Projects Watches is a small brand that puts out playful and interesting watches with an emphasis on the design of the watch. The brand began by producing architectural elements for homeowners and then branched into timepieces. They pair with various designed, architects and artists to design their watches. The latest offering, with sales starting on May 20, is the Terra Time, a watch inspired by the look of topographic maps.
As with most fun watches, the mechanics of the watch are secondary, and the Terra Time is powered by a quartz movement and is housed in a 40mm brushed stainless case. A silicone strap completes the all grey look. In fact, Project Watches refers to it as “Six Shades of Grey,” for the stepped topographical disks that make up the feature in relief.
As an outdoor enthusiast, and a civil engineer, I like the playful take on the topo map. It would be interesting to tie the topography to a real place, say the contours of a lake, but you could always make up your own story about the location that inspired the watch. The hands look a little short to my eye, but they may be set so they are flush with one of the lower tiers, in order to keep the watch from getting too tall on the wrist. projectswatches.com
- Brand & Model: Project Watches Terra-Time
- Price: $145
- Who we think it might be for: Anyone who reads or needs topographic maps.
- Would I buy or recommend it just on the photos?: Yes, it looks like a fun watch.
- If I could make one design suggestion, it would be: The hands are a wee bit short for the case.
- What spoke to me the most about this watch: I have been known to play around in the mountains.
