Fx (foversta) offers an insightful review of the SevenFriday V-Series, contextualizing it within the brand's unique approach to watchmaking and marketing. He highlights SevenFriday's pioneering role in leveraging social media for communication and distribution, targeting a lifestyle and fashion-conscious audience rather than traditional watch enthusiasts. The article delves into the V-Series' innovative time display and design evolution.
A few days ago, SevenFriday organized a party at the Favela Chic club close to the Republique square. This unusual location is at the end very consistent with the strategy and the way to communicate of the young brand. Clearly, it doesn't speak to "classic watches addicts" but to customers, who may include some of the previous category but who are more interested in lifestyle and fashion than by pure watchmaking.
Actually, SevenFriday belongs to this new trend in watchmaking which sees the emergence of fresh and original brands which business model in terms of communication and distribution is mainly based on Instagram and on some other social networks. To give you another proof of this strategy, the party invitation was sent through Instagram to attract as many people as possible.
SevenFriday is a kind of pioneer in this trend with a several years presence on the market. The challenge for its staff is now to find a new energy to keep progressing and to become a sustainable brand. Based on a very personal and original design, using Miyota automatic movements to be in position to offer affordable prices, SevenFriday has to bring something new to its collection without losing its roots and DNA. And it is basically the main purpose of the new watch of the brand, the V-Series: to define a new step in the collection but to keep details which make the watch recognizable as a SivenFriday piece.
We can feel the progress of the brand at each stage.
The P-Series was featuring a classic time display.
The M-Series was featuring a display based on disks like several watches of the 70s
The new V-Series features a new time display, not seen previously.
To make a long story short: you need to love mental math to use it and so to appreciate it.
Forget the minutes hand, it is a classic one and you read the minutes the same way than with a "normal" watch.
Let's focus on the hours display.
Look at this dial:
The hours display is located on the top right 120° section. The +8 is almost in front while the minute hand displays the 41st minute. It is 8:41 PM (check the day/night indicator). If this +8 was in front of 2, it would be 8+2=10th hour. The seconds display works the same way than with the hours. But this time you don't need to add zero, 4 or 8 but 0, 20 and 40. We are at the 50th second (40 + 10).
It may look a bit complicated but believe me, you get used with it... and the confusion maybe lies where we don't think about. Actually, I was a bit disturbed by the lack of minutes indexes due to the dial-layout and my mind had some issues at the beginning to properly read the minutes... the only classic display!
Having said that, I was very impressed by the V-Series because it offers a lot for its price (1.055 CHF without taxes).
The stainless-steel case finishes are excellent with a nice contrast between the sunray brushed bezel and the other parts.
The dial is made of 4 layers what create a feeling of depth and improve the perceived quality. The day/night indicator is nicely inserted on the dial and I like the consistency between the dial and the case designs.
The caseback displays the countries involved in the watch creation process! Switzerland, China and Japan are the winning combination. The involvement of China for the construction is obviously not a surprise due to the price. And it is also the case for the Japanese movement, the Miyota 82S7 which is a reliable caliber. My only concern about it is its short power reserve (40 hours) and it is the reason why I suggest to turn the crown from time to time (even if the winding efficiency is quite good). To be honest with you, I would love to see a similar caseback with some other brands. Just to check if they tell the truth or if they are proud of their origins!
The watch has a strong presence on the wrist due to its large case (44,3 x 49,7mm) and the eye-catching dial which causes a lot of questions from the people who observed the watch. I think that I would have preferred it fully solid and the dial opening doesn't bring anything special in my point of view. I had some issues to find the right position on my wrist due to a stiff strap and the buckle was not centered on my wrist. But I assume that with time, the strap is softening and the watch becomes more comfortable.
But once again, its originality and intriguing approach make it very appealing. I consider the V-Series as a successful evolution for SevenFriday.
I would like to share with you some pics i took during the party:
Let's play music!
One of the guests is handling the V-Series, here the V1-01 version:
Good news for the owners of the V-Series, the watch seems to attract the ladies!
The blue P1-4 is now sold-out:
The V1-01 on my wrist:
This is a very rare bird which doesn't match my suit! It is a M2-1 located in a Heavy Duty Box to protect the watch for diving or for any risky activity! I'm not sure about the visual rendering but maybe it could work with a diving suit. Well, even in this case, I have some doubts. But the release of this HDB was a funny way for SevenFriday to say: so you want a diving watch? Here comes the solution... without touching what makes the SevenFriday watches attractive and fun.
Believe me, I was happy to give back this HDB which fortunately didn't make me forget the positive feeling created by the V-Series.
I would like to thank SevenFriday France for the invitation.
Fx
This message has been edited by foversta on 2015-09-26 15:45:52 
