British indie Schofield has unveiled a watch that is designed to look like it may be of mysterious, alien origin.
The Obscura is the latest watch from the company founded a decade ago by designer and artist Giles Ellis.
He has described it as less of a commercial venture, and more of an “obsession” that “evolved and got quite out of hand”.
The new watch is recognizably a Schofield, with the 44mm case profile of previous pieces, but it takes a turn to the dark side by eschewing numerals save for a zero at 12 o’clock.
There is an oversized crown, a Schofield signature, that also aids grip for powering up the manually wound Unitas movement.
The crown carries red lume, a glowing-crown concept that Schofield has been doing for a few years.
The movement can be viewed through three portholes in a smoked sapphire crystal caseback.
The watch is supplied in a specially built metal canister that makes it look like it could be military hardware of some sort.
“Obscura is an artefact that was designed within all the normal watch constraints but manipulated to look less conventional and more like a mysterious timing device,” Giles Ellis said.
“Something, that if discovered in the undergrowth housed in its canister, should probably be left alone, or handed in. This is a watch of suspicious origins, perhaps military, perhaps alien.”
The case is made from Damascus steel forged in the USA, then machined and finished at Schofield HQ in the south of England.
The company is proud to use American steel and a Swiss movement, but in a little nod to Schofield’s Britishness there is a subtle red, white and blue theme on the small seconds dial.
The multi-leveled dial is electro-plated, with machined grooves of Superluminova.
The Obscura has a grey calf leather strap and the pull-out crown helps give impressive water-resistance of 200m.
Limited to 40 pieces, not individually numbered. Price is £9558 (approx. $10,000). schofieldwatchcompany.com