With the D15-MK1 GMT, Alexander Meerson expands not only his collection but his stylistic approach. Being an addition to the simple and refined Altitude, the MK1 GMT-D15 aims to be a more casual watch, without abandoning a certain elegance, made to accompany its owner on a daily basis and providing a useful complication: the display of the second timezone. The concept is attractive since I've always considered the versatility as an asset for a traveler watch.
Contrary to the rhythm of the collection presentations may suggest, Alexander Meerson first worked on the D15 before addressing the more difficult exercise: to design a 2 or 3 hands watch with Altitude. By doing this, he wished to create the basis of his collection with the most affordable pieces what is very understandable and wise from a strategic perspective. Thus, if the D15 comes in a second time, it takes into account the first aesthetic guidance of Alexander Meerson in a less rigid context. The principle that guided him was to pay homage to top athletes and sportsmen who have the ability to make natural the most complex gestures. Don't we say very often that when a top-class champion is performing one of his movements it "looks easy"? This fluidity, this ease is found in the case of the D15 and particularly with the side view.
Once laid on the caseside, the D15 actually reveals the silhouette of a butterfly swimmer in action. This aesthetic success is due to the complex work done on the multi-faceted lugs and to the case thinness. The resulting shape has several virtues. It helps to provide a touch of refinement which becomes necessary because of the presence of side pushers. It also improves the wearing comfort allowing the watch to position itself well on the wrist despite a generous diameter (44mm). Given the diameter / thickness (10,05mm) ratio, the D15 is very slender and it absolutely doesn't look a bit heavy, a relatively common problem for dual time watches that use pushers to adjust the second hand hours. Other details such as straight casesides that pleasantly break the uniformity or the effective integration of the pushers provide evidence of the care used to design the case which is available in titanium or white gold. These neutral colored materials are required to match the sportive atmosphere of the watch.
Such a case subtlety is not easy to obtain since Alexander Meerson ensured that the waterproofness of 100 meters reflects the multifunctional character of the watch. Moreover, the pushers, for aesthetic and practical reasons, have no security system preventing their inappropriate action. Of course, the controlled height of the basic caliber from Vaucher is an asset in this context. With the integration of an exclusive additional Dubois DΓ©praz module, the full movement that animates the D15 does not exceed 5mm. But that's not all. The movement is also inserted into a protective cage which contributes to increase the waterproofness. Therefore the contained thickness of the case is surprising if we consider the presence of the cage.
The basic caliber is visible through the see-through caseback. Unfortunately, its 26,2mm diameter seems a little lost in the case. I might have preferred a solid caseback but commercial constraints require the visibility of the movement. Like with the Altitude watches, also powered by a Vaucher caliber, it is finished with care and without spectacular effect. The result is neat and clean but I would have preferred a most convincing presentation of the winding mass. Thanks to the dial design and the module diameter, the size of the basic caliber is not too perceptible dial side which is good news. The movement's performance is in line with those of the Vaucher caliber namely a 4hz frequency and a power reserve of fifty hours. It is important to specify that a particular work was done on the double-barrel for a better torque and to animate more efficiently the display module.
The aesthetics of the dial follow the same principle as the case one by focusing on readability so that the watch is pleasant and convenient in everyday life. A detail summarizes this will from Alexandre Meerson: the central second hand was shortened to make the peripheral space free and improve the legibility of the second timezone hand. I must confess that this second hand, which is above all a running indicator is surprising to observe at first glance but I got used with it very quickly. The red end of the hollowed hand displays the second timezone thanks to a 24 hours scale. It is generally used to display the home time when in travel while local time uses the main hands. Note that this peripheral scale is not finished the same way to distinguish the day (smooth finish) from the night (grained finish): I appreciated a lot this barely noticeable subtlety. The dial also gathers a discrete day and night indicator linked to the main hands and a date display by hand.
If the casesides evokes swimming, on the other hand, the dial leaves the atmosphere of the pool to be on a rugby field. By carefully observing it, its slightly rounded character and the concentric indexes outline a kind of representation of a rugby ball ... that would be a special one but because of its blue color!
Actually, 3 dial colors are available: silver white, black and blue. It is the latter that attracted me the most even if it becomes a bit too much for my taste the "color in fashion." This is always a very delicate color to obtain and dial makers usually have difficulties to perfectly meet the specifications of brands which have ordered them. The blue of the D15 is fortunately very well balanced and is adorned with beautiful light reflections. The silver white dial seemed much more mundane and makes the watch larger when on the wrist, which is better to avoid due to the already generous diameter.
The great strength of the D15 is at the end its easy daily use. The pushers are activated without any issue even when the watch is on the wrist, the dial information is clearly legible and the wearing comfort is unquestionable. The D15 is a successful watch for me and perhaps even more convincing than the Altitude because Alexander Meerson was able to exercise his talent with less constraints, acting more in freestyle than in following compulsory figures. However, he must be careful not to create a too wide aesthetic difference between the different lines of his collection to build the brand identity and consistency. If I find some details here and there that remind me the Altitude such as the work on the lugs or the domed dial, the gap of the styles remains clear. It must now work to create a more noticeable link between the components of the collection.
Thanks to Alexander Meerson for his availability.
Pros:
+ A high quality case from the aesthetic and finishes points of view. These finishes are customizable by choosing the polished and brushed parts
+ A useful complication treated in a very practical way by combining a 24 hours scale and a day & night display
+ The very rational presentation of the dial
+ The blue color of the dial
+ The comfort on the wrist
Cons:
- The Vaucher caliber seems a little lost in the case
- The oscillating weight deserved more rewarding finishes
