Ross Davis doesn’t care what you think*. Not really. Not even in the slightest bit. I’d say he was towering in stature, but no one’s ever seen him. All we have to go on is his legend. All we know is, he’s blazed a path in micro-brand watchery that can only be said is an example, the very epitome, of living Fleetwood Mac’s “You Can Go Your Own Way” to its fullest.
*All of this is hyperbole. Davis has made an excellent watch to suit his own tastes. What did we learn from this? He’s got superb taste. If you aspire to have good taste, the latest watch from Hamtun, named Nanok, is what you put on your wrist.
The watch, then: Nanok is housed in a 39mm stainless steel case, smooth beveled edge bezel, and a dial as black as the mystery around Ross Davis. The hands are cathedral, but instead of an elongated mercedes cathedral hand, it’s a shorter version of the minute hand. This is tasteful, elegant, without being ostentatious.
Hour indices are applied and lumed, with small blue dots at the outer periphery of the minute track. The arrowhead second hand is tipped with blue lume. There’s a date window at the 6 o’clock position, and a short indice below it to keep things in proportion. The best part is, there’s a day window that spans from 11 to 1 o’clock, centered over the 12 at the top of the dial. This is made possible by the Sellita 240-1, a Swiss Day-Date movement that is ideal for use here.
All of this is exceedingly lovely, a dressy sport watch for a gentleman’s age, on stainless bracelet or leather strap. Davis humbly says, “it’s designed to be worn every day.” Damn right it is. It’s designed to last a lifetime. Prices start at £241, or about $341 USD. It’s the most wearable watch they’ve ever made. Get one at hamtun.co or kickstarter.com
