Taking its name from the 12.750 B-17 Flying Fortress bombers built by Boeing, Memphis Belle watches pay homage to the Memphis Belle aircraft of which pilot commander Robert K. Morgan originally intended to name after his sweetheart, Margaret Polk. “Little One” was his pet name for her, but having watched the movie “Lady for a Night” with his co pilot, Jim Verinis, Morgan decided the fuselage would be named after the riverboat featured in the film, named the Memphis Belle. Pin up artwork created by artist Corporal Tony Starcer, based on his fiancé, would be adorned in blue on the aircraft’s portside, and in red on the starboard. 25 bomb shapes would be painted on the Memphis Belle’s nose. The aircraft accomplished 25 successful missions between 1942 and 1943 without suffering any significant damage. The living legend, however, was put into a dedicated area of the Mud Island River Park in 1987.
Watch company Memphis Belle has paid tribute to the historic national treasure over the last 2 decades with over 1 million timepieces manufactured. Founders of the watch company, Alessandro Roman and Giovanni Panucci consolidated their knowledge in watchmaking to create the unique brand based in Italy, teaming up to create wristwatches built for extreme conditions that share the same resilience and determination of the Memphis Belle aircraft itself.
Memphis Belle watches show commitment to excellence and values of heroism, sturdiness, high quality materials, and above all, powerful movements. They are tested against some of the most demanding conditions and subject to dangerous missions for professionals and civilians too. The entire collection offers diver’s watches, military watches and chronographs made in collaboration with the armed forces.
Within the Memphis Belle Heritage collection are models from the Caimano series that feature bold and chunky designs crafted from materials like stainless and bronze. Vintage leather straps are finished with reinforced stitching and feature an anti sweat interior. Manual winding movements promise uncompromised reliability, while their designs encapsulate the spirit of the vintage aircraft from which they take inspiration from.
Memphis Belle Super Professional watches are vibrant and sporty. Broad 44mm case widths are topped with confident rotating bezels for effortless measuring of elapsed time. Finished on colourful leather straps and with cases that are finished with a sleek black PVD coating, these dynamic watches are ideal for those in favour of large attention demanding timepieces. Creating a huge wrist presence with their bold designs, these Memphis Belle watches combine a legible dial with luminous coated appliques and remarkably accurate automatic movements.
It seems apparent more than ever that wristwatches able to tell a story through their design are becoming increasingly popular on the market. The Memphis Belle aircraft’s triumph throughout the Second World War is a lasting example in the designs of the Memphis Belle watch collection. Whether being collected by pilot’s, diver’s or watch enthusiast that share a passion and interest in historical aircraft, these mechanical wristwatches are the first to be developed by an Italian manufacturer that combine the features of a professional watch with the needs of soldiers, pioneers of the sky and deep sea explorers.
