Over the previous couple of years, watch fans have seen much more Disney character-inspired watches and now Hong Kong’s UNDONE has gotten into the combination. The 2 watches I am going hands-on with at this time are UNDONE’s transferring Mickey Mouse hands-inspired “Guess Who’s Again” and the UNDONE Disney Fantasia. Each are fascinating watches, the previous being a bit extra geared towards timepiece fans whereas the latter is extra geared towards Disney lovers with a concentrate on the 1940 orchestrated musical movie Fantasia.
Disney watches have change into rather more emergent, as of late. For a very long time, the massive group that owns the standard Disney characters, in addition to a load of different mental property together with the Star Wars universe, didn’t appear to care about watches. After a historical past of constructing among the world’s most well-known memento watches corresponding to clocks and watches with Mickey Mouse on the dial because the hour and minute arms, Disney appeared to cease caring for just a few years. Now that has all modified. Its major watchmaking relationship is with Japan’s Citizen watches, however Disney doesn’t have an unique relationship with the model. At the moment, we see a big number of Disney universe watches together with these with Mickey Mouse, arguably Disney’s hottest character. So when UNDONE wished to get entangled in making Disney watches, the problem was to return out with one thing fascinating and novel that wasn’t being finished by different corporations who’ve a matchmaking license from Disney.
With the UNDONE Disney Fantasia watch, the technique gave the impression to be a concentrate on a Disney leisure property that nobody else was engaged on. I can’t say that there aren’t every other Fantasia timepieces on the market, however there aren’t many. Mickey Mouse in his wizard’s outfit (from The Sorcerer’s Apprentice cartoon phase) has all the time been a enjoyable look, and it’s good to see it on a watch dial full with a beautiful blue starry night time. This watch relies on UNDONE’s City Chronograph in metal, which is about 42mm-wide and 13.5mm-thick. It comprises a Japanese Seiko Devices VK64 quartz chronograph motion with a 60-minute chronograph counter and a synchronized 24-hour show (AM/PM) indicator. The metal case and blue dial tones are matched with a beautiful blue suede leather-based strap.
UNDONE did a reliable job with the Fantasia watch, however I nonetheless suppose it’s extra a “souvenir-style” look ahead to Fantasia movie fans moderately than a timepiece collectible. The watch, certainly, has enticing wizard Mickey Mouse graphics on the dial, and the caseback (which is frosted blue and gives a slight view of the quartz motion inside) doesn’t really feel like we’re seeing any new art work or design parts that merge the Fantasia theme with the dial working to point the time. This seems to be extra like a Fantasia fan poster with a watch dial overlaid on high of it. So for mega followers of Fantasia this is a wonderful (and unusual) timepiece choice, however subsequent time, UNDONE would possibly need to merely put Mickey Mouse because the sorcerer’s apprentice on the dial together with his arms because the hour and minute arms — which is the standard manner by which Mickey Mouse has been featured on wristwatch dials.
Talking of custom, the UNDONE Disney “Guess Who’s Again” is rather more alongside the traces of what timepiece fans largely need to see from a Mickey Mouse wristwatch. Right here, UNDONE does the intelligent act of flipping Mickey Mouse round in order that it’s his again and never his entrance that’s represented on the dial. Artistically, this seems to be virtually equivalent to Mickey Mouse’s entrance save for the face, which continues to be iconically Mickey Mouse even from the behind. Flip the watch case over, and printed on the semi-transparent caseback window is Mickey Mouse’s entrance aspect. Mickey Mouse has been on numerous wristwatch dials since 1928, however I do not know if he has even been featured from the again earlier than.
Why this visualization of a Mickey Mouse watch dial works isn’t instantly clear to me, but it surely apparently gives simply sufficient of a creative twist on the outdated story to be satisfying. I’ve personally given the watch a unique title that I like extra: “Darkish Facet of the Mouse.” It is a play on Omega’s Speedmaster Darkish Facet of the Moon, which was in a black ceramic case. Right here the title works as a result of we see the darkish aspect of Mickey Mouse’s head. The white dial with Mickey Mouse arms seems to be plucked from a Bell & Ross dial and across the dial is a black ceramic bezel insert which is a pleasant function on this Basecamp-family UNDONE watch.
The Disney Guess Who’s Again watch is 40mm extensive in polished metal and waterproof to 100 meters. Over the dial is a Lexan crystal, which is an fascinating and hard materials that I solely know UNDONE to have experimented with as a watch crystal materials. The domed crystal has some reflectivity and, whereas not as very best as sapphire crystal, is worlds higher than the acrylic crystals the look is supposed to emulate. Contained in the watch is a Japanese Seiko Instrument caliber NH35/70 automated motion that operates at 3Hz with about two days of energy reserve. Hooked up to the case is tan-colored suede leather-based strap that goes properly with the general case, although I believe in case you wished to amplify the Mickey Mouse theme right here, there are many different straps you would possibly contemplate pairing with the case. (What involves thoughts for me is one thing black with pink stitching.)
I totally anticipate extra Disney character license watches from UNDONE to return quickly, as there’s simply a lot to work with and UNDONE has the “character watch” down fairly effectively, at this level. Apparently, the UNDONE Mickey Mouse Guess Who’s Again watches should not a part of a restricted version, however the Disney Fantasia watches are (in keeping with the dial), however and not using a disclosed manufacturing quantity. Value for the UNDONE Disney Fantasia watches is $480 USD and worth for the UNDONE Disney Guess Who’s Again watches is $599 USD. Be taught extra or order on the UNDONE watches web site right here.
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