Looking for a watch that’s ready to roll with your business casual environment? Then the Flinders Automatic, from new brand Melbourne Watch Company, may just do the trick for you.
We don’t often see watch brands launching out of Australia, but that’s right where the Melbourne Watch Company calls home (not too surprising, giving their name). This particular iteration of the model, with the white dial and brown strap, I think more easily bridges the divide between dress and casual that MWC is going for.
The 40mm case (9.8 mm thick!) is made of stainless steel, and is claimed to have a slim profile (I’ve been unable to turn up a thickness measurement). Topping the case is a sapphire crystal, under which we have a fairly simple dial. The outer edge with the indices is flat, while the inner portion (what I’ve come to think of as the “hour track” has a guilloche pattern. Given how time consuming (and expensive) true guilloche is, I’m guessing this pattern is molded or pressed somehow into the dial. Either way, it’s a nice textured touch.
Flip the case over, and you’ll see the top-grade Miyota 9015 automatic movement working away through the exhibition caseback. Readers of this blog should be familiar with the high-beat Miyota, and I think it’s a great one to slot into the watch, giving a nice balance of accuracy and price consciousness. Of course, that movement won’t have much in the way of complications (just central seconds and date display), but that’s a decent enough set to get you going through the day.
Overall, the styling feels fairly middle of the road to me – it’s not setting itself apart as something completely different – just as something a little bit different. Of course, the big differentiator over another similarly styled piece (aside from movement considerations) would be the fact that the watch comes from Australia. Perhaps you’re originally from there (or live there now), or just have an affinity for the land down under. Either way, if this watch fits your tastes, I think it should get the job done admirably, snugged onto your wrist with a 20/18 strap.
You can get in on this watch via their Indiegogo campaign, which ends on January 2, 2014; watches are expected to ship in February. As of the time of this writing, you can pick up either the white- or black-dialed Flinders for $350 AUD (which is about $320 USD). melbournewatch.com.au
