A Two-Watch Solution for Morocco

The trip to Morocco would centre in Marrakech, a city steeped in history and once sealed off from the Western world. Until 1867, Christians were forbidden from entering, so for many, the only understanding we had was through photographs. That history makes it feel like a privilege to be able to explore it today, especially through the same medium that first revealed it to outsiders: film. A city once cloaked in mystery captured in a 35mm frame, in all its textured glory.

One of the luxuries of shooting film is that different film stocks have different looks. If you want a green in the shadows you shoot Fuji, if you want epic landscapes with dramatic contrast you shoot Ektar, portraits with natural skin tones: Portra. For this trip it was obvious, Gold, it needed to be Kodak Gold. Gold pulls those yellow tones through into a vintage gold hue while still being balanced and forgiving in its dynamic range which should be perfect for Marrakech where I might not have time to meter each shot.

Photography by The Analogue Collective

Marrakech is a melting pot of Arabic and African cultures, blended into something that feels like an utter assault on my inner Britishness.

Today, Marrakech is best known for its spices, tapestries, and ceramics. The city carries a deep sense of history, and anything sleek or modern tends to feel out of place, making choosing the right wristwear a bit of a challenge for someone with a mostly modern collection.

An Unlikely Pairing

When I travel I typically take one watch that stays on my wrist the entire time. However for an upcoming solo trip to Marrakech I decided that a two watch solution was the direction I wanted to take.

I landed on the idea to take two watches both with vintage appeal. For number one I wanted to take something that would lean into an old-money luxe aesthetic, ideally with yellow gold. Marrakech, after all, runs a little behind the rest of the world. This would be complimented by a second watch that would feel like a true traveller’s companion, while not having to worry it would harm my negotiation efforts in the Souks.

The Tool: The Casio AE1200 Worldtimer

Marrakech is a hustle culture, where to some, every tourist is a pay-day. But head into the Berber villages around the Atlas mountain region and it’s a different story entirely. The village I travelled to, Imlil, often isolated by heavy snow has a much more genuine sense of culture and hospitality. While Arabic is now Morocco’s primary language, in these mountain regions many still speak Berber languages–a reminder that the Berber people were here long before the arrival of the Arabs.

Photography by The Analogue Collective

To explore the Berber village regions a tool watch was required (it would feel unfitting to wear gold here). This is where I decided to go for a special Casio. The AE1200 has been a long standing staple of my collection ever since I bought it from the British staple catalogue store, Argos. I love the miniature world map on the dial, it’s a small detail that adds a big sense of adventure.

The AE1200 even has one up on mechanical worldtimers: it can display cities with 1/2 hour time zone differences to GMT, plus it can deal with DST without an issue. The astute among you may have noticed that Morocco actually employs the same timezone as the UK during certain times of the year–though this depends on the UK’s daylight savings and Morocco’s Ramadan adjustments. During my trip, I didn’t actually use the worldtimer function.

I have always thought the AE1200 has the potential to become a real ‘explorers’ watch. Out of the box, its not quite there, Casio decided to offer this watch at an entry level price and make it out of resin. Luckily there is a large modification community around this watch.

First, I wanted to replace that case with something more substantial. There are two main players in the modding space for this model, Kranio Designs and SKXmod. I went with the SKXmod case for this build, partially due to its hardened 1000HV finish, but also because Kranio are not currently taking orders. To build on the explorer theme, I paired the stainless steel variation of the case with a ‘crazy-horse’ leather bund strap.

Photography by The Analogue Collective

The stainless steel case features vertical brushing up the flanks, a sapphire crystal, milled pushers and an upgraded case back along with an oil fill port in the v2 variation.

Taking inspiration from Sinn and Ressence, I decided to fill the case of this Casio with oil. This has benefits in terms of readability (especially in the sun), increasing water resistance and just generally looking cool. Please check our Reddit if you would like tips on the oil filling process.

A downside of hydromodding is the increased physical and thermal mass, making the watch feel a little heavy or holding its temperature in the cold. This is why the bund is an especially good fit for this build. Bund straps were invented for this exact purpose, to isolate a cold watch from your skin.

The Jewel: Tudor Prince Oysterdate

After scouring the internet for vintage precious metal references of Longines, Omega, Buren, Hamilton and Universal Geneve among others I fell for the Tudor Prince Oysterdate in two-tone yellow gold. The Tudor Prince Oysterdate from 1995 feels brilliantly vintage with the gold tones fitting perfectly as a luxury piece in Marrakech.

Photography by The Analogue Collective

My variation of the Prince features the gold linen dial, which is personally my favourite. The texture it adds is more interesting and intricate than a plain gold dial. The bezel is solid 14k gold which hints at the fact that this is a true luxury offering.

It is no secret that this watch follows the traditional dynamic between Rolex and Tudor, being a more accessible Datejust. However, the connection between the two brands back in 1995 was closer than it is today. On the caseback, the engraving reads “Cased by Rolex” and the gold crown bears the Rolex coronet showing how close these brands used to be. I also love the name, “Prince”, it’s a subtle nod to the pre-coronation chapter, keeping you in the Rolex family one step before the crown.

Being a 1995 model this reference features the updated sapphire crystal, which is a welcome addition in my view, while still keeping the tritium lume. My example shows minor burning from the tritium to the dial and the hands, which helps to ensure authenticity and is something you should look for when shopping for vintage watches.

The watch is 34mm which sounds small on paper but I think it works well on my 7 inch wrist, being an understated size with a watch that features yellow gold makes the watch feel more tasteful. For the prices these watches are currently being offered, this watch is a real value proposition.

Summary

I was really happy with this pair of watches for the trip, and I maybe slightly overestimated the risk of theft since every taxi driver was wearing a form of “Rolex” (not of the genuine variety I would have to guess).

The Casio case from SKXmod is really a great addition, especially with v2 refinements. They are yet to release a brass version of the v2 case but when that comes in I will likely build one of those too.

And the Tudor, my concerns about being in the shadow of the Datejust were dismissed quickly. The Prince stands as a luxury offering, being a collector piece in its own right.

Photography by The Analogue Collective

I really think watches make great travel companions and there are definitely some that fit, and some that don’t. Imagine wearing a Grand Seiko Snowflake in the Sahara, it just would not feel right. Or maybe standing out is your vibe. Leave a comment on instagram with the watch(es) you would have chosen.