Homage watches are and will always be a touchy subject in the watch world. Sometimes shunned, other times adored – but most often ignored, they exist on a razor?s edge of love and hate. They bring about issues of authenticity, exclusivity, creativity, and likely some other -ivities as well. One brand can make a watch one day that flies too close to the sun, while a different band on another day can launch a new cult hit (or win at the GPHG). Should you happen to have the rights to the name of the brand that originally made the watch, even if you and your supply chain are far removed from that brand?s history, you get a pass. Change the name, you might be in for a rough time.
For me, at their best, an homage watch can put the spotlight on a design or story from the history of watches that might have been forgotten, or very obscure in the first place. In doing so, they give new life to something old, spreading the mythology to a new generation, of which I?m a part.
But, I?m not really here to philosophize about homage watches, rather to take a look at a watch that is an homage, and does exactly what I described above. In fact, had it not been for this watch, I likely would have never known about the original. Most of the time, homage watches are based on references that, as an enthusiast, I am at least somewhat aware of. Mil-subs, Fifty Fathoms?, Daytonas, etc. The Synchron Military, however, is based on a very rare and obscure watch I hadn?t heard of: the DOXA Army...