VintageVDB AS - THE ONE

By TLex It's no secret that Arnold Schwarzenegger loves his big military watches. He's been seen wearing some pretty special timepieces over the years. The A.S. M47-331 Military Tank Watch, various models from Audemars Piguet, Panerai and U-Boat, a huge Laco Pilot's watch, a legendary Zlatoust Russian diver; and now a high-end bespoke beater from VintageVDB, named AS - The One!



Starting with its Barbarian sized Titanium case that has been bead-blasted, emphasizing its utilitarian intent. It measures a 56mm in diameter with a thickness of 19mm and a lug to lug measurement of 71mm. Only Arnie could pull off these dimensions!



The large crown has been placed on the left side of the case - destro style, so that Arnie can wear it in comfort. The chunky bezel is also in Titanium. It features large hexagonal bolts; the 12hr marker has been filled with vintage lume. The bolts are set in a 5 minute instrumentation with a bidirectional 5min click cycle.



Special features of the AS - The One include: a black sandwich dial with handmade hands and white AS logo, a 24 karat gold name plate (side of case) and a solid Tantalum caseback with a hand engraving of Arnie from his Mr Universe days flexing his muscles.



The watch is powered by a high-end automatic movement with a 5 day power reserve, which I believe is Technotime's double barrel caliber. The movement features a custom VDB rotor with Geneva stripes and the text 'Geprüfter Chronometer' (official chronometer).



It is presented on a handmade strap with a massive VDB buckle. What an amazing watch; way more exclusive than anything you'll get from U-BOAT! ;)



Like this? Then check out the VintageVDB KAITEN XL prototype watch. It shares a number of common features with the AS - The One such as its high-end movement.