Back to Blog
Black swatch5/27/2023 The yellow numbers 15 and 45 inside the left subdial, and the blue numbers 10 and 5 inside the upper right subdial are yet another distraction. The bottom sub-dial (small seconds) is ringed with yellow, drawing attention away from the yellow hands. As James Taylor sang, damn this traffic jam! An aperture with a completely unnecessary hint of white indices on either side of the box. The frames circling around the B1’s top sub-dials kiss the 11 and 1 indices, overlap the 12 and 2 indices, and rest on the 9 indices and the date window. At that point, the only thing visible is the hand’s back end - which is the same size and shape as the lume inside the hour hand. It totally disappears when it crosses over either main hand. The second hand partially disappears when the tip crosses over one of the large indices. They’re hard to read at a glance, especially with that second hand confusing matters. While both hands are infilled with white lume, the shapes create cognitive confusion. The narrower minute hand ends with an empty rectangle. ![]() The Swatch BLACK-ONE chronograph’s thick hour hand’s ends with an arrow filled in with black. First up: the B1’s bright yellow minute and hour hands. The B1 is only slightly easier to read than Nietzsche’s Beyond Good and Evil. I reckon the B1’s blue, yellow and red pushers aid function differentiation and activation location. (The example above kicks out the jams with grey.) But plenty of Bauhausian objects are fashioned in primary colors. Yes, it’s true: Bahaus buildings tend to be morosely monochromatic. ![]() But maybe not Bahaus-seeking “radical functionalists.”Ĭolor isn’t the problem. The B1’s slightly curved lugs and hinged strap make the piece a comfortable fit for all wrist sizes. A structure whose reverse side constantly says “Brother can you spare a dime? I need to change my battery.”ĭespite Swatch’s current marketing campaign - hawking frisbee-sized wrist candy - the B1 has the perfect dimensions for a small chronograph: 42mm wide, 14.03mm thick, 50.1mm tall. The B1 houses its brand-standard TICK-TICK-TICK quartz movement in the same flyweight plastic case as all other Swatches. But it’s gonna be tough to make a case for the Swatch BLACK-ONE Chronograph. Several of the Swatch Bau Collection are obvious adherents to the German aesthetic. Owners of more complicated pieces like the Omega Speedmaster or IWC Spitfire Chronograph could also argue that their watches fit the minimalist remit. Call it a day.įans of elegant two and three-hand watches get the less-is-more gestalt. ![]() Īccording to Wikipedia, “The Bauhaus style was marked by the absence of ornamentation and by harmony between the function of an object or a building and its design.” You know: form follows function and. But the album’s worth a listen and the $120 Swatch BLACK-ONE Chronograph is pretty damn cool. That said, I doubt many buyers eying Swatch’s Bau collection watches are celebrating the German design movement’s 100th anniversary - or recognize the song lyric from Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s 70’s masterpiece Déjà Vu.
0 Comments
Read More
Leave a Reply. |