Last week I published a review featuring RPaige’s wonderful Spaceview Duo Face watch. In the article I mentioned the fact that Richard Paige had introduced me to a fantastic design website called Touch of Modern. In fact he is selling some of his unique timepieces on there currently. A soon as I visited this portal I was hooked and instantly subscribed to their newsletter. Literally everyday I get to view new and exciting products created by emerging new designers. This is where I discovered a phenomenal watch brand called Division Furtive.
Division Furtive is the brainchild of dynamic Montréal-based inventor Gabriel Ménard. Ironically the company was only founded after Gabriel received a memo (by accident) informing him that he was going to be made redundant. Rather than dwell on this unfortunate incident he decided to utilize his microelectronic engineering skills to devise a range of unique watches. His first watch was the highly complicated Type 46, which is operated by a sophisticated Swiss made stepper motor. Due to the high cost and limited production run (which was later abandoned) they weren’t suitable to launch crowd-funding platforms. Therefore Gabriel decided to create a more affordable version called the Type 50. This proved to be a massive commercial success on Kickstarter and has really established him as credible watchmaker.
A few weeks ago I expressed an interest in reviewing one of his timepieces. As most of the previous models have already sold out Gabriel agreed to send me one of his Type 50 watches. I have to say that when I received it I was massively impressed, especially considering the competitive price point. Dimensionally the timepiece exudes masculine proportions and measures 50mm x 16mm. It also felt a lot lighter and more comfortable on the wrist than I expected. Ultimately this is down to the elegant case design and use of solid brass (black PVD treated) in production. Realistically this watch could be worn for most occasions, with the exception of extreme sports.
When I first saw the Type 50 it reminded me a bit of the amazing Nixie Watch by Cathcode Corner. Although the overall design of the Type 50 is more sophisticated and the finish is a lot more polished. I absolutely love the futuristic dial with linear display, which shows all the functions via small white LED lights. This feature is the epitome of cool and really makes this timepiece extra special. Although the more exclusive Type 46 was entirely made in Montréal, Canada, some of the components for this watch have been manufactured in China. Essentially I haven’t got a problem with this because all the assembly is done in house by Gabriel.
At the heart of the watch is a Canadian custom made movement with an additional AAA, an internal backup battery. This will enable the watch to keep running (depending on usage) for between 12-24 months. Effectively at the core of the system is a micro-controller unit that manages signals from the accelerometer (touch detection circuit). Functionally the Type 50 is crammed full of features including hours, minutes, days of the week, moon phase display, triple time zone and battery life indication. What makes this watch so cool is that it can be calibrated and synchronised via an android App on your mobile device. This characteristic should really appeal to all smart watch fanatics.
The Type 50 as tested (with the sapphire crystal case back) has a high quality black silicone strap with matching stainless steel buckle. Priced at: $470 Canadian dollars (approximately $362).
For more information about Division Furtive visit the company’s website: http://www.division-furtive.com
