Mr. Jones Watches is well known for producing whimsical and affordable timepieces, usually with basic Swiss quartz or Chinese mechanical movements. The new Whoomm and Wildstyle watches keep the whimsy, but make some significant upgrades—including to the price. But £1,041.67 (approx. $1,286.57) is a small price to pay for the incredible Cloisonné enamel dials at the center of these pieces, not to mention the upgraded Swiss mechanical movements.
Words cannot do justice to the process of creating these enamel dials. The Whoomm is inspired by “classic post-war American comic books” and the Wildstyle showcases the eponymous ’80s-era east coast graffiti. These dials can each take more than a day to produce, between the intricately hand-shaped metal designs, hand-applied enameling, and careful baking procedures. And, after all that, they throw out any dials that don’t cure properly. The video below gives you a quick glimpse into the process.
MJW cloisonné dials from Crispin Jones on Vimeo.
The movements are the other big upgrade from MJW’s usual unusual offerings. Behind each enamel dial is a STP1-11. This is Fossil’s answer to Swatch’s ETA 2824-2 or Sellita’s SW200, a Swiss Made ETA 2824-2 design, made in part with a robotic assembly line. The exhibition case back gives you a glimpse at the nicely decorated workhorse. This marks a significant step up in quality from MJW’s customary Ronda quartz or Seagull automatic.
The wire-lug case and mineral crystal matches MJW’s Everyday Special and the simple case puts the focus where it should be: on the enamel dials. The lack of sapphire glass is an unfortunate compromise, especially at this price point. But price is relative here, since you are buying a one-of-a-kind work of art in the handmade dial.
Tech Specs from Mr. Jones
- Case size: 37mm
- Height: 11.5mm
- Case material: PVD black coated 316L stainless steel
- Crystal: Plano convex mineral glass
- Strap: leather, pin buckle clasp
- Movement: Swiss-made STP1-11 Swiss automatic mechanical movement
- Guarantee: 12 months
