It all started for CODE41 in 2016 when its founders produced their first mechanical watch in collaboration with a community of 57,000 members and what the team calls ‘participatory watchmaking’ was born.
Not only would the business consult widely with customers and collectors for their views on how to craft each watch, it would also be entirely open about every component going into their timepieces through its Total Transparency on Origin promise.
CODE41 founder, Claudio D’Amore, brought a deep background in watch design to the project, in addition to a vision that the Swiss watch industry could be both disrupted and respected in equal measure.
CODE41 used crowdfunding to raise money for its first watch, the ANOMALY-01, which also opened a two way conversation with Kickstarter investors who have since helped shape the direction of the brand.
The process created a focus group of thousands that has been steering product development ever since, and also raised around £400,000 through pre-orders in the first three years to finance growth.
Anomaly-01 and 02 collections had to evolve in early 2020 because it became unviable to source the Japanese Miyota or Swiss ETA movements CODE41 had been using.
Within months of announcing that the future of the ANOMALY line was in jeopardy, the company delighted its client collaborators with news that it had found an alternative movement supply from Sellita, whose SW200-1 has become the workhorse of the independent watchmaking industry.
CODE41 went back to its fans for input on how new Anomaly watches should look, and an online poll helped to refine the look and feel of what became the ANOMALY Evolution collection; a family of watches with a clear link back to the original models, but with even more flexibility for customers to choose from various colourways and customise elements like straps and bracelets.
They went on sale for £1,195 and, according to CODE41’s uniquely informative website, there have been 1,187 of the Evolution watches sold in 33 countries with a total value of CHF 1.3 million since 2021.
Fast-forward to 2023 and CODE41 has unveiled a brand new Collector Edition of its ANOMALY-01.
The new model is based on the design of the ANOMALY-T4, but it has a different finish and is offered in a range of fresh colourways.
CODE41 has returned to using a Japanese Miyota movement for the Collectors Edition, which is visible through an off-centre aperture in the dial at 7 o’clock and from underneath through a portal in a closed case back carrying an engraving of a cowboy.
The engraving represents a sheriff, in reference to the star engraved on the ANOMALY-01s of members who recommended CODE41 to five or more people during the original Kickstarter campaign.
Pre-orders for the CHF 1,398 watches have been taken since November 22 and close at the end of the month.
The first deliveries are scheduled for autumn 2024.
