We’ve featured a few different designs from Ziiiro on our pages previously, and I’ve found them to be well put-together pieces with a good bit of visual flair, owing to their different methods of telling time, as well as the ability (of some models) to swap bands and straps fairly easily. These have all been wristwatches, however. What about a pocket watch?
Now, some may joke that their pocket watch can make phone calls (referring to their phone), but there are folks who definitely prefer to carry a pocket watch, rather than strapping something on to their wrist, for any number of reasons. Pocket watches are generally a more conservative arena, carrying forward with traditional designs (one previous exception to that was the one from TokyoFlash). With their latest model, the Titan, Ziiiro aims to make things a bit more colorful.
And by colorful, that’s a two-fold label. First, and most obviously, is the 48mm aluminum case, which is available in five different colors (azure, cherry, purple, black, and chrome). All of these colors are in a matte finish, and owing to the shape of the case, I can’t help but to be reminded of that other “pocket watch”, the aforementioned phone. In many ways, it’s a testament to the unibody designs we see over there, that that shape and styling have jumped over to this particular watch.
The other bit of “color” comes in due to the LCD display used for telling time. We’ve seen this style of display on previous Ziiiro watches, and I’ve found it pleasantly simple to read. The outer track indicates the hour, and the inner track reads the minutes. I suppose if you wanted, you could count the segments, but I’ve found myself (in the past) being able to read the time reasonably quick (without counting), as most of us are familiar with where the hands would hit on a analog dial, so muscle memory just kind of takes over.
As with their other LCD-equipped models, the Titan features a backlight, which is triggered by the pusher seen in the stem at 12 o’clock. On that stem you’ll see the ring where you’ll attach either a stainless steel “string” with aluminum clip(for clipping onto, say, a belt loop) or a necklace so you can wear the watch as a pendant. I will note that, while they state it can be worn as a pendant, it will be up to you to find what you’ll hang it off of, as it only ships with the “string”.
Coming in at a relatively slender 11mm, the Titan should slip into a pocket fairly easily. While the hardened mineral crystal will be fairly robust, you’ll want to take some care (most likely) to not have it banging around in a pocket with keys, which would also impact the anodized finish in the long term. Sure, a crystal protector might have been nice, but it would have added a bit more bulk to the piece, and thrown off some of the lines they have here.
The price for the Titan is $189.99, which seems to be in-line with their other models, and I think is fitting given the feel and finish present in the piece. I think this is a good watch for someone who may consider themselves a neo-traditionalist, wanting something old (a pocket watch) in a new look (anodized aluminum case and LCD layout). It should be a relatively light piece as well, making it a simple one to carry around. I’ll be able to tell you more about that in the near future, as we’re looking into getting a review sample in. ziiiro.com
