Bausele once again serves up a timepiece to honor those who protect their friends, families, and communities. Inspired by the tireless work and commitment of our military service members and Emergency first responders. Bausele is releasing a collaborative, limited edition timepiece. A comfortable, dependable, and functional wristwatch. From the field to the boardroom, this new limited-edition possesses a refined yet highly functional and rugged aesthetic.

The genesis of this collaboration was borne out of Bausele’s affinity and connection with the military and first responder community. This is a grass roots collaboration between Bausele, Frogsquad Straps and Rico's Watches Podcast. This collaborative limited-edition, has been designed to endure and meet the demands of the high tempo environment characteristic of military and first responder personnel. Equally, this timepiece possesses the refinement and style to suit most occasions. Bausele, Frogsquad, and Rico's all share an affinity for those in military and first responder community.

Behind the Scenes of the Timepiece

Make the time for what’s important. That’s the mantra of the Australian luxury watch brand, Bausele. Sometimes relaxing on a beach or going for a morning swim is important. But what’s always important is protecting the general population as well as the people you care about. Bausele has a special affinity for those who protect us and is once again leading the charge to support them.

Christophe Hoppe, founder and lead designer of Bausele, connected with many military personnel and supporters while and after creating the MIL-SPEC collection. Hoppe has now joined forces with two of those men, to release a timepiece and strap set that is reliable enough to keep up with those whose daily mission is to keep us safe.

The Team Collaborates

When Hoppe set out to design this timepiece, he wanted to engage with current or retired first responders or military operators. Having a skill set in developing and constructing durable and functional wristwatch straps was also key to any collaboration. Enter, Frogsquad straps and Rico’s Watches Podcast.  This international partnership lead by Hoppe, along with fellow watch aficionados Eric and Luke have delivered tough, versatile timepiece.

Eric is the founder and host of Rico's Watches Podcast.  Always fascinated with tool watches, Eric has collected them for over a decade.  In 2020, Eric started the Rico's podcast and has published over 130 episodes to-date.  While he has interviewed a myriad of guests from all over the global watch industry, Eric began narrowing his focus to that of military/paramilitary watch-related content last year.  Perhaps his motivation for the content change has come from serving his community as a police officer in Alberta, Canada, for the last 9 years. 

Luke is a fellow Australian who served for years in the Australian Defence Force.  After his time in the service, Luke transitioned into Emergency Health care, serving his community as an Emergency Nurse Practitioner (ENP).  His years in the military and medical fields have taught him the crucial requirement of precision timekeeping in life-and-death circumstances.  Obviously, the quality of a timepiece is of no consequence if the strap breaks.  Through his years of military service, Luke created custom watch straps out of modified military webbing, meeting the rigors of austere environments. Those passions eventually intertwined, and Luke founded Frogsquad Straps - a company that specializes in watch straps that are as tough as the men and women who wear them.

The Watch

So just how tough is the timepiece these gentlemen have made?  Eric has no doubt that the trio has created "an extremely capable piece that embodies the principles we all want from a watch in our lines of work."  It was designed to honor the blood, sweat, and tears of those dedicated to a life of service and sacrifice. 

 The timepiece itself is based on Bausele's popular Sydney Diver model but with some upgrades.  Made of 316L surgical grade stainless steel, the brushed black case protects the movement to a 200m diving depth.  Measuring in at 39.5mm in diameter and less than 10mm thick, the timepiece is extremely comfortable to wear.  To complete the comfort, the crown's resting position is flush with the side of the case.

 For this collaboration, Bausele utilizes a Swiss-made Sellita SW200 automatic movement.  Complete with 26 jewels and a 38-hour power reserve, this timepiece will keep the time reliably - a must for those men and women who will depend on its precision.

 This collaborative timepiece is more than just function - it has an elegant yet simple flair to it as well.  The black dial complements the case and will match any uniform or attire too.  "Bausele" graces the dial in their signature, simple font - along with the water resistance rating and a "Swiss Made" designation.  And in keeping with the vintage look of the MIL-SPEC collection, the geometric shapes on the dial mark the hours with simplicity.  The caseback is marked with the Rico's Watches Podcast and Frogsquad logos, as well as a serial number out of 100 timepieces made.

 It's not often that a watch strap truly elevates a timepiece itself - a situation where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.  But this combo does just that.  The Frogsquad straps bring both a visual appeal and a functional powerhouse.  This watch isn't going anywhere.  The black strap has a similar look to the MIL-SPEC's NATO strap with the adjustable logo-bearing clip; however, it also includes a hook and loop self-securing tab to serve as a secondary securing system.

 Eric calls this timepiece "the culmination of decades of watchmaking, military and law enforcement experience."  With this limited-edition release, Bausele, Luke Eldridge, and Eric of RIco's Watches Podcast have released a fantastic, durable timepiece for 100 men and women to wear.  

Quotes:

“What an opportunity it has been to bring to bare a collaborative time piece with Bausele and Rico’s watches podcast. This functional, comfortable and durable wristwatch and strap configuration will have you on time in any scenario from the field to the boardroom.”

Luke Eldridge

Owner Operator.

Frogsquad straps, Australia.