Mondaine has joined the solar revolution, with a beautifully restrained dial redesign that brings Braun’s Bauhaus minimalism to mind, as well as Nomos Glashuette’s concave ‘Autobahn’ three dimensionality.
Veering from its stock-in-trade ‘SBB’ Swiss railway tracks, several new ‘Doppio’ designs are available with brand-new solar-power technology alongside quartz options. Solar power is really having its moment in the sun (pun intended); once a bit of an outlier in terms of power options, it’s now dominating the discourse and this Doppio collection is just the latest to embrace it.
It finds itself launching in the recent wake of Tissot’s PRC Solar, TAG Heuer’s F1 Solargraph and, surprisingly, Tiffany’s Atlas – both of the latter drawing on equally surprising (Citizen Eco-Drive-owned) La Joux-Perret, who are more used to masterminding tourbillons for the likes of Arnold & Son.
Mondaine has called Doppio a “new chapter in the brand’s evolution, one that seamlessly blends heritage with innovation while staying true to their DNA of Swiss precision, minimalism, and sustainability”. What that means is we still have that clean-lined minimalism that Mondaine is known for but given a bit of a switch up. The dial is subtly concaved bringing a depth to it that is enhanced by the extended indices that break up the minute track every 10 minutes.
The dials are either pristine white, a lovely rich navy or with a contrast black minute track and the straps are either a steel bracelet or, in keeping with Mondaine’s commitment to sustainability, vegan grape leather in brown, black, blue or Mondaine’s signature red. The 33 or 41mm case is stainless steel and made from 91% recycled material.
And the name? Mondaine has said that it refers to the duality of this collection that balances past and present, tradition and modernity, simplicity and sophistication. Or it ‘could’ be down to the preferred espresso order of brand owners André and Ronnie Bernheim (pictured above).
Prices start at £259; uk.mondaine.com