CODE41 could easily be dismissed as just another brand born on a kitchen table and financed through Kickstarter, but the company’s founder, Claudio D’Amore, has pedigree as a luxury watch designer for 10 years at Tag Heuer and Montblanc and its first watches, the Anomaly 01 and 02 used Swiss ETA 2824-2 automatic movements and crystal glass in steel watches selling for under £750 and forged carbon pieces priced at £1460.
It may not be unique, but this is high end watchmaking at notably low prices.
The company was created in 2016 and has received a healthy £400,000 from crowdfunding since then and claims to have a community of 200,000 watch enthusiasts who act as a massive focus group steering future designs and even helping to make decisions on manufacturing issues that affect will affect the selling prices of CODE41 watches.
In 2019 CODE41 is introducing its third collection, the X41, and this time the company is adding skeletonised dials.
It will be released for pre-order on 12th March.
There is not yet a full specification sheet released for the X41, but the company says it has a unique movement with a peripheral oscillating weight — a neat feature that allows more of the movement to be seen through a crystal case back. Pictures show an urban-style skeletonised dial, which exposes the top side of the movement that drives hours, minutes, seconds and date.
CODE41 has published the manufacturing costs of the different elements of the watch and their geographical origin, revealing that the X41 costs £1,427 to produce and will be sold for around £3,500.
Mr D’Amore says the watch is designed for people that want the sophisticated watchmaking of much more well-known brands, but at a fraction of the price. “If, at the same price level, your heart is set on a more prestigious name, it’s obvious that we can’t compete with that. But if it’s the technical quality of the product, the thoughtfulness of the design and its mechanical nature that really catch your attention, then the X41 offers unrivaled price and quality. I am incredibly proud of this timepiece.”
