“Where time is kept and treasured in a box, where everyone has to admit we all have a box that keeps our memento, our memory, and that goes with time too.”
Timebox:
Automatic Seiko NH35 movement
316L Curved Stainless Steel case
40 hour power reserve
Curved Sapphire crystal watch glass
Superluminova decorated dial
46mm (9 to 3) by 38mm (12 to 6)
Available in various combination of IP Steel
3ATM, 30 meter
Exclusively Limited to 28 pieces
Unique. Individualistic. Artistic. All 3 are extremely suitable when describing Achtung’s latest release, the Timebox. The rectangular case of the Timebox is massive to say the least. Think Dick Tracy meets Mobile Suit Gundam, classic meeting futuristic. The 46mm x 38mm case is large, there is no denying that but what Achtung did in terms of “design to fit” allows this watch to wear comfortably conformed on the wrist. The amount of curvature that the case has is what allows the Timebox to sit so well on the wrist, allowing it to wear smaller than the measurements imply. The Timebox short curved lugs assist with containing the watch from having unnecessary wrist overhang. I am impressed by the size of the curved crystal on both the anterior and posterior sides of the Timebox case. Both crystals are framed by the beautiful blue stainless steel that is tied into the blue on the dial of the Timebox. A cool detail is that the four screws found in each of the corners of the topside of the case are silver, and the four screws found on the bottom of the case are blue. Yes it’s a small detail but it shows Achtung’s commitment for consistency of design.
There is a lot of detail that is packed into the Timebox watch. The polished lugs and polished sides of the case are well done in terms of finishing and execution. I really like the textured sides of the case on both the 9 o’clock side and the 3 o’clock side which adds a nice amount of depth to the case. There are little details on the case that also have a nice impact of the overall finished feel of the Timebox. For example the polished finished push/pull style crown is engraved with the Achtung logo. The crown functions extremely smooth whether you are winding up the watch manually or if you are trying to set the date and time. There is absolutely no extra play or wiggle with the crown whatsoever that can often plague the feel/function of a crown.
Depth. Texture. Detail. This is a quick three word summary of the dial on the Timebox. The semi-skeletonized dial is quite legible despite the amount of detail that it has going on it. The arrow shaped hands are proportional to the dial itself which is always a welcomed design detail. A pet peeve of mine is when the hand of a watch are inadequately sized to the circumference of the dial itself. The polished hour and minute hands are coated with Superluminova, as is the arrow head tip on the second hand. I like that Achtung went the minimalistic route with the dial text, keeping it simple with just ‘Achtung’ and ‘AUTOMATIC’. Yes the dial does have a lot going on but that doesn’t effect the legibility of telling the time, which isn’t just limited to daylight visibility either. The Superluminova treatment to the hands and markers allow for optimal legibility even in less than optimal lighting situations.
The textured “bridge” that is attached to the dial via 4 polished flathead screws holds the only two numerals of the hour markers, the subsequent markers are applied to the circular ring that is the focal center of the dial. I like the elongated look that is created between the oversized 3 & 9 o’clock numerals and the small confinement of the circular disk that contains the rectangular shaped applied markers. The applied markers located at 12 and 6 are red, while the remaining are white lume coated and are bordered with polished finished metal. There is a date window located at the 6 o’clock position on the Timebox’s dial. The date wheel can be seen throughout the skeletonized circumference of this dial. I personally am not a big fan of skeleton dial watches, but the dial on the Timebox works really well. It works well in my opinion because the large “bridge” that the 3/9 are printed on blocks a large portion of the skeleton dial. I love the texture and depth of this dial and I love that the texture & depth is carried over from the case itself. The multiple layers on this dial truly create a work of art for the wearer to gaze upon and not just for checking the time or date.
The “flatscreen” TV sized exhibition case back on the Timebox definitely doesn’t leave anything to the imagination. The Automatic Seiko NH35 movement is on full display here and is set nicely into a guilloche-styled metal plate. The large curved sapphire crystal has Achtung printed in black on the inside of the crystal itself. I’m typically not a fan of exhibition style case backs but just the sheer size of the Timebox’s case back is impressive. I can’t say that I have ever experienced a rectangular/curved crystal of this size before. To be completely honest, I am quite impressed by both the crystals on the Timebox on how well they are designed and how they actually came out on the production piece. You can have a perfectly designed blueprint of your product but if that design isn’t executed correctly during the production phase then the end result isn’t worth a damn. Overseeing the project from every step of the way is so important during each and every phase of production. Some companies leave it to chance of the factory and unfortunately they pay the price by having a sub-standard product that either is completely scraped or has to go through the production phase again. Both are extremely costly mistakes, time wise and money wise.
What I love about Achtung is they merge art, street style, architecture and horology together with each one of their watches. They never take themselves too seriously into the pretentious attitude that is seen way too often in the watch industry/community. They keep their watches in small limited sized batches, the Timebox is one of 28. I am impressed by the Timebox’s overall design and by it’s execution. Achtung is fine tuning it’s quality with each watch release. I have been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to review several of their releases and I have seen firsthand how they are continuing to improve. How could they improve on the Timebox? I think that adding a screw down crown would improve the Timebox for me personally as I prefer that style over a push/pull style crown.
Despite the size of the Timebox it wears comfortably and as you would imagine it has major wrist presence. As I mentioned earlier the curved case/crystal allows the Timebox to conform to the wrist. Armed with a quick release leather strap which is soft/pliable from the start also adds to the comfort level of this watch. The strap has red stitching, complimentary to the red details on the dial itself. Who exactly is the Timebox watch for? It’s for the person who is looking to match individualistic style to their watch. It’s for someone who doesn’t want to go with the current trend of the sub mariner clones. It’s for the person who is looking for a fun, unpretentious watch that hasn’t sacrificed quality for a unique design. From it’s overall design and it’s rectangular shape, the Timebox truly offers a different kind of wearing experience.
The Timebox is priced at $570 usd and is available from Achtung’s website: https://achtungtime.com/collections/timebox/products/achtung-timebox-blue-stainless-steel (other colors are available via the website.
Thank you so much for reading, I truly appreciate your support.
Thank you Achtung.
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