African beauty: JeanRichard Highlands Big Life

There is only one thing that we love more than a good watch here at Watch Allure, and that is a good watch for an even better cause. Today, that honor belongs to JeanRichard Highlands Big Life Limited Edition.

Back in 1990s, that last and lost decade of the previous millennium, those confused and dark ages, which serve only as a reminder of how glorious and wonderful human achievements have become in illustrious Age of Science aka 3rd Millennium, JeanRichard introduced their collection of outdoor watches, targeted at the adventurous nature enthusiasts. Original Highlands collection has been accompanied by amazing photographs of a well-known artist Peter Beard, focused on the Africa’s rugged, beautiful and exotic nature. Now, 20 years later, it’s Nick Brandt’s turn.

Nick Brandt, Leopard Staring, Masai Mara 2010

A British photographer with a penchant for the Africa’s wildlife, Nick Brandt is famous for his black and white, almost surreal shots of savannah dwellers. Those haunting photographs are taken from up close, as it was the only way to capture that ethereal beauty and character of his animal subjects. If you are not familiar with Nick Brandt‘s work, I strongly encourage you to go and do yourself a favor and get acquainted asap. As well as being the Rembrandt of the savannah, Nick Brandt is also one of the greatest activists for natural conservation and African wildlife protection, most notably demonstrated in founding of the Big Life Foundation. This non-profit organization was established by Nick Brandt in 2010, a year which saw a steep rise in poaching all across Africa, and champions a noble cause – trying to preserve the fauna and ecosystem of Africa. Focusing its efforts on the Amboseli region, Big Life Foundation is not your average tree-hugging peace loving hippie bunch. Nope, they are the more practical para-military type of activists in the form of rangers patrolling this home of one of the largest populations of elephants in Africa. It is so awesome, there is practically a movie begging to be made!

Nick Brandt, Elephant Drinking, Amboseli, 2007. Killed by Poachers, 2009.

Here’s a not so fun a fact: An ounce of powdered rhino horn is now more expensive than an ounce of gold. And another one: Just a couple of days ago, African Black rhino was officially declared extinct. I could go on like this forever, but if you have the time, you should check out Big Life Foundation web site (and make a donation, perhaps).

Nick Brandt, Ranger w/ Tusks of Killed Elephant, Amboseli, 2011

Pictures copyright Nick Brandt

JeanRichard Highlands Big Life sure makes a fitting watch for this type of organization. A limited edition of the Highlands family, it shares all its traits – the robustness, sturdiness and resistance to extreme climatic conditions. Now, as the segment of the luxurious outdoor watches is becoming increasingly popular (can you smell another diver?), in an effort to differentiate themselves from the crowd JeanRicard expose their watches to series of rigorous tests. Poor watches are subjugated to changes of temperatures form -50° to +200° Celsius, various impact and water-resistance tests, as well as “Straptest” which measures the resistance of the leather or fabric to torsion and tension.

JeanRichard Highlands Big Life

This limited edition of 100 timepieces features a Highlands standard barrel-shaped 44.5 mm PVD-coated (couldn’t it be DLC?) case with a green bidirectional rotating bezel indicating a second time zone. Anti reflective sapphire crystal makes it ideal for use on a photo safari and sapphire caseback with Big Life Foundation logo allows very nice view on the movement, which is JeanRichard’s very own automatic JR1000, with 28,800 vph and 48 hours power reserve. Functions include hours, minutes, seconds and date. The strap is made of unnamed black fabric with sand-blasted steel folding buckle with black PVD coating.