Approximately three years ago my publisher Schiffer was deliberating whether to reprint my 3rd book ‘Luxury Design for Living’ or commission a second edition. Fortunately for me, they opted for the latter option. Due to technological advances, the project allowed different methods of manufacturing. In particular 3D printing, which is yielding some exceptionally exciting results. In the new book entitled ‘The Art of Luxury Design’ I featured a 3D printed concrete house by German architect Mense Korte and a radical 21C hypercar by Californian automotive company Czinger. This revolutionary method has been successfully utilised by modernistic furniture designers like Mathias Bengtsson and Janne Kyttanen. Their products are composed of micro-fine layers that virtually have a spider web aesthetic. Employing a similar philosophy, progressive watch brand SEVENFRIDAY has created the horological equivalent aptly called the FREE-D B.
I’ve been a huge admirer of SEVENFRIDAY from the outset and have carefully watched their development over the last 12 Years. I had many enjoyable conversations with Dan Niederer (who affectionally calls himself ‘The SEVENFRIDAY guy’) about the philosophy behind the brand. Ultimately the objective was to create incredibly well-designed watches at accessible prices. Comparisons with haute horlogerie brands like Hautlence instantly resonated with buyers and the rest as they say is history.
Predominantly SEVENFRIDAY maintained a winning formula with architectural multi-layered dials housed in retro-style cushion cases. A variety of different materials, vibrant colours and collaborations with renowned artists only strengthened the narrative. The brand also faithfully opted for reliable Japanese Miyota movements instead of Swiss counterparts. However, like most visionaries, Dan Niederer has totally changed direction with the flagship FREE-D models. These radical watches employ the latest 3D-printed technologies and are unlike anything else on the market. With overall dimensions of 54.25 x 44.4mm, these timepieces may not appeal to the fainthearted. However, in my opinion are aligned with the design concept.
The newly released FREE-D delicately incorporates futuristic vegetal and animal elements into the design. To accomplish this SEVENFRIDAY has 3D-printed special polyamides (PA11 & PA12) normally associated with the medical, aerospace, and racing industries. Texturally and aesthetically the design has an organic structure inspired by nature. The framework also acts as a protective cladding for the case and movement. This 3D theme is echoed on the dials and rotor cover. However, by using a retro cushion 316L Stainless steel case (named the Space Capsule) the brand has maintained a certain familiarity. Other highlights include domed hour, minute and second disc indication with black galvanic finishing. Overall, I love the progressive design and feel the manufacturing quality is superlative.
Beneath the sculptural façade lies a Swiss self-winding movement sourced from premium manufacturer Selita. The Calibre SW300-1 comprises 26 jewels and oscillates at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour. On the case back there’s a 3D-printed polyamide rotor cover (PA11 or PA12 MJF) with the Riley logo. There is also an NFC Chip that allows authenticity verification through the SEVENFRIDAY App for iOS and Android. Functionally the FREE-D B features hours (12 o’clock) minutes (6 o’clock) and seconds. The watch also has a power reserve of approximately 40 hours and is water resistant to a depth of 30 metres.
To complete the picture the FREE-D B is equipped with a handstitched Calfskin leather strap with 3D printed polyamide (PA11 MJF) inserts. The watch is available in white, pink or turquoise variations and priced competitively at $5,500.