British model David Gandy is a man who seems to have it all. One of the world’s highest paid male models, Gandy is a muse to Dolce & Gabbana (the house produced a book that is just pictures of him). He’s a writer, contributing to Vogue.com and The Telegraph. He has raced cars for Jaguar. And, like his countryman David Beckham, has created his own collection of underwear.
But mostly, Gandy is a fashion guru. He calls his look “Modern British Gentleman” and his sartorial savvy has landed him not only on best-dressed lists but also Debrett’s annual inventory of the U.K.’s most influential people.
Gandy is famous for being his own stylist and wearing whatever he pleases. He can rock an immaculately tailored three-piece suit as well as he does denim on denim. He even has his own app.
Omega Speedmaster Bullhead Chronograph
The dapper model is also a fan of vintage watches. His signature pieces are Omega Speedmasters and Tag Heuer Carreras. Gandy was recently spotted at London men’s fashion week wearing an Omega Speedmaster Bullhead Co-Axial Chronograph.
First introduced in 1969, the Speedmaster Bullhead was part of whole new wave of visually groundbreaking timepieces that included the Dynamic and the Ploprof. It could be argued that these watches were a little too ahead of their time. Decades later, collectors clamored for the return of the Bullhead; in 2013 Omega reissued three versions in a limited edition collection of 669 pieces each.
Gandy’s dandy watch got its nickname because of the unusual placement of its chronograph pushers—like the horns on a bull’s head, as it where. It also features a winding crown at 12 o’clock and a second crown at 6 o’clock to set the internal rotating bezel. The case itself is a big chunk of funkiness with a handsome, brushed stainless steel case. Gandy’s version has a white dial with red, black and blue accents on the hands and the 24-hour scale bezel and a brown leather strap with white topstitching.
The new Bullhead certainly owes a debt to its 1960s dad, but it has been updated with a few design upgrades, such as flat instead of round chrono pushers, a sapphire crystal and a deployant clasp. The most import modern touch is the automatic Co-Axial caliber 3113 movement, which replaces the original’s hand-wound mechanism.
Just as Gandy’s individuality is what makes him stand out in an industry already full of handsome gentlemen, these subtle adjustments in style are what give the newer Bullhead’s its own identity. We’re going to follow Gandy’s lead and say that they are destined to be future classics in their own right.
