With watches, there are no shortage of places to draw inspiration from. Eras of history, cars, planes, people, the list goes on an on. Then again, we see any number of brands deciding to riff on what designs that came before them. A brand we don’t really see being flattered that way is URWERK – but with the Phantasos Triclops (now up on Kickstarter) I can’t but help see that comparison.
The specific model, of course, is the URWERK UR-220. There, the satellite disc configuration is done away with in favor of three rotating hands that indicate the hour (on the hand) and the minute (based on where it points at). And wouldn’t you know it, that’s precisely what the Phantasos Triclops is doing here. Rather than indicating the time at the bottom portion of the dial (and using the other two thirds for indicating travel through space), the Phantasos indicates the time on the upper third (and just at a five-minute accuracy; between those marks you’re just estimating).
Now, don’t get me wrong – there are some very clever things that the Phantasos Triclops is managing to do with the lowly Miyota 90S5 movement. That said, to call this anything other than an URWERK homage just means you’re lying to yourself. If you’re going into it with that understanding and acceptance, well, then hey, you’re ready to rock.
Along with the unique way of indicating the time, the Phantasos Triclops makes generous use of Super Luminova to make a bright light show from under the highly-domed sapphire crystal. If you’re on the hunt a look that none of your friends will have on their wrist (well, unless you’ve got a friend who collects URWERK), the fact that this watch has pricing starting at $618 is a compelling argument.
So compelling, in fact, that the Phantasos Triclops has already hit 5x of it’s funding goal, with things still going until January 23rd, with delivery set for later next year, in June 2022. That is, unless URWERK steps in to protect their designs, in which case backing this project becomes a bit of a risk in our book. phantasoswatches.com / kickstarter.com
Tech Specs from Phantasos
Case
- 316L stainless steel or 316L stainless steel with DLC Black
- 42mm Width, 13.5mm Height
- Top double-dome sapphire crystal with antireflective coating. (When “double domed,” the crystal is round not just on the outside but the inside, as well, and this prevents distortion when looking at the watch from an angle.)
- Exhibition sapphire crystal caseback
- Push-pull crown
- Water Resistance: 5 ATM (50m)
- Drilled Screw-Down Lugs
Movement
- Miyota 90S5 with Rotating Hour Module
- 24 Jewels
- 28,800 Beats Per Hour
- Accurate to +/-10 Seconds a Day
- 36 Hour Power Reserve
Dial
- Double layer dial with Swiss Super-LumiNova® pigment that is white in daylight and, when properly charged, glows blue-green in the dark.
- Movement cover baseplate with radial vents in color-matched Steel, Royal Blue, or Black.
Strap
- 24-20mm Italian vegetable tanned leather hand-stitched with solid 316L stainless-steel buckle.
