Solgaard, a global collective of designers, is known for their stylish and high end backpacks and luggage. Recently, they delved into the watch world by releasing their HexWatch – a 6-sided, 6-faced quartz ticker with a simple and efficient design. I’ve been wearing the Hex Minimalist for the last week or so – here are my thoughts. In summary – The Hex Minimalist is a unique, slick looking quartz watch that makes an unobtrusive impression. A slight misalignment of the hands with the indexes give me a bit of pause on the quality, but the style is unique and interesting.
The Minimalist is inspired by dark nights in Norway. Going by boat from my grandfather’s cabin to the mainland navigating by moonlight, the glimmer of the moon on the dark water is like the glimmer of light on the gunmetal grey hour markers.
First Impressions
Unboxing was simple and straightforward – just the way a minimalist, relatively inexpensive watch should be. The first element that strikes me is the very nice leather strap – gently rounded near the edges, there’s no rubber sealant used – the edges just come together. Of course, the hexagon shape strikes immediately, and it’s easy to see how this watch can make a unique statement and not be easily forgotten.
Fit and Finish
It’s a lightweight quartz watch – so wearing it doesn’t feel super substantial. But the case is well finished with a black DLC coating, the strap is really really nice, and the hands with their white index look bold and nice. The crystal sits flush with the bezel, with no overhang on either side. I feel like there could be a bit more finish on the edges of the crystal, to avoid some edge reflections – but at this price point, this watch feels very nice. Also worth noting, the springbars have nifty hand-release levers, so you don’t need a tool to change out the strap.
On the Wrist
Wearing the watch is easy – it’s lightweight, keeps good time, and has a distinct style. When I’m going out on the weekend in a casual buttondown or tshirt, but don’t want the “outdoorsy” look, I wear this watch. And although the case has pointy corners, they’ve never dug into my wrists. Telling time is easy, although not quite benefitted by the shape as the designer would have you believe.
Why the Hexagon
Hexagons appear all throughout nature as one of the strongest naturally occurring shapes. The hex has been used for centuries in architecture and represents balance and stability.Glimpse-tech
Since the hexagon is such a comfortable and strong shape, your brain easily translates which sides are up and down faster than a circle – thus allowing you to tell time faster.
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Standout Features
The shape, minimal black scheme, and super nice strap make this really feel special – I love wearing this, and although it’s not my everyday goto, it certainly sits in my top5 weekly wearer box.
Feedback
There’s one major quality issue that prevents me from fully recommending this – the second hand doesn’t tick in perfect alignment with the indexes. It may be a one-off fluke, but for a watch, misaligned hands is a major major quality issue. Video of the issue below.
