As a consumer I am very particular about where my products are made, especially if they are marketed at a premium price. I remember doing a factory visit to a very well known U.K pottery company about 20 years ago and being shocked at the lack of machinery in the warehouse. Even at this stage production had been shifted to China to vastly reduce costs and maximize profits. Ultimately this has now filtered in the luxury market and even exclusive Italian clothes brands outsource manufacture to China. Essentially I haven’t got a problem with products made in Asia as long as the quality is good and the savings are passed down to the buyer. This is a philosophy that community based watch brand CODE41 adheres to.
CODE41 is a small collective of designers led by Claudio D’Amore and named after the Swiss international dialing code and computer system error message. Their mission is to produce a beautiful range of watches that are marketed at a reasonable price. To this end they are being totally transparent about costings and have also disclosed that the timepieces are manufactured in China. Personally I feel this level of honesty is refreshing and I wish more brands would follow suit.
Presently CODE41 have launched a Kickstarter campaign which has already (at the time of writing this article) exceeded their initial CHF 80,000 pledge. In fact, they have raised CHF 376,843, which isn’t at all surprising because their watches are really cool. Out of all of the models my favorite is the distinctive ANOMALY-01. This particular watch has a well balanced 316L 42mm stainless steel case that should appeal to the unisex market. I absolutely love the multi-layered sculptured dial and feel it aesthetically punches well above its weight. Other refined features include open worked hands, revolving second/24-hours discs and anti reflective sapphire crystal lens. Overall the design is uncluttered and makes a really bold statement.
Powering the watch is a reliable Japanese made MIYOTA 82S7 self-winding movement. This caliber comprises 21-jewels and oscillates at a frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour. Functionally the ANOMALY-01 features hours, minutes, revolving seconds and 24-hour time indication. The watch also has a power reserve (fully charged) of up to 40-hours.
If you buy the ANOMALY-01 now via Kickstarter you can secure this amazing watch for a price of: CHF 447 (approximately $444).
