A Watch for Mardi Gras

On a snowy February night in 1999, my college roommates and I returned to our dorm room to find our landline phone light blinking red.  Someone had left a message.  That’s right, just a message — voicemail versus email wasn’t a thing yet.  And of course, neither was caller ID.  So there was always a bit of anticipation to this routine task: was it someone from home?  Administration canceling classes?  A girl…??  Hey, dare to dream.

Well, one way to find out — we picked up the ceramic dumbbell, stretched out the kinks, and punched in our code…

“MARDI GRAS!!  MARDI GRAS!!  MARDI GRAS!!”

What the hell?  Play it again.

“MARDI GRAS!! MARDI GRAS!! MARDI GRAS!!”

Ok we hear it loud and clear: Mardi Gras!  But why?  New Orleans was thousands of miles from our Indiana dorm room, and a world away from our low-key Tuesday night.  One more time…

“MARDI GRAS!! MARDI GRAS!! MARDI GRAS!!”

Oh my god.  It’s him.  Our other roommate from Louisiana kept talking about going home for that party “you guys have heard of but have no idea.”  Until now.  Because this wasn’t just a guy yelling on the phone.  This was the braggadocious chant of someone having the time of their life.  And it was calling… come join the party. Or as it’s better known in ‘Nawlins:

Laissez les bon temps roulez. Let the good times roll.

So we did.  We immediately made New Orleans our NYE 2000 destination, and 4 years later I was starting my residency there.  Now after countless beignets, Domilise’s poboys, even a few hand grenade injuries — I feel compelled to share a small part of that Mardi Gras spirit that was passed on to me that cold February night.

Let’s get into it, a watch for… MARDI GRAS!! MARDI GRAS!! MARDI GRAS!!

What are the rules?  Ha, it’s Mardi Gras — there are no rules.  But we’ll dance a second line through colors, symbols, and some Crescent City spirit.

Few events pack as much color as Mardi Gras where beads, costumes, and parades illuminate the city in vibrant throws of yellow, purple, and green.  So we’re looking not just for color, but some panache.  Like this Nodus Avalon II that just launched today in four waffled dials including the alluring coral yellow.  Wes and Cullen, you get some beads.

For another treat that captures the vibrance of carnival yellow and green, see if you can catch the Welsbro Yellow Lime Soda.  At this point, you may need to go diving under the bleachers of the secondary market to find this limited release, but keep an eye on this relaunched American brand that clearly plans to make pops of color part of its DNA.

If we’re talking purple dials we have to mention the Tsao Legacy, highlighted in our Top Microbrands of 2021.  The original 40 mm in Raven purple may have sold out but the Legacy line features other fetching Mardi Gras colors, and the signature Baltimore hue can still be found at 36 mm: reviewed here by Watch Maker’s Daughter.

And don’t forget about the vintage models!  This Timex reissue of the original Ironman T5K842 — and by the way, considered by many to be the first-ever sport watch — can be found in 80’s dayglow colors perfect for marching down Bourbon Street.  For the record this model has been field-tested in the Mystic Krewe of Barcus: dog lovers be sure to check out this link.

If we roll back the clock even further to the early 1900s (still two hundred after the first New Orleans Mardi Gras of 1699), we can find a series of Elgin watches with that charming hand-painted Fleur de Lis signature. C’est Magnifique.

For those Francophiles and Fleur de Lis aficionados looking for modern decoration (honestly, is there anything more beautiful than the stylized lily?), Detroit Watch Company honors its city’s rich French heritage with a smattering of its Fleur de Lis logo — applied marker on the dial, painted on the crown, even etched on the custom rotor.  New Orleanians can further appreciate the mutual Pontchartrain reference.

So what watch will I be wearing this Mardi Gras?  That’s a big easy choice: the Visitor Vale Park Officer on green leather strap.  Sure that green hue makes for a good start.  But mostly it’s the Visitor brand ethos that rings true with Mardi Gras.

Graphic designer-turned-Founder Phil Rodenbeck explains that his “visitor” brands capture the sense of adventure you feel when you travel to a new destination or even the heightened way you show off your hometown when hosting a guest.  This “visitor” mindset that pushes beyond comfort zones aligns perfectly with the brand’s provocative design language: most noticeable in its angular cases and unconventional handsets.

Speaking of those, the three circles at the cardinal numerals resemble beads — like those currently dangling from every tree along the St. Charles parade route.  For good measure when the second hand nestles oh-so-perfectly within the trio it forms a Fleur de Lis; or at least something that looks close enough after a few Abita.

And finally on a personal note — guess where the Visitor brand calls home?  Yep, Indiana.  Where I first heard the MARDI GRAS spirit ringing through a winter night.  So this Tuesday wherever you may be — whether visiting in person or as a virtual voyeur — cheers to that call to find your joie de vivre.

And let the good times roll.