Aera announces two eye-catching chronograph watches

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Bold design has been one of the biggest trends in watches in 2024.

Unusual shaped cases, dials crafted from precious stones, and specialized display fonts offer a point of difference for those looking for something outside the realm of the “traditional men’s watch.”

Instagram-ready pulses range from vintage Piaget fashion to start-ups with an eye on non-standard case shapes, to continued enthusiasm for Christopher Ward’s Bel Canto, a watch whose hourly chime is announced via of a replica bird hitting a gong on the dial.

Last week, Nicholas Bowman-Scargill of the excellent Bristol watchmaker Fears said Squire he believed that dial design would soon become the main reason people buy a watch.

Aera enters this creative center, which today announces its first chronograph, the C-1.

It comes in two distinct versions, both of which are attractive.

The British brand arrived in 2022 with two well-received debuts, the P-1 Pilot and the D-1 Diver. Both were constructed from high-quality materials, including 904L brushed stainless steel, and offered a new interpretation of the DNA of well-known tool watches, with smart touches like one-piece domed dials, domed sapphire crystals, and minimalist striped designs. .

The look was clean, modern and distinctive, yet still true to the original inspirations.

The C-1 takes this design model and builds on it.

The two versions are the C-1 Shadow, a black model with red and white details.

And the C-1 Cloud, a light gray design with sky blue accents.

Both watches are made from the same tough stainless steel as their predecessors, with domed crystals and domed dials, and measure 42mm.

They work with Sellita’s SW510 Bicompax Elabore movement.

Aera’s first watches were praised for their precise design details, the way the circular counterweight of the second hand circled the “As” of the brand’s logo as it passed, for example.

The new watches, the result of 16 months of research and development according to the brand, show the same care.

The C-1 Shadow has a black PVD finished case, combined with its matte black dial.

The bezel features engraved markings and numerals filled with glossy black lacquer. There is Swiss Super-LumiNova on the three main hands and two secondary hands, which glow green in low light. The Aera logo at 12 o’clock is machined from solid Globolight, adding dimension and depth to the dial.

The C-1 Cloud is Aera’s first watch to not feature a black dial.

The brand states that the taste is “an exercise in lightness”, with the combination of matte gray and sky blue, an unusual combination in watches. The sub-dials and three main hands glow green again thanks to Super-Luminova, and Globolight is used for the logo at 12 o’clock.

Although the watches form a pair, they look surprisingly different – ​​a tribute, perhaps, to having such a strong original brand aesthetic to play with.

The watches come with two integrated straps each, one made from diving rubber and the other from Italian leather, as well as a leather watch pouch. The C-1 Shadow costs £2,100. The C-1 Cloud costs £1,950.

They are being produced in a run of 300 per model, with a staggered release.

The first 100 of each are available starting today.

C-1 will undoubtedly elevate Aera’s position as a microbrand to watch, and we look forward to more to come.

aera.co