Hunting For Time
Auckland-based watch brand, Hunters Race, have combined the art of timelessness with the modern and brought it to the threshold with their latest timepiece.
Their eighth model, aptly named #8, is a hark back to age-old watch-making tradition, where materials are sourced locally and hand-crafted to create high-quality timepieces. The #8 watch is a piece ‘designed by New Zealanders for New Zealanders’.
Hunter Race’s owners, father-son duo Scott and Jack Ramsay, thrive with the challenge of creating #8. That number eight crops up as a nod to the essence of Kiwi culture. The number eight wire and the number eight rugby jersey, tie-ins to luck and prosperity and that timeful infinity.
Scott has worked 30-plus years in the watch industry and knows what it takes to create the perfect watch. Jack caught the bug from his dad, falling in love with the art from a young age.
Presented in a sophisticated native Rimu gift-box, with the name proudly emblazoned in it, #8’s domed sapphire-crystal sits as the crowned centre-piece. Additionally, when you lift the lid, two separate pockets offer a leather-bound warranty wallet and tool for stretching the extra leather straps around. The warranty, ironically, is for eight years.
With its embossed New Zealand leather straps and 42mm brushed stainless steel case, it feels elegant and sophisticated on the wrist. The watch has a high-precision 22 jewelled mechanical chronograph movement that the wearer can experience by looking at its open sapphire case back. After manually winding the watch, the wearer can see all of the traditional movements of the watch as well as engraved details, which also feature on the crown and buckle. Additionally, the watch is shockproof and 5 ATM (splash resistant).
On the watch face itself, the dials are brushed clean on three indexes with the three winding manual pushers contributing. The design is subtle, stylish and sophisticated, with the green titular number eight on its face.
The #8 range of Hunters Race watches are available in two colours – black or white – both retailing for $1,800.
Those interested in purchasing these magnificent story-teller timepieces can find them on the Hunters Race website, through specialist stockists, and Air New Zealand’s Airpoints programme.