First there was the gimlet – which is always a punchy way to start an evening. Then came the Manhattan, exclusive to Wind-Up New York and which can only be bad news for someone’s head in the morning. But never fear if you missed that event-specific edition because now there’s some hair of the Underd0g with the final watch in the Cocktail Collection – the Mim0sa.
If you’ve been keeping up with this particular breed of British mixology, you won’t be surprised to learn that the dial is where the action is here. But where the initial Gimlet offered ghostly green lume and the Manhattan a coloured sapphire over silver, the Mim0sa is a bit more experimental. The yellow-to-orange colour is on the bottom level, as is standard in the Field Series 02 construction, but the sapphire crystal is textured.
The specific texture is kind of like the shapes you get when light filters down to the bottom of a swimming pool, subtly wavy. The idea behind it is similar too, to create shapes in the light that hits the dial. It’s a really cool idea that relies on some serious CNC machining, and one that I was hoping Studio Underd0g would explore. That said, I’m not sure quite how successful it is here.
The problem is that the sapphire dial itself looks like it’s full of unintentional imperfections rather than designed that way. The way it filters the light onto the dial is lovely, but you need to look through the bubbly, wavy transparency to see it. Like I said, I love the idea – and by itself the dial looks great – I’d just like to see perhaps a more regular pattern. Still, it does rather accurately express what it’s like to have a few too many mimosas.
As for the bottom dial, it’s worth noting that the gorgeous orange-yellow gradient is, like the Gimlet, entirely lumed. This is something that was missing from the Manhattan as the coloured sapphire didn’t really allow for it. Here it means that by day you get the bubbly, wavy effect worthy of poolside cocktails and at night a neon-drenched underground bar.
Otherwise, it’s the collaborative watch we know and love. That means a Fears Brunswick 40s-style cushion case adapted to the manual-wind Sellita movement inside. The very slight shift in proportions means the 38mm case is slightly less elegant than Fears’ own Brunswicks, but is all the more charming for it. The 100m water resistance is also very welcome on an everyday wearer like this.
So, down to what I’m sure you’re dying to know: availability. As with the previous two models, the Mim0sa is priced at an accessible and nicely round £1,000, but is strictly limited, albeit in time rather than numbers. Happy Hour will run for 9 hours between 3pm – 12am BST on October 23rd, a few days after Wind-Up Watch Fair calls time – so get your last orders in quick.
And hey, if you do miss out, here’s hoping Studio Underd0g do something with funky, textured crystals in the future. I can’t imagine they’d let an idea that cool off so lightly.
Price and Specs:
More details at Studio Underd0g.
