When you think about watches and shapes, a circle is probably the most common one you think of. Sure, you have your tonneau cases and the like, but by and large, our watches are circular in nature. Now, the just launched Meridiem Watches PM20 does indeed feature a round case – but it also plays around a lot with hexagons, and offers a unique material for their dials.
On the surface of it, the design on offer from Meridiem Watches may not be the most intriguing – yet another slimline quartz three-hander. Where the brand differentiates is the details of the design. The largest theme, by far, is the use of hexagons. This appears in the three stamped layers of the leather (yup, leather) dial, the cutout for the date, and even at the base of the handset. The final hex shows up on the crown, and this I had some serious questions about. When I saw that crown, I could not help but think of Xetum. The brand seemed genuinely unaware of that Xetum design detail, and I’m inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt. It’s not like a hexagon is a brand new shape, so we’ll let this slide for now.
The handset on the Meridiem Watches PM20 definitely has a bit of a Defakto feel to it as well, given the bold rectangles used, and with the varied colors between the hands. Speaking of varied colors, it seems they made a curious choice of inverting the date wheel colors to the dial. In other words, the white dial gets a black date wheel, and the black dial has the white date wheel. This is a curious choice, as when you have multiple colors available, most brands chose to color-match to the dial. Here, this looks to be a conscious design decision, and picks up the similar color accents from the hands and logo.
Another different design choice on the Meridiem Watches PM20 is the location of the crown. In this case, it appears over on the left-hand side of the case, rather than the standard position on the right. This is not a requirement of the Miyota 2315 movement, it is just how they decided to do it. On larger watches, flipping the crown position makes sense to protect the wrist. On a case like we have here, which is only 42mm, it is more for the aesthetics of the thing.
When you consider that the Meridiem Watches PM20 is topped by a sapphire crystal, along with all the other details, the $77 earlybird pricing really does seem like quite a bargain. The hexagons are of course the big design play here, and the ability to also pick up a stainless bracelet (along with the fairly standard leather strap; both with quick change pins) is another great value add proposition. I’m sure some are getting tired of slim quartz watches, but I would be surprised if the Meridiem Watches PM20 did not find fans out there. What say you? Sound off in the comments below, and let us know your take on this flood of slim quartz watches on Kickstarter. Then, if you’re interested in the Meridiem Watches PM20, head on over to their project page before it closes out on June 11. mmeridiem.com
Watch Overview
- Brand & Model: Meridiem Watches PM20
- Price: Earlytbird pricing starts at $77
- Who we think it might be for: You really like your hexagons
- Would I buy one for myself based on what I’ve seen?: No – there is a lot to like about the design, I just do not have a need for a watch like this
- If I could make one design suggestion, it would be: At least give the option for color-matching the date wheel to the dial.
- What spoke to me the most about this watch: The commitment to the use of hexagons througout
Tech Specs from Meridiem
- Dial: Handcraft Pressed pattern on Italian Genuine Leather
- Case: 42mm with 316L Stainless Steel in medical grade
- Case thickness: 10mm (included SST case back and lens)
- Water Resistance: 5 ATM (50 m)
- Movement: MIYOTA Japan- 2315 (Date + 3 Hands)
- Lens: Sapphire Crystal Lens with Blue Light Coating (durable, strong scratch proof)
- Hands: Tailor – Made iconic hands with super luminous
- Strap: 20mm Premium genuine Calf Leather – both top and bottom (built in Interchangeable Pins only with added on one or more straps)
- Band: 20mm – 316L Stainless Steel Mesh band and 2.8mm thickness with 1.0mm wire durable strength (built in Interchangeable Pins only with added on one or more straps )
- Buckle and Crown: 316L Stainless Steel
- Warranty: 12 months
