Independents

To start off my BaselWorld reports this year I would like to show you the watch of a new French brand Phenomen.
Phenomen is based in  Besançon the old French watchmaking capital not far from the Swiss bourder in the departement Doubs.
With an esthetique designer coming from the automobile industry (PSA) an a movement designer coming from one of the recently most prolific and creative companies La Joux Perret (Arnold) Phenomen has all the prerequisites for success.
Their first watch,the Axiom, appears to me to be a good omen for the future.
The Axiom is audatious with forms obviously coming from the automobile domain and not watchmaking.
The form is flowing, almost aerodynamic and although it is rather high, I think it is an eminently wearable watch.
It also makes for a very readable timepiece with its two retrograde hands, the balance wheel at the top of the movement animating the whole.
Take a look:

another watch manufacturers product, I will think of the name in a minute.... probably just a coincidence.

Best wishes

Alkiro

Urwerk and MB&F (HM4) imho

Best wishes

Alkiro

😜

Here the case has such a special shape easier to get it mixed up with at least one or two well known other brands 😏

Best wishes

Alkiro

Rolex and KV is a different class from different world

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Best wishes

Alkiro

(That’s what I was doing)

Best wishes

Alkiro

Nt

Best wishes

Alkiro

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Best wishes

Alkiro

But I’m not a fan of the Urwerk and Mb&F’s with those weird lay outs either. Despite finding the technically cool and interesting.

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see e.g. the hands.

I think a quartz digital. So this new brand using that form is not an outright copy, maybe they can mature and offer a new perspective at a reasonable price point compared to MBF & UrWerk.
However I have a problem with the minutes retrograde and having to guess the exact minute when not pointed to a defined marker. I still use a watch to tell time. 😉

I don't understand these new creations because an independent should try to be unique, with his own design.
I agree that both Urwerk and max Busser has revealed their inspirations from past design, but there are so many variations to choose amongst

Although I too was reminded of the MB&F Horological Machines, I applaud their effort and wish them luck!

...it would be an immediate pass for me.

Looks way too much like Urwerk.

Why an independent would spend all that time, money and effort to make something in the mold of another very distinctive independent boggles my mind.

Cheers,

John

I am sort of perplexed by these responses, do we respond as such to a new round watch being released?
There have been many more round watches to copy.
I guess that my pictures must be poor.
Except that the watch is not round I do not see the big resemblance to Urwerk.
They have a completely different form language.
Urwerk generally has has a very taught "mathematical" form with a shield covering all the surface and only one volume.
The Phenomen has a very flowing form and two volumes, a larger almost round base and a second smaller volume growing (flowing) out of that.
I think this watch has just as much reason to stand on it's own legs as do Urwerk und MB&F.
It is not that no-one has ever made such things before.
Let us discuss this watch on it's own terms as we would any other.
If we started out discussing all the round watches that have similar charactoristics to a Patek, for example, we would never go anywhere.
Don

[Typographic edit - MTF]
 

This message has been edited by MTF on 2018-04-13 04:04:04

Someone's heart and soul (not to mention considerable amount of $$$) went into making this. It's not an everyday piece in a classical form, but it's not Invicta either. Surely they know they have narrowed themselves to a very narrow potential customer base, which I suspect is perfectly fine for them. I wish them luck.

Don,

I saw a distinct difference from some of the observers here.

The tailfins of automobile from the 1950s/60s that themselves were copies from the Space science fiction.

The case shape like the Star Wars movie speeders and air craft.

People forget that MB&F has no singular design style as every "friend" designer and maker is different. The only consistent thema at MB&F are childhood memories of Star Trek, Giant Robots and American cars. Even the movement designs are derivatives from those available and modified for any brand.

Even Urwerk had a watch derived from the linear dashboard display of an American classic car once.

Designers are always influenced by their past experiences.

Regards,

MTF

but at what price point are they pitching it at Don?