Let’s set the scene. It’s 1945 and the British Ministry of Defence has just asked Studio Underd0g to make an accurate and reliable timepiece to be used by the armed forces in World War II.
The savvy among you may have realised that the above didn’t really happen, but a design process did start based on this theoretical brief. Many field watches share similar traits, defined by the requirements of their use.
Believe it or not, in the heat of battle, soldiers typically wouldn’t have had the time to admire the mechanical movement through a display case-back, so a solid case-back was required.
This also helped to improve the water resistance of the watch. To further improve the water resistance, the case and bezel were often manufactured from a single blank. The combination of drilled lugs and a pass-through strap meant that even if one of the spring-bars failed during a tough day at the office battlefield, the watch wouldn’t be lost.
Legibility was of the utmost importance; knowing the time at a glance, day or night, allowed soldiers to stay focused on the job at hand.
Throughout the design and development process, Studio Underd0g adhered to these requirements but as always, decided to have a bit of fun when it came to the dial design.
It wouldn’t be a Studio Underd0g watch without a playful twist. They’ve used current-day machining techniques and materials to create a sandwich dial like no other.
The base dial features seven layers of custom-made Super-LumiNova pigment. The application of this pigment is incredibly time-consuming as each layer must dry before the next is applied.
Mounted on top of the base dial, is a 1mm sapphire disc, atop which the branding, minute track and Arabic numerals are printed. Once these two dials are affixed to one another via two slotted headed pins, it creates a chunky dial with real depth.
In daylight, the printing details appear to float, casting a shadow on the lower base dial. As the watch moves around in relation to the light source, the shadows move accordingly. This results in a dynamic and ever-changing appearance.
In darkness, the printing details are backlit by the bright Super-LumiNova base dial and appear to be totally disconnected from any surface. Pretty trippy!
The British Watchmakers’ Day Limited Edition 02 Series
“When Katya asked me to develop something for the British Watchmakers’ Day 2024, it felt only right that we looked to our recently introduced 02SERIES due to its emphatically British design roots. I wanted the watch to look like a vintage reissue with a modern twist. The orange hands are undeniably modern, yet are inspired by the lume patina often seen on 1940s field watches. It’s a subtle divergence from our core offering, but to quote Dieter Rams; Less is More,” says Studio Underd0g founder Richard Benc.
