Scotch Whisky Salvaged From 80-Year-Old Shipwreck To Be Sold At Auction

by Brad Japhe (02 August 2020)

“It’s called sunken scotch. And it’s practically a category unto itself: whisky rescued from the cargoes of a wrecked ship, resting for untold periods of time below the tides. Every few years tales of brown spirit raised from these depths grab headlines, while the liquor itself fetches top dollar at auction. The latest example happens to be scotch salvaged from perhaps the most famous shipwreck of the modern era. And it’s expected to earn as much as $20,000 in an on-going auction now live, online.”

Read the rest of the article at Forbes: forbes.com/sites/bradjaphe/2020/08/02/scotch-whisky-salvaged-from-80-year-old-shipwreck-to-be-sold-at-auction

Poster for the 1949 film

WATCH out (Mk. 1)

(This is the first post in a series about iconic watches and time keeping accessories.)

The subject of this post is the Tropic waterproof rubber watch band or strap, a strap first introduced in the 1960s for the diving community, as an adjustable and durable alternative to stainless steel (aka “Oyster“) or leather watch straps. The original Tropic watch band was made in Switzerland and was distributed in the USA by BestFit.

The original TROPIC Strap packaging and full product range as presented to retailers in the 1960s (from tropicstrap.com)

Likely the most “famous” wearing of this watch strap is on Marlon Brando‘s Rolex GMT-Master that he wore on the set of the 1979 Vietnam War film Apocalypse Now (a watch that he was compelled to modify prior to filming so as to make it look less like a Rolex by removing the bezel). His watch may have not originally sported a Tropic strap, likely a black leather one (probably a perforated leather “racing” watch band), but at its auction the watch had a Tropic strap on it.

Where can one obtain a Tropic or Tropic style strap today? The two best options, IMHO, are Cheap NATO Straps and tropicstrap.com

There are a few other versions being sold on Amazon and eBay, but the two companies above are known entities. I’m not sure about the availability of original 1960s/70s straps, but eBay and/or specialty watch and watch accessories sites would be the place to look.

For more information on the Brando watch:

rolexmagazine.com/2008/11/marlon-brando-rolex-gmt-master-from.html

hodinkee.com/articles/marlon-brando-rolex-gmt-master-apocalypse-now-phillips-breaking-news

hodinkee.com/articles/marlon-brando-rolex-gmt-master-apocalypse-now-hands-on

hodinkee.com/articles/marlon-brando-rolex-gmt-master-apocalypse-now-sells-phillips