Following hotly on the heels of the introduction of the Studio Underd0g 03SERIES as part of their collaboration with H. Moser & Cie., the studio has released a standalone version. It’s the Studio Underd0g 03SERIES Salm0n, inspired by Japanese cuisine with a sushi like vibe courtesy of a salmon fillet dial. If that sounds confusing to you, you’ve evidently never come across Studio Underd0g before.
The big news is that it’s now a monopusher chronograph instead of a standard dual-pusher design like the 01SERIES. Although the case measures the same as the original at 38.5mm x 13.6mm, which is a healthy size in today’s market. I will say that at this thickness it doesn’t naturally slide under a cuff, but I haven’t made that an easy task. While I’ve been reviewing the watch the weather has turned decidedly autumnal, so it’s been fighting the elasticated cuff of a bomber jacket.
As part of becoming a monopusher chrono, it of course has a new movement, which is visible through the exhibition caseback. It’s the first Swiss movement in any of Underd0g’s watches, the Sellita calibre SW510 M. A manual winding movement (like all their watches) with 63-hour power reserve and an accuracy of +/- 5 seconds per day, which is a big step up from the Seagull movements of the prior collections. Plus, it’s been decorated with a custom Côte de Genève, ruthénium anthracite finished bridge that looks great.
It goes without saying that the dial also looks spectacular, it’s what Studio Underd0g is best known for. The 03SERIES Salm0n’s display is split into two sections, a lower dial in coppery salmon colour with sunray brushed finishing and an upper dial with a dark grey fumé gradient. The overall impression is one of a fillet of salmon with beautifully crisp skin – or salmon wrapped in nori as a sushi roll.
Up close the contrast between the two surfaces works well, although part of me feels like it looks more impressive in photos rather than in the metal. Compared to the bright and colourful Watermel0n or Mint Ch0c Chip, it almost feels suave and sophisticated, though it ultimately retains a fun, playful edge.
In terms of timekeeping functions, it’s the same array we’re used to from the original chrono. It has central hours, minutes and chronograph seconds with a small seconds subdial at 9 o’clock and big eye 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock, all wrapped inside a peripheral tachymeter scale. The hour markers here are simple black dots as opposed to fruit pips or some other quirky device, but that’s understandable as there’s not much to match thematically.
The Studio Underd0g 03SERIES Salm0n is a sign of big growth. Priced at £1,700 it’s a major new price point for the microbrand that has so far remained at £800 or lower. It’s more than double the price of any of their other watches. Admittedly, the initial reaction to hearing this is to bash the watch for being expensive, but I think if we want to see British brands grow then they need to take risks and improve their quality and that often comes at a higher price. It’s ambitious and I like that fact, British watch designers should be ambitious, and after a sell-out collab with Moser, where do you go?
Price and Specs:
More details at Studio Underd0g.
