The Wandering Hours display is without question one of the most distinctive in all of watchmaking, totally altering how we read the time from a watch. Traditionally they function by presenting the hours on rotating discs that pass along a 60-minute scale to display the current time. However, as the Hong Kong-based, independent brand Atowak has shown with their latest timepiece, that’s far from the only way to go about creating a wandering hours display. Their new creation is the Cosmofleet Vectorial-Orbit Wandering Hours.
As the name implies, the watch is heavily inspired by the sci-fi notion of fleets of space vessels traveling through the star-filled void of the cosmos. The case measures 39mm x 46.5mm in dark grey titanium with a highly facetted shape that creates an industrial aesthetic like a gigantic spaceship. That industrial vibe is further emphasised by exposed screws and the unique shape of the sapphire crystal glass.
Focussing in on the display itself, the wandering hours does function in the traditional manner with the hours rotating around a central point, but its presentation has been reimagined. Instead of two-dimensional discs, the hour markers are presented on three-dimensional columns that mounted along their length and which spin horizontally to display the different hour numerals.
At the same time, as the three modules rotate around the dial, they rotate around their own point at the same rate in the opposite direction thanks to the planetary gearing – meaning that they are held in the same orientation regardless of their relative position on the dial. The impact of this is that while the case is reminiscent of a spaceship, the display seen through the crystal glass is as if you are spectating a passing Cosmofleet traversing through space.
Building on this visual idea is the use of fish scale finishing on the plate below the rotating display, evocative of the flare and twinkle of distant stars. It helps create that sci-fi aesthetic that the Atowak Cosmofleet Vectorial-Orbit Wandering Hours leans towards. The same is arguably true of the Super-LumiNova, which creates a nice amount of luminescence.
Powering the display is a heavily adapted Miyota 9029 movement, now dubbed the AK-06CA. It has a 38-hour power reserve and is equipped with the Vectorial-Orbit Wandering Hour module. The combination of the advanced module with an accessible movement base helps keep the price of the watch relatively accessible, especially compared to the best known wandering hours watches out there like the AP Starwheel and Urwerk Ur-100V.
Specifically, the Atowak Cosmofleet Vectorial-Orbit Wandering Hours is priced at $2,999 (approx. £2,300). Due to limited production capacity, the watch is being released in a series of pre-order purchase slots leading up to its official launch on November 29th.
Price and Specs:
More details at Atowak.
