Page 7 - issue03.05.2019
P. 7

Royal Air Force News Friday, May 3, 2019 P7

                                                                                                                                               News
         Cuff love



















          Iconic pink Gulf War


          Tonka melted down to


          make gent’s jewellery




























       Simon Mander                     “She commented how hard it     “We struck on the idea of
                                     was to buy gifts for a man,” Mr Lock  producing our launch product   GULF WAR WARRIOR:  Tornado’s pink
       ENTERPRISING     ENGINEERS    said.                          around the iconic Tornado jet,   colour scheme was hard to spot in desert
       are turning iconic RAF jets into    “Outside of whisky and  since it was being withdrawn from   landscape, inset left, RAF man Mercer
       gents’ jewellery.             aftershave, it’s tricky to find  service and I had family links to
          And their latest offering marks  something truly unique that appeals  the Air Force – my brother was a
       the withdrawal of the Tornado  to men. I’d seen the concept of re-  navigator on Tornados in the RAF
       from service in March and uses  casting items before but reasoned  – as did John,” Lock said.
       aluminium from the bomber to  I could do something with a more    The pair managed to source
       make cufflinks.               contemporary feel.             enough aluminium from the
          The limited edition bling is the   “I wanted to blend the best of  famous GR4 ZG750 Tornado to
       brainchild of Sqn Ldr John Mercer  high technology with the   make a limited series of cufflinks.
       and his blind business partner former  skills of jewellers and   The  plane  was  nicknamed  ‘Pinky’
       Royal navy engineer Alan Lock.  other craftsmen that         by enthusiasts, due to her desert
          Lock said: “Having been trained  have  been  passed       camouflage applied to mark the
       as an engineer, it was so frustrating  down the ages.”       GR variant’s 25 years on operations
       not to be able to practise my    As Lock, whose              beginning with Operation Desert
       profession.                   military career  was           Storm in the 1991 Gulf War.   with the necessary provenance, but  launch in late November.
         “However, starting this enterprise  cut shot by a rare eye   “It’s actually much harder and  the  nuances  of  moulding  an  end   Lock added: “Although Icarus
       has enabled me to recapture the  condition, developed        more  expensive to  work  with  product  at  a  high  quality  can  be  Originals has started in the sphere
       passion for engineering and design,  his plan, he teamed      reclaimed metals than it is to  very challenging.           of military aviation, it is our desire
       albeit on a slightly smaller scale.”  up  with  another           produce in sterling silver,”   “However, we are determined  develop a range of premium cufflinks
          It was a chat with his wife that  engineer,  Sqn                  says Alan.            to develop products that were  and other gifts that celebrate the best
       sparked  the  idea  for  his business  Ldr  Mercer,                      “Not   only  are  inherently special, so it is a challenge  of design and engineering from the
       of sourcing metal from iconic  who eventually                           you   faced  with  we were willing to undertake,” Mr  UK and beyond.
       machines and re-casting it into  became  his                             the     challenge  Lock said.                      “To that end, we have products
       cufflinks and other precision-  cofounder  in                            of     legitimately  Sales  of the  Pink  Link have  in development for civil aviation,
       designed gifts.               Icarus Originals.                           sourcing material  surpassed their hopes since their  rail and motorsport.”


                                         Power rangers weigh




                                                         in at Cosford                                                  l Sport

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