Australian shark attack survivor Paul de Gelder comes back for a second bite with new documentary series
Jamie WeissI’ve always loved ocean swimming, but I think if I were ever attacked by a shark and lost a few of my limbs, I’d be staying away from the water. Paul de Gelder, however, is built differently. The former Australian Navy bomb disposal diver’s life changed in 2009 when, during a counter-terrorism exercise in Sydney Harbour, he was attacked by a bull shark, which tore off his right arm and leg, very nearly killing him.
In the years since, however, Paul has turned his trauma into triumph, forging a career as a motivational speaker, environmentalist, TV show host and author. He also became a Seiko ambassador: Andrew interviewed Paul back in 2020, where he joked that “it’s lucky [the shark] left me my left hand because I can wear a watch”! What a legend. You can watch that interview on YouTube below.
Paul’s latest show, How to Survive a Shark Attack, is his most intense yet. Airing as part of ‘Shark Week’ on Discovery and HBO Max, it sees Paul deliberately provoke sharks with specially-designed extra-long prosthetic limbs to get them to bite him. Seems mental, but according to Paul, it’s in order to demonstrate how hard it can be to get a shark to attack you, as well as to teach people how to respond if the worst happens.
“There’s an immense number of people out there who truly don’t know what to do and would go into absolute panic mode… I’m trying to provide the knowledge to keep people safe,” Paul told The Age, adding: “[The show] is a celebration of all things shark. Yes, we do experiments, we do some stunts. But we celebrate sharks… To try and get people to fall in love with these animals so they’ll want to protect them.”
While films like Jaws and even Shark Week itself have leaned into the myth of killer sharks, it’s worth pointing out that shark attacks are relatively uncommon. According to the Australian Institute of Marine Science, there are only about 10 deaths attributable to shark attacks worldwide each year, while at the same time, according to the WWF, around 100 million sharks are killed by humans every year.
Still, it’s undeniable that sharks captivate humans in a way few other marine creatures do. When we hosted our event with Blancpain last month in Melbourne, which saw Emmy cinematographer, marine biologist and megafauna expert Richard Fitzpatrick talk to us about the work of his Biopixel Foundation, it was his stories about near misses with tiger sharks that captivated the crowd the most – especially the revelation that his personal Fifty Fathoms was actually shark-damaged. That’s a better story than banging your watch on a doorknob… And a better outcome than losing your arm.
Hope you have a great weekend!
Jamie and the Time+Tide Team
Watch meme of the week: market malaise
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Hoping for a market correction is almost as hopeless as hoping for a steel Rolex tool watch allocation. Almost.
Wrist shot of the week: the scientist’s Calatrava
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Speaking of steel tool watches, it’s a format of watches that Patek Philippe isn’t really known for making (far from it), which is what makes the Calatrava ref. 3417 so interesting. As Phillips’ senior editorial manager Logan Baker explains, it was introduced in 1958 when the Swiss were chasing anti-magnetism, and it’s one of only a few models Patek made exclusively in stainless steel in the 50s – standing out from the pack thanks to its cursive ‘Amagnetic’ script on its dial. This stunning example hammered for CHF 120,650 last year in Geneva, and it’s not hard to see why. What a treat.
Time+Tide Shop pick of the week: Nivada Grenchen Antarctic 35mm Eggshell White
Looking for a classic 1950s watch, but don’t want the hassle of a potentially fragile vintage timepiece? This Nivada Grenchen Antarctic, with its period-correct 35mm diameter and pre-aged eggshell white dial, more than fits the bill. The arrowhead indices and unique numeral set give it a touch of quirk, as do the chevron-shaped plots of applied Super-LumiNova with orange emission. A manual-winding Landeron 21 movement adds to its vintage feel, but unlike most 50s watches, it features a sapphire crystal.
The Nivada Grenchen Antarctic 35mm Eggshell White is available from the Time+Tide Shop, both online and in-store at our Watch Discovery Studios. Price: A$1,720
Our favourite Time+Tide coverage of the week
Seiko celebrates one of the most iconic Japanese cars of all time, the Datsun 240Z, with three limited edition Speedtimers
The 1960s and 70s were formative decades for both the Japanese car and watch industries, and Seiko’s latest Prospex Speedtimers pay homage to that period and one of its most iconic sports cars: the Datsun 240Z. This limited edition capsule consists of three quite different watches – a three-hander with a countdown bezel, a mechanical chronograph and a solar quartz chronograph – and I got hands-on with all three of them. Watch my video review above or read my in-depth review here.
The iconic (TAG) Heuer Monaco and 7 of its best limited edition references
The iconic square-shaped Monaco wasn’t just Steve McQueen’s favourite watch – it was also a historically significant development for Heuer, as it sported the brand’s first automatic chronograph movement and competed in the fabled three-horse race that also yielded the Seiko 6139 and Zenith El Primero. Despite a short initial production run, it was revived in the late ’90s to huge renown. The rest is history. Borna’s rounded up some Monaco models from both Heuer and TAG Heuer you should keep an eye out for, should you be looking to add one to your collection – check out his guide here.
A Matter of Time Episode 03: Is Rolex overrated?
Episode three has arrived! This episode of A Matter of Time centres on the polarising topic of Rolex and whether the brand is overrated, its position in the luxury watch industry, and personal relationships with the iconic brand. The hosts – Kristian Haagen from Denmark, Eleonor Picciotto from France, and Andrew McUtchen from Australia – share candid reflections on Rolex watches, touching on their technical excellence, mass appeal, emotional connection, and commodification. Give it a watch above or read more here.