Back in 2014, Matt brought you word of the first project from Hong Kong-based Anicorn, and I believe it is safe to say it was successful, as the brand is back with a brand new watch and project. While they are still utilizing a disc-based system, this one is (in my opinion) much more Anicorn Series K452.
The first thing we need to do is get that name out of the way. I have never really been a fan of alpha-numeric model designations, as they just feel like a SKU is being repurposed to be a name (in other words, the designer just could not come up with a decent name). Here, however, there is a very good reason. Anicorn is intending the Anicorn Series K452 to actually be in honor of the discovery of Kepler-452b, which is (potentially) human-habitable. While the connection to this discovery is completely fabricated (it is not like NASA commissioned the watch) it at least is coherent.
I say coherent in that the discs used on the Anicorn Series K452 could almost be interpreted as planetary orbits, with the central arbor (which is covered by a large disc itself) acting as the sun. This central disc is the running seconds, with a small circle (which one could imagine as a planet) circling around, letting you know the Miyota 9015 is running.
The outer two discs of the Anicorn Series K452 are for the minutes and hour. These are read out via the perpendicular line that comes down from what would traditionally be considered the 12 o’clock position. This seems like one portion of the design that could be improved on. If that red line actually extended through on the main dial, and the minute disc had cutouts, the exact minute would be filled in, letting you know at a glance the minutes. A minor thing, but something that popped to mind.
Interestingly, for the price point, the Anicorn Series K452 comes with a milanese mesh bracelet, for an early-bird price of $329 (the earliest level is already sold out), which seems like a decent price. Should you want to add a leather strap to the mix, you can do so for another $35. Is the Anicorn Series K452 the most inexpensive Miyota 9015-powered watch we have seen on Kickstarter? No, it isn’t, but it definitely gets bonus points for its design. As of the time of this writing, the project has already passed $31,000 of its $50,000 goal, so things look promising for funding levels to be hit before it’s closed out on March 10, 2016. anicorn-watches.com
