Demonstrating impeccable craftsmanship and design finesse, the Zeitwinkel 081º Black wristwatch is characterised by a superb combination of classical wristwatch proportions and modern styling codes. Featuring a dial which has an illusory quality, the desirability of the piece is enhanced by its beautifully finished in-house mechanical movement.

Founded in 2016, Zeitwinkel, whose name translates from German to English as “time angle” are renowned for their high quality finishing, purity of style and uncompromising attention to detail. Every Zeitwinkel timepiece is hand assembled, often by a single watchmaker, at their Saint-Imier manufactory, and the company have creativity and authenticity engrained within their DNA, so much so, that even their typeface is an in-house design.

The Zeitwinkel 081º Black wristwatch comes presented in a rounded stainless steel case sized at 39mm across and resting 11.6mm high on the wrist. Contrasting matte finishes on the recesses within its middle and lugs, and high polishing on the edges enhance its profile.  Exhibiting clean lines and simplicity, the casing is in fact a highly complex construction. A multi-step process of more than 80 stages is required before the 26 individual components which make up its design are assembled, primarily by hand. The crown is grooved for ease of use and it carries unexpectedly satisfying proportions, elevating the overall styling of the case to that of classical elegance with a contemporary twist.

Beneath the gently convex sapphire crystal, the black galvanised dial displays impressive duality, when observed in differing lighting conditions and angles. While its darkened surface appears at first to be deceptively plain, with just a subtle wrist movement, it reveals the decorative effect of a repeating motif, comprising of the Zeitwinkel logo in miniature. The hour and minutes hands each feature two precisely straight surfaces, stretching almost the entire length of their shapely form. Set at a perfect angle to one another, only one edge of each hand will reflect the light at any given moment, thus lending the wearer maximum readability of the time. Joining them, a slender central seconds hand reaches out to the dial edge, where it meets the diminutive faceted appliqués and the minute track.

Visible through the rear sapphire crystal caseback, the Zeitwinkel ZW0102 in-house calibre demands closer inspection. Allowing for stability and robustness it is constructed using the three-quarter plate discipline, and its plates and bridges are made from untreated German silver upon which immaculate chamfering and hand-decoration techniques have been applied, despite the added difficulty of achieving such finishes on this type of material when compared to brass.  Notably, the soft patina of the silver lends itself wonderfully to the skilful finishing, and with the addition of an open-worked rotor, almost every nuance can be appreciated. Beating at 28’800 vib/hr, the movement achieves a generous 72 hour reserve of power.

A stunning edition from this exciting young independent watchmaking company, the Zeitwinkel 081º Black wristwatch comes presented on an ethically sourced calfskin leather strap secured to the wrist with a stainless steel folding clasp.