Kollokium Projekt 01
For those of you that think brutalism has no place in watchmaking, think again. The debut project from fledgling German brand is part Barbican-style architecture, part sci-fi project, part one of those kids’ pin picture toys. Whoever actually designed it looks like they had a good time. The tapered 40mm caseback is cast from stainless steel rather than milled, making it one solid block with the crystal rising monolithically above.
The dial is harder to describe, a series of miniature pillars of different heights and sizes that create a wave across the space under the glass. The whole thing is backed by a La Joux Perret G101 movement and it’s as great as ever to see more LJP action. This is not a watch you can miss on the wrist – although with 99 pieces, you just might.
Price & Specs
- 38.5mm stainless steel case
- La Joux-Perret G101 automatic movement with 68-hour power reserve
- CHF 2,666.66 (approx. £2,350), limited to 99 pieces, available at Kollokium.
SpaceOne Tellurium
SpaceOne already made a name for themselves when the Parisian independent brought out their futuristic jumping hours last year, but this time they’re emphasising the ‘Space’ in their name. A Tellurium is basically a downsized orrery that only shows the Earth, moon and sun, and here it’s been downsized into a wristwatch and combined with a streamlined calendar function, all in a mix of starry aventurine and blue metal.
There’s a lot going on, so I won’t go into every aspect, but there’s not much else like this outside the insanity Jacob & Co revealed for many hundreds of times the price. All of that’s contained in a sleek, space pod of a case in grade 5 titanium that Max Busser would be proud of. Seriously, how SpaceOne have created this thing for this price boggles the mind.
Price & Specs
- 42mm titanium case with 30m (3 bar) water resistance
- Soprod P024 H4 automatic movement with 38-hour power reserve
- €2,990 (approx. £2,565), available at SpaceOne.
Zelos Spearfish Dual Time TI ‘Spark’
Who even needs a dial? Not Zelos, who have replaced it with sapphire crystal for an openworked look at the perlage-finished plates and bridges of the movement. It also shows the twin discs of the large date window at 12 o’clock, which is a great look. Rather than a standard GMT hand, the dual time is read using a six o’clock atlas-style subdial with both hours and minutes.
It’s a little pointless as you only really need one minutes, but it’s a cool throwback to the early days of dual timezone watches that were less a complication, more two watches put together. It’s a handsome, modern, mechanically cool watch and, in typical Zelos style, will set you back a number where ‘fair’ is an understatement.
Price & Specs
- 40mm titanium case with 100m (10 bar) water resistance
- Sellita SW300 (with TT651 module) automatic movement with 42-hour power reserve
- $1,849 (approx. £1,500), available at Zelos.
Vaer R1 USA Chronograph
Finally, we come to something a little more wearable for most of us than some kind of retro-futuristic slice of crazy in the form of a seriously handsome, perfectly retro racing chronograph from US-based micro, Vaer. The R1 USA Rally Chronograph comes in two versions; one with a cream dial with black tachymeter, the other in the reverse. If it weren’t for the colourful subdials in red and blue, it would be classic Panda layouts.
Instead, the squircle shapes make it feel more 1970s than ‘50s, with a host of automotive-flavoured design elements to hammer home the theme. Powered by a Meca-Quartz movement, it’s a great everyday beater for a slice of vintage racing style with panache that outstrips its price tag.
Price & Specs
- 40mm stainless steel case with 100m (10 bar) water resistance
- VK63 MecaQuartz movement
- $399 (approx. £320), available at Vaer.
Benjamin James Scarifour
One of the most British names for a watch brand I’ve ever come across, Benjamin James’ first effort is definitely not what you’d consider classical. It lands in the realm of a slimline Cartier Santos with a cool chevron-engraved dial in a gorgeous array of colours. It has some serious impact, though thankfully a 40mm case size means it’s not too much on the wrist.
Obviously there’s a whole British heritage story to the brand and the Scarifour in particular, but the bottom line is a punchy, eye-catching rectangular watch that eschews the baseline Art Deco flavour for a much more vibrant dish using homegrown ingredients. And it’ll set you back around the same as a good Michelin-star meal – even when backed by a Swiss Sellita movement.
Price & Specs
- 31mm width x 40mm height stainless steel case with 50m (5 bar) water resistance
- Sellita SW210 manual wind movement with 42-hour power reserve
- £660, available at Benjamin James Watches.
