Objest Watch Review

British watches are not usually renowned for being design statements, but new brand Objest intends to change that with its new watch, coming to Kickstarter in a few days.

Objest Watch Review

For an ETA-powered watch priced at just £325, I was not expecting such a nice package, but the design language of the Objest brand carries right through to the neatly designed two-piece box. It’s big, but it looks good and feels right for a design-oriented brand.

Case and Movement

The lugless case of the Objest prevents its 42mm diameter from becoming overwhelming. The common problem with big dress watches – that they wear too large on the wrist – is prevented, with the watch sitting snugly on the wrist and the black DLC finish helping it to blend in.   

The ETA 2824 movement is visible through a sapphire crystal at the back, and there is a slight dome to the sapphire at the front. I found the domed crystal reflected a lot of light, which is a shame, as it prevented me from enjoying the dial as much as I should. The crown is a push-pull affair and is very thin. From a design perspective, I understand this, but from a practical perspective, it makes winding and setting the watch a little bit fiddly.

Dial and Hands

The dial has a neat 3D diagonal effect which adds depth without damaging the minimalist look. I found it very easy to read the white hands against the matt black of the watch. I was less convinced at the polished brass-coloured markers at 3, 6, 9 and 12. I’d have preferred them to at least have a lume dot in the middle – and I think Objest could have got away with just having lumed circles there instead.

The bowl-shaped edges of the dial add a pleasing 3D effect, and overall the watch looked a lot better over time than at first glance thanks to these extra little touches. 

Strap and Buckle

The strap is made of vegan leather, and the buckle has the same PVD coating as the rest of the watch. I really liked how the strap felt to wear: it is soft, and the matt black finish looks great. There’s plenty of length and the buckle – while thin – does the job perfectly well.

Objest Watch – Video Review

What I Liked

  • Simple, legible design
  • The dial texture looks really good in the light.
  • The vegan leather strap feels superb.

What I Didn’t Like

  • The domed crystal picks up a lot of reflections.
  • The thin crown is hard to grip when hand-winding
  • The gold-coloured metal indices at 12, 3, 6 and 9 seem a little out of place  to me.

Objest Watch – The WRUK Verdict

Overall, I would not normally wear a watch in this style, but I take an objective view: if you don’t like the look of a watch there’s nothing I can say that will change your mind! What I focus on is build quality and value for money -and I have no complaints with either when it comes to the Objest.

Yes, I think there are one or two areas that could be improved, but there’s nothing else quite like this watch with a Swiss movement inside at the asking price. If you like what you see then don’t be afraid to jump on the Kickstarter for the Objest watch – you will not be disappointed.

Buy an Objest Watch

The Objest Kickstarter goes live on February 2nd at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/objest/a-simple-modern-swiss-made-watch

By Mike Richmond

Mike spends what little spare time he has writing for WRUK; and what little money he makes building up his collection of timepieces.

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