Into Overtime with the H992 x Astro

 

Courtesy of H992

Tempus Fugit = Time Flies.  And it goes without saying that time flies when you're having fun, but all good things must, inevitably, come to an end. Such is my time with the H992 x Astro, a limited edition of 52 pieces.

Now I suspect for many readers, particularly those outside of a few key countries where H992 has established a beachhead, your first question might be: 

"Who, or what is H992?"

And that is more than a fair question as they are a small (but mighty) brand based in La Chaux-de-Fonds. You might remember La Chaux-de-Fonds from such notable figures as Le Corbusier, and internationally renowned brands like Girard-Perregaux, Corum, Tag Heuer, and even that darling of independent watch fans - ochs und junior. It is also home to the MIH, so needless to say, they speak watches there ; )

I got to spend a fair amount of time speaking with one of the H992 team at Time To Watches in Geneva this past April. I was struck by two things - the design and the pricing. H992 was kind enough to forward me the H992 x Astro to review. It is, as far as I can tell based on the H1 collection.

The packaging chosen by H992 is exactly in line with what I believe in - less waste, more fun!

The box itself is cardboard, nice squishy pillow for the watch to rest on, warranty cards and the COSC certificate.... (insert sound of record player suddenly stopping here) wait a minute! A certified chronometer for a watch that retails for 1,592 CHF?!? Yes. And the thing about H992 is that they take it even further - a SW260-1 automatic, COSC certified movement is "standard" even for the H1 collection that retails for 992 CHF! And in many ways, this makes sense as another notable resident of La Chaux-de-Fonds is the COSC itself ; )

And this is part and parcel to the ethos of H992. In their own words, the H can stand for a few things. 1 is the "H" grid of streets in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Having visited several times while working on mandate (consulting gigs) with a few of the brands there, I can attest that this is a real thing, not just folklore. As you may not know, La Chaux-de-Fonds suffered a horrific fire in 1794. When it was "rebuilt" it was laid out in a way to best enable watch making. These special grids maximized natural light, improved efficiency of transport, and most curiously (at least in my opinion) probably birthed the concept of the "live/work" spaces. If you walk through the city (particularly on the main station entry side), you will come across many beautiful homes that at one time had watch making activities going on in part of the house, with the family living in other sections.

The other part of the name is a nod to La Chaux-de-Fonds "place" in the world, specifically being 992 meters above sea level.

But back to the matter at hand - what did I think of the H992 x Astro?

Spoiler alert - I loved this watch! 

There are two key criteria I have for whether or not I like a watch. 

1. Is it nice to look at?

2. Is it comfortable to wear?

Well, the H992 x Astro scores 10/10 on the Henki Scale for both. Anyone who knows me, knows I am a bit goofy for color. Life is too short to live in black and white. With that said, I also realize that while I am a pistachio ice cream sort of guy, there are lots of folks out there who want vanilla or chocolate - and the good news is that H992 still has you covered with other options in the H1 collection if you are not as daring as me.

Beyond the colors, the dial is effectively a work of art. Specifically a work by Astro. 

And this is not your ordinary "painting on a dial". This is an elaborate, labyrinth of color and shape. You can't really pin it down as anything other that truly original.

The other fun part is that the dial will change and morph depending on the light - almost like a mood ring for the wrist ; )

Now while I am all about the looks for the most part, there are a few things that others might critique. Specifically the date window and the sub second. The date window pretty much blends into the dial, and the sub second hand while visible does not benefit from a defined scale or subdial as the other H1 pieces do. And part of me says fair enough. But then again, I think that there are certain things that you embrace when you choose to wear a watch like this. It reminds me of Jean-Claude Biver's all black Hublot Big Bang. The H992 is far more legible, but you get that same feeling - which for me is visceral (in a good way).

The H992 x Astro has proven to be supremely comfortable. The case is of stainless steel and measures 42 mm in diameter. 

Not a rough edge to be found anywhere. And at 42 mm it sits very nicely on the wrist, or at least my wrist -

The bezel has 12 marks that align perfectly with the 12 hour indices on the dial.

The strap is integrated and of rubber. It is quite comfortable, and unlike many rubber straps out there did not give the "slimy" feeling you sometimes get from a rubber strap in warm weather.

It is secured with a tactile, yet very comfortable buckle.

So we've got the look, and the feel. But what about the performance?

Under the hood is the previously mentioned Sellita SW260-1 with COSC certification. During the week the H992 x Astro kept very good time with the power reserve true to its advertising.

So overall - I am a big fan. Apart from the dial design (which I really liked), it is a very good looking, sporty watch. The case design is intriguing without being jarring, and although I had mixed feelings about the indices on the bezel, I really grew to appreciate them.

Some things that might put others off:

1. Case design - if you have a set idea of what a case should look like (read perfectly round) then this might not be for you.

2. The integrated strap - I love it, but I realize that it's not for everyone. More importantly, you will be best served reaching out to H992 for a replacement strap rather than going secondary market.

3. The date window - as I mentioned, it sort of blends into the dial itself. While I really find this intriguing, if an absolute clear view of the date is going to be a deal breaker for you, I would recommend a different version of the H1.

Would I buy it - Hell yes!

Here are the pertinents:

Price: CHF 1'592.00

Movement
SW260-1 automatic, COSC certified

Case
Black PVD steel, Steel

Case diameter
42mm

Case thickness
10.1mm

Dial
Astro

Strap
Rubber

Water resistance
10 ATM 100 meters

Glass
Sapphire, double anti-reflective treatment on the inside AR43, thickness 1.40mm

Limited edition
52

The Circular S - Sun

From ID Genève -

                                              Courtesy of ID Genève

So point of information, when I was working on mandate with a brand in La Chaux-de-Fonds, we had investigated the possibility of sourcing watch cases from a firm that was recycling steel and titanium. I believe that this is the same foundry (or re-foundry?) that is being used by ID Genève. In the end the brand I was working with opted to stay with what they were using. But the idea truly intrigued me.

Fast forward five years and ID Genève and I came face to face on the second floor of the Time to Watches show in Geneva this past April, and I have to say that I was impressed with what they were doing. Which brings me back to the Circular S Sun -

Courtesy of ID Genève

There is a bigger, more important message about ID Genève, which I promise to get to. But for the moment, I am crushing pretty hard on the beauty of this watch - in particular the dial.

Courtesy of ID Genève

ID Genève is based on the idea of - and I am guessing I'm going to flub this - circular manufacturing. The cases are crafted from reclaimed steel. Per ID Genève:

ID Genève launches a new collection made from 100% REPROCESSED steel melted in a solar furnace and presenting a carbon footprint 165 times lower than the industry average.

Courtesy of ID Genève

The movements are not exactly recycled, but could certainly be considered upcycled:

Movement
Refurbished automatic movement sourced from unsold stocks
Swiss made ETA 2824, robust and easily reparable worldwide
Power reserve: 38 hours
Functions:
Hour, minute and second in the center, Date at 3 o’clock

For those of us in the lower 48, there is currently 1 point of sale - Watches of Switzerland (according to the brand's website). Although a Google search turned up Mayor's who are listing a few ID Genève watches for sale on their site. Now for those of you just tuning in, Mayors is Watches of Switzerland...

At any rate, I have seen this beautiful watch in person, and it is something special.

 

The People You Meet on Vacation...Nepro

Before I go too deep into Nepro's triumphant return, I'm gonna' hop into the way-back machine to 1978.

Way back when dinosaurs were roaming the earth, my grandfather decided that the one thing that every 10 year old needed was an LED watch.  So a very large, very chunky LED watch arrived and was given to me.

Courtesy of SMU Digital Libraries

I LOVED that watch, hitting the buttons incessantly.  It worked for all of a week before malfunctioning.  We sent it back to the folks at Texas Instruments and were told to wait a month.  Only to receive a BRAND NEW identical model less than a week later, swiftly followed by the original "repaired" model a week after that.  Spoiler alert - both watches died within a week of arrival.  

So when I came across the Nepro table at Time to Watches in Geneva, I at once felt pangs of nostalgia, hope, desire, and frankly? A fear of being "hurt" again...

I saw the Nepro on Saturday, befor the last day of the fair. And I was pretty much obsessed for the balance of my stay. Rational, reasonable thoughts were replaced by the absolute conviction that the Nepro was absolutely fundamental to my future happiness. Fortunately, one non-solar piece was found. Digital currency was exchanged, and it came home with me. 

Now in truth? I am not proposing that what will follow later this week will be a review. My attachment to my new Nepro LED watch is now a little too deep for me to be really objective. But with that said, it is my sincere hope that maybe - just maybe, you can go home again - and you're watch will actually make it to Christmas still working  - I have a good feeling about this one ; )

Stay tuned!

People We Meet On Vacation - Watch Town

It's now been a little over two weeks since I got back from my week in Geneva. For those of you reading, you might be thinking like I once did - "it would be soooooo cool to work for a watch brand!" 

Well, yes and no. It's important to understand that you will be working (literally) 12 hour days for a week straight. And in my case? You are using the vacation time from your day job to do so. So yes, I do enjoy it, but it is not lost on me that this is work.

This is all by way of telling you that one of the things that keeps drawing me back is the possibility of meeting what Billy Kwan (played by Linda Hunt) referred to as the "unmet friend" the film adaptation of Christopher Koch's novel, The Year of Living Dangerously. Now in Billy Kwan's case it was the hope of meeting an idealized version of some confidant you can share everything with. In my case? I like to think of it more like Ted Lasso:

"Congrats, you both just met a cool person".

This year was not different. Several old friends reengaged with, some of the usual suspects coming through, and some wonderful encounters, completely unexpected.

I will be sharing two of those with you, along with the time machines that set them in motion. Stay tuned!

A New Watch Material!

With the now "new and improved" tariffs in effect for Swiss goods, I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce a new watch making material now in favor with several US brand representatives and agents largely dependent upon selling Swiss watches in the US. You're no doubt familiar with stainless steel, gold, platinum... allow me to introduce you to irony!

Courtesy of Black Adder Quotes - https://blackadderquotes.com/

I witnessed a curious thing happening on "Liberation Day" at the Geneva shows. Several well-fed, well-groomed, semi-closeted Make America Great enthusiasts got a particularly cold cup of coffee while roaming the halls of Geneva. The administration that they unfailingly supported had essentially jammed a rather nasty implement up their collective bank accounts without the benefit of a romantic word or lubricant. And it was a curious thing. Grown-assed men were literally pooping in their tighty (suddenly not-so-tidy) whities, lamenting how unfair it was! This was their livelihood for goodness sakes! How could this happen to them?!?

But another funny thing happened, a few weeks later it seemed that all was well! It was all just a bluff! Let unbridled enthusiasm, and even possible avarice reign! And these same folks who were sharing their misgivings about their choices last November on that April day were suddenly back on their soap boxes (via LinkedIn) extolling the virtues of the Presidential administration and flatly criticizing anyone who disagreed with them. 

Fast forward to this past Friday. It seems that the old adage about fool me once should be changed to fool me multiple times... they have yet again changed their collective tune for the third time - give me strength!

It is clear that these "summer soldiers" and "sunshine patriots" (thank you, Thomas Paine) didn't know that the discomfort they felt on Liberation Day was nothing compared to what they are feeling now that the US government has decided to make good on the not-insignificant tariffs for Switzerland, in particular as it applies to Swiss watches.

To be clear, this is not intended to be a political post, favoring one party over the other. But it does serve to underscore an important thing that a lot of these guys seem to have forgotten. This is a relationship business. This is why most folks in the business pre-2016 tended to keep their political views to themselves and not admonish people on LinkedIn for having opposing political views - and this happened and continues to happen on both sides, to be fair. Nobody has a monopoly on self-righteous indignation ; )

Even though it is transactional relationship business any relationship, even a transactional one, requires some level of sincerity. When you blow in the wind to suit what is expedient for your personal bank account? It's hard to have much respect. You should always have your own beliefs, you should not feel the need to have to please anyone but yourself, regardless of which side of the political spectrum you inhabit. But don't constantly modify these (oftentimes loudly stated) opinions to suit whatever situation is going to benefit your bank account only to change back with each new news cycle. It cheapens an already cheapened business. We don't have to agree on everything, but just be honest with yourselves, and be consistent. Because if you can't be honest with yourselves, how can we, your customers, expect you to be honest with us?

This IS NOT A Story About Watches

Okay, maybe sort of... at least watches are involved.

Regular readers will know that I am about as big a fan of Watches and Wonders as root canal work sans anesthetic. But this year I went to Geneva to help out at the Ollech & Wajs booth -

I also wanted to check out some new brands, and possibly drum up a little business. That was, at least, the plan.

The plan included some other stops:

Bern for half a day (afternoon) and night, La Chaux-de-Fonds for lunch on Sunday, and a night at one of my favorite hotels - the Ruby Mimi in Zurich. And finally a treat for myself (assuming it was still available) at Jenni Uhren.

As per usual, I worked all day and then headed to Logan to catch the overnight to Zurich. Zurich connected to Geneva (a quick hop), and I grabbed my bag and found my way to the Villa Sarasin where the Time to Watches show was being held.

In the process I passed by the Watches and Wonders compound. And honestly? Now that I've seen it up-close and personal? I still don't get it. Clearly a lot of money was (and will continue to be) spent. And I felt a bit bad for the staff stationed outside, wearing something that resembled surgical scrubs in various hues. Curious to relate? A few special delegates were apparently too "special" to walk the 100 meters to the entry way and were driven. Which ordinarily wouldn't bother me, apart from nearly being run over...

Anyway, the show was good, but hectic. I ran into A LOT of old friends and colleagues and got down to work. The first day was a blur, a quick sausage with fries with my boss, and I found my way to the train bound for my hotel in Annemasse, France.

And then I got off the train. I stopped into the convenience store for some water, and plugging in the directions to my phone, started to walk, dragging my suitcase through what seemed like a semi-destroyed town. It was just after 10:00 PM and I'm not going to lie, I was starting to get a wee bit nervous. I was starting to have this bad feeling that people would be reading about me as a cautionary tale vis-a-vis the dangers of not looking for a taxi in a strange town after dark...

I got to my hotel, got checked in, fell into bed and was asleep before my head hit the pillow. And then I woke up... 

The sun was shining, and I was reminded of one important travel rule - never judge a place until you've seen it in daylight ; )

Feeling somewhat sheepish about my earlier trepidation, I followed my normal routine:

When you arrive in a new place during the night - Get a good night's sleep, enjoy a good breakfast, wander the town and let yourself get lost, try to use the local language, and don't be afraid to ask a stranger for directions.

And as per the condition of the town? It seems that nearly all of the streets had been ripped up in preparation for tram lines that would be installed. In the bright light of day it made perfect sense, but at 10:15 PM it gave a totally (in hindsight, false) impression. Annemasse is a beautiful town that I hope to spend more time in next year.

And the fair continued for the next few days, I saw some cool stuff -

And in between? I caught up with people I hadn't seen for years, promoted my book, and wolfed down lunch. And an important rule about working watch shows - allow flexibility in all things, but lunch is the one thing you can't compromise on.

And Saturday rolled around, and it was time to head home. I had picked up a watch that I had been admiring, and started packing up my bags, consolidating things into my main suitcase. I turned to see that someone had grabbed one of my bags and had started heading up the stairs with it. So I left my things and called out to him. He turned to look at me, and then turned back continuing to walk, only faster! I called out again. He shrugged, turned around and handed me back the bag. I went back downstairs and zipped up my bag, and left the Villa heading for the train station. My intention was to be on a train that would deliver me to Bern around 8:00 PM. Plenty of time for dinner and a walk around the city. I did my usual mental inventory, and just in front of the Palexpo I froze... I didn't have the bag with my new watch! I sprinted back towards the Villa - pulling a now very heavy suitcase, and absolutely sweating through my clothes. I dashed down the stairs and the bag with the watch was nowhere in sight. I went down to the area where we had been showing and informed both my boss and the folks at Elka that I couldn't find the bag with my new watch, and that it might have been stolen. I ask them to keep an eye out just in case, and pretty dejectedly, I headed back up to grab my suitcase and limp back to the train station. I felt like an idiot. My suspicion was that the kid had tried to distract me by grabbing one bag while someone else took my new watch. I had been played, like some rube in the big city. Hakim El Kadiri, the owner of Elka had followed me out, and like a patient parent trying to deal with a child mid-meltdown asked me -

"Did you check your suitcase?"

I took a beat, flipped my suitcase over and opened it up, and there near the top was my Elka watch, still in the bag. I sighed, looked at Hakim like that same mid-meltdown child who has just now realized that the world isn't really ending, and meekly said thank you. He smiled, wished me a safe trip, and headed back down to the show. 

I now double stepped it towards the train station, because I still had a chance to get the train I was hoping for. I got to the ticket machine and...

My bank card wasn't working. I tried another machine... no joy. I rooted through my wallet and gathered an assortment of Euros and Swiss Francs, and managed to cobble together enough coins and cash to buy a ticket to Bern! And... I missed the train by about 1 minute.

I waited the extra 30 - 40 minutes, got on the next thing steaming north and reminded myself about the importance of not panicking, keeping my cool, and enjoying the moment. And to this end I was truly enjoying the ride, looking out at the scenery. We had been underway a full 20 minutes or so, and just outside of Nyon, the train came to a stop. And this part I'll never forget. If you've never taken one of the main trains on the SBB system, allow me to inform you that there are typically three languages used (unless you are in Ticino / Lugano where it will be four) in this order:

French or German is first and/or second, depending upon the region. In this case French was first. But this next part was curious. The second announcement was not in German but rather in English. A rather shaky young female voice informed us that there had been an accident, and a person had been hit by the train. She couldn't tell us how long we would be there as it had to be investigated. And as the hours ticked by, first police, then engineers, and finally medical personnel arrived. The fact that the doctors arrived last, and seemed in no great hurry made it clear that someone had likely been killed.

Now think about this for a minute, this was in a semi-rural area, the train tracks were in a bit of a gulley with high embankments on either side - meaning that there was no reason for someone to be anywhere near where the train went through.

I texted my boss, I called my wife (Wendy) and let them know what has happened. And if I'm honest? I felt like I'd been hit square between the eyes with a two-by-four. The entire folly of my two panicky presumptions had been laid bare. And I also took that moment to remind myself how lucky I was, and that not everyone else was as fortunate. I realized that life, writ large, is fickle and fragile and pretty unfair.

Nearly two hours later, the train moved forward, but only to another stop. And then the next dominoes started to fall as train traffic had now backed up with hundreds of people waiting on the platforms of a small town between Geneva and Lausanne. Another 40 minutes later and the train finally arrived. We pulled into Bern around 10:45 or so. And I was fairly certain that dinner was going to be an impossibility. Yes, first world problems.

But then my luck changed.

Young Boys Bern had apparently had a big match that evening that ran late, and the station was flooded with black and yellow jerseys. And accordingly, most of the restaurants in the train station had stayed open. So I treated myself to what I seem to remember was called an Kebab Orientale. 

Spoiler alert - it was AWESOME! 

With my dinner in hand, I made my way to the exit, and tried to find my way to the hotel. A very kind person confirmed my directions and I made my way to there -

I enjoyed a lovely glass of wine and had a good chat with the night manager. 

I stayed up a bit later than usual, wrote some letters and journal entries. And climbing into bed, I closed my eyes and took a moment. I was at once relieved, sad, happy, introspective, embarrassed and ultimately grateful. I realized that we are, all of us out there in the world, trying not just to survive. So many are searching to find meaning, to find connection. 

To find joy. 

I close my eyes with the promise to do better. 

La Chaux-de-Fonds and Zurich were still ahead, and as my old father always used to say -

"Things will look much brighter in the morning!"

Stay tuned!

Perhaps Just Under the Radar - Piccola & Jofrette

So one of my very happy discoveries in Geneva was this -

This is a "newish" brand headed up by Stephan Lack. And for those of you just tuning in, Stephan was one of the very first people I met at my first BaselWorld as a journalist. He just so happened to be presenting his new brand two booths down from where I was working at the Time to Watches show last week. And I must say, the PJ1 is a fantastic debut.

There are four different dial versions: blue, silver, eggshell, and anthracite. And yes, gentle reader, the anthracite is my favorite.

Piccola & Jofrette

Available with three different strap options: 

Courtesy of Piccola & Jofrette

Sturgeon (above)

Piccola & Jofrette

Light Brown Deer (above)

Courtesy of Piccola & Jofrette

Black Deer (above)

Priced at CHF  2,500.00

Here are the pertinents -

Case

Stainless steel

Finishing

Brushed and polished

Diameter

39mm

Height

9.6mm

Lug width

20mm

Crystal

Sapphire, multi-coated anti-reflective

Water Resistance

10 ATM

Manufactured in

Switzerland

Dial & Hands

Dial

polished stainless steel

Color

anthracite

Indices / Numbers

Indexes, Arabic numerals on 1/2, 4/5, 7/8, 10/11

Hour/minute hand

Rhodium-plated, in silver

Small second

Rhodium-plated, in bronze, at 6h

Manufacturing and tools

Switzerland

Movement & Functions

Factory

Automatic movement

caliber

PJ1

Functions

Hours, minutes, small seconds at 6H

frequency

28,800 semi-oscillations / hour

stones

27

Power reserve

42 hours

Manufactured in

Switzerland

Watch strap (sturgeon)

Sturgeon (origin Switzerland)

Naturally tanned, hand-stitched in Switzerland

Colors

Natural brown / silver stitching

Buckle

Stainless steel pin buckle

Easy Change Clip System