough, the new Marine did away with the big date but didn’t get any thinner).

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s sports watches tend to have a solid case back and are usually far from thin, as is the case, of course, with Rolex (surely to be expected with a base movement 6 mm in height). Omega’s current offerings are housed in cases with sapphire crystal case backs, but I find the Co-Axial escapements tend to render the timepieces with the dimensions of a small hockey puck.

Steel Cases Fake Watches
Other contenders

A couple of unusual suspects come to mind. Piaget’s Polo S and Girard-Perregaux’s Laureato are both rated to 100 meters and come in at just under a centimeter in height. Prima facia this sounds good but, alas, these fine timepieces only deliver further proof that numbers aren’t everything. In addition to being among those who find the designs of these pieces derivative, they just don’t feel all that thin to me.

Other noteworthy models, albeit discontinued, are Omega’s Constellation Double Eagle with the 2500 caliber. It’s still (or, rather, already) Co-Axial, you get a sapphire crystal case back and 100 m of water resistance, but unlike Omega’s current offerings it comes in under 10 mm in height.

Another is Blancpain’s Leman Aqualung (the limited edition of 1999 pieces, not the one with the grand date, mind you), quite fetching in my opinion.

Lastly, a watch I personally own and highly recommend if you can find one: the Nomos Tangente Sport Datum 531. Similar to the recent Hodinkee limited edition, the 531 is powered by Nomos Glashütte’s Beta caliber so it does have a date window in addition to an exhibition case back. It’s rated to 100 m without a screw-down crown (good thing, too, as it’s a manual wind) and is roughly 8 mm thick (roughly because Nomos claims a thickness of 7.9 mm with the exhibition case back, whereas my own Vernier caliper yielded a result closer to 8.1 mm.)

While it might have beat the quality copy Patek Philippe Nautilus insofar as the numbers go, the Nomos Glashütte Sport Datum doesn’t seem as thin due to its case being smaller (36.5 mm in diameter) and not as elaborate. Nonetheless, it was my choice for a luxury sports watch, though, arguably, without the luxury price tag.

Finally, we come to what just might be my watch of the year: Bulgari’s Octo Finissimo 100 m satin-polished stainless steel. As the name suggests, this Bulgari is sufficiently water resistant and only 5.25 mm thick. More than thin enough in my book.

So, is it a Nautilus killer? Not really.

Male Replica Patek Philippe Nautilus Watch
Patek Philippe Nautilus or Bulgari Octo Finissimo?

Personally, and in contrast to the Purists/Hodinkee point of view, I feel that a date window is rather apropos on a luxury sports watch (it’s a useful function on a daily wearer) as is a second hand – preferably a central second hand, which is easier to notice.

But most of all, I believe a sports watch ought to be lumed. The Bulgari Octo Finissimo isn’t. No doubt this is in order to preserve the integrity of the design, and I respect that. All of which is to say that, while I likes me some lume, I find the Octo Finissimo compelling enough that it just might be my next purchase.

The presence of lume, a date window, central seconds, and an additional 20 m of water resistance means that I still prefer a Nautilus. But supply, demand, and the market mean that a Patek Philippe Reference 5711 with my name on it will take quite some time.

Giant Patek Philippe Nautilus drawing by Simon Beck on Brean beach in Somerset, England
Giant Patek Philippe Nautilus drawing by Simon Beck on Brean beach in Somerset, England

Nonetheless, I hope that in these few words I have, to some degree, illuminated a few aspects as to why I think Patek Philippe’s Nautilus Reference 5711 is so successful and desirable.

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We asked the Swiss replica Longines VP of Marketing lots of questions about the new Spirit collection so you don’t have to

The Longines Spirit release is a totally new collection this year, something that is already very exciting in and of itself, but also because it’s an entirely new chapter for the brand. Longines, just like many of the finest watchmakers in the world, slowly improve their watches over time and rarely release entirely new collections, making the launch of the Spirit collection something that deserves attention just for its rarity. But beyond this new step from the brand, the Spirit collection is a totally different offering from Longines for a number of reasons. I spoke with Matthieu Baumgartner, the VP of Marketing at Longines, about how this new collection is a first for Longines in a few ways, and where it fits into the brand moving forward, and I came away with six key points you need to know.

Perfect Replica Longines Watch

1. This is the first Longines collection that blurs the line between old and new

“One of the key challenges behind this collection was blending heritage and contemporary. We wanted to have it distinct from the heritage segment statement of Longines, which is made of re-interpretations of milestones from the archives and the Museum of Longines. Spirit was a different project, because we rather see it as a testimony of the pioneer spirit. It is not a re-interpretation or re-edition of a specific watch from the past, but it encompasses different elements, and it’s a fusion of different aesthetical and technical elements, from watches that were equipping pioneers and innovators in the past.”

“If you look at the crown, we didn’t go for an oversized onion shape, or at least an oversized crown like we have on the Longines Weems Second-Setting watch. That, for example, is very much a pilot’s crown for pilots to use with gloves. Here we went for a slightly oversized yet very contemporary approach.”

“So it’s in these very small details that we made the difference between a re-edition of a watch from the past and a brand new collection that is strongly rooted in Longines history and aesthetic and functional codes of pilot’s and explorer watches and, of course, they did this with the COSC chronometer caliber, which is possibly the highest quality that you can expect today.”

The reissued Longines Weems Second-Setting watch.

2. If you were going to risk your life in an aircraft in the 1920s, you put your trust in Longines

“This new collection pays tribute to the feats of the pioneers of the past, and it’s not only about what they’ve achieved, but the fact that they have done that with the help of Longines wrist watches or instruments. It was a significant role that the timepiece played in the success of their endeavours back then, and could be the difference between failure and success.”

“The link between Longines and aviation is quite obvious, and we already had re-editions of historical timepieces from that era. We think of the Weems or the Lindbergh, and we were able to get some amazing and sometimes crazy stories about these watches back in the 1920s. For example, we found out that while they were taking the utmost risk to cross an ocean, or to go from point A to point B, or to break the record of being the fastest or the highest, they were placing their trust in Longines watches and instruments. We were so stunned by the level of risk they were ready to take.”

“Longines played a very important role back then as the official supplier of the World Air Sports Federation from 1919 onwards, and we found these stories also really inspiring when it came to the times we live in now. We believe that the pioneer spirit still has a strong meaning. Of course, taking risks is not the same as it was a century ago, but we are strongly convinced that being brave, daring, accepting risks, to sometimes fail but eventually be successful and triumph, they are very much values that are still important and make sense today.”

The original Weems watch from 1933. Image: Antiquorum

3. The Spirit collection is rooted in optimism

“With Longines Spirit, we have not only a re-interpretation of a specific quest from the past, but we have a fully new collection that is deeply rooted in Longines history with the pioneers of the skies, the lands and seas. Beyond a watch collection, this is also a new claim that the pioneer dream lives on. That is somehow a bridge between the glorious history of these pilots and pioneers and what we see as the pioneers of today.”

“So the ones who are very daring, brave, and who have the courage to try to uphold dreams even if they don’t succeed the first time, but to sometimes fail and eventually succeed with elegance. That is very much what is behind this new collection.”

The section of the Longines Museum that focuses on the history of aviation.

4. The quick-change date function on the chronograph was carefully considered

“This is a function of the L688.4 caliber that this chronograph is fitted with, and then there was a question: ‘Shall we hide this function or make it very discreet, or shall we have the proper pusher at 10?’ Eventually, we found out that having this function visible, this quick-set function visible with a pusher — that is screw-down to avoid any accidental or unwanted use — made the watch overall more balanced because you have the chronograph pushers and the crown on the upper end.”

The practical fake Longines watch has date window.

5. Matthieu Baumgartner’s favourite Longines Spirit watch is …

“I have rather small wrists, so I’d rather go for a three-hands date, and when I saw the first sketches and the first prototypes, I very much liked the black dial. But right now I think my favourite is the silver dial on leather strap.”

Matthieu Baumgartner’s first favourite.

6. Matthieu Baumgartner’s favourite vintage Longines watch is …

“I would say that like many collectors, I would love to one day find a Longines fitted with a 13ZN movement, in good condition and at a decent price. I think that’s a dream that many collectors and aficionados of Longines have — both for the movement and also just because of how the watch looks, as well as what it means in the history of Longines. That’s probably the one I would dream of.”

Made in partnership with Longines. However, the opinions expressed in this article are our own in accordance with our Editorial Policy.