To my mind, the worlds of checkers and chess are adjacent to wristwatches. The formality, elegance and appreciation of fine craftsmanship (particularly of the pieces and boards) that accompanies the intellectual sports are all attributes shared by watch collectors in their own ways. Which makes it somewhat ironic that wristwatches are banned during competition due to anti-cheating rules. But if you can’t wear a watch while playing chess, what if your watch became the board itself? That’s the question posed by the new Dennison ALD Checker.
The alternating squares of black and white on a game board is one of the most recognisable patterns in the world – whether on an actual game board, artistic mosaic, or kitchen tiles. On the Dennison ALD Checker it’s recreated through a combination of prestige materials: black onyx and VS2 natural diamonds.
Diamonds are not wildly uncommon in watch design, but what is unusual is to see them treated as an integral part of the watch display in the equivalent manner to a semi-precious stone rather than as an accent or embellishment. The watches use a pavé setting to create consistent coverage of diamonds over the ‘white’ portions of the dial. They provide a sparkling contrast to the onyx of the black sections.
There are three compositions within the ALD Checker series. Checker Balance is split along the axis from 9 to 3 o’clock, Checker Draw is split along the axis from 12 to 6 o’clock and lastly Checker Gambit is presented in quarters. What’s extra fun is that the steel case is finished in a manner opposite to the dial near it, which adds an extra layer to the checkerboard motif – either with diamond setting or black PVD. The case itself measures the standard ALD proportions of 37mm x 33.5mm x 6.05mm.
Underneath the checker dials is the Ronda Cal. 1062 quartz movement. Being quartz is what allows the ALD to be so slim as there’s no bulky mechanisms involved in its operation. However, I would like to see Dennison graduate to mechanical movements at some point as a sign of the brand’s growth, taking them to that next level where design and watchmaking are placed on equal level.
For pricing, the Dennison ALD Checker is £6,300 including taxes. That makes it the most expensive ALD to date by a significant margin. Though that is understandable given the pavé diamond and onyx dials, which trump the previous diamond bezel and stone dial offerings at £2,500. Checkmate.
Price and Specs:
More details at Dennison.
