At the start of the month Diatom launched its new Inner Worlds collection, a series of watches dedicated to our closest cosmic neighbours in the form of Mercury, Venus, the Moon and Mars, as well as the Earth itself. They feature incredibly detailed dials, and I simply had to get hands-on with one to see them in person. Fortunately, I’ve been able to do just that and sitting on my desk as I type is the Diatom Inner Worlds Mercury.
Given the option to review any of the watches in the collection I chose the Mercury because it has the most dynamic of the dials. It features a rich blue base with golden yellow highlights across a portion of the display. The colour scheme is inspired by photos of Mercury taken by the MESSENGER space probe (the first manmade object to complete an orbit of Mercury) – the pictures use boosted saturation to highlight different minerals and materials on the surface of the planet, turning the normal greys of the surface into the vivid blues and yellows as seen on the dial of the Diatom.
Producing the dial starts with stamping the dial disk to add the most pronounced parts of the textured pattern – the radial lines that would normally be described as sunrays but which here are more like the impact markings of a meteor on the planet’s surface. After that, the dial is embossed to add finer details such as the delicate feathering seen between those bigger radial lines. Once the texture is set, the dial is electroplated and painted with enamel to add colour.
Getting hands-on with the watch reveals that the dial is much shinier than I initially expected. It has a smooth, almost lacquer-like finish that catches the light very well. It’s not egregiously bright but when the light hits the display at a certain angle, the texture comes to life. Additionally, despite being quite a maximalist display with loads of colour and texture, it remains practical to read. The baton hour markers are large enough not to be lost in the display and the dauphine hands are sharp and clear. At 3 o’clock a date window adds extra utility and for once I’m glad it hasn’t been colour matched with the dial because it keeps it readable.
The other aspect of the watch I wanted to see up close is the movement. It’s the ETA calibre 2892-A2 and the first thing that stands out when you look at it through the exhibition caseback is the difference in colour between the rotor and the rest of the movement. The main body of the movement is bright steel with perlage and engraved lines while the rotor is a darker grey tone with Côtes de Genève finishing.
That’s because the rotor is made from material salvaged from the Liberty Bell 7 capsule – the spacecraft that housed Gus Grissom in the USA’s second manned suborbital spaceflight in 1961. I say ‘salvaged’ because when the capsule made re-entry and landed in the ocean, the door opened too soon and the capsule was flooded with seawater, sinking to the bottom. After 38 years on the ocean floor, it was eventually recovered in 1999 and restored. As part of that restoration, oxidised and damaged metal was removed and it’s those offcuts that have been used to create the Diatom Inner Worlds Mercury rotor.
The final piece of the puzzle as to why this spacecraft has been used on the Mercury edition is that the rocket that propelled it into space was the Mercury-Redstone. I am an unabashed space nerd and it’s details like this rotor that get me emotionally invested in watches. Tangible stories that connect the piece to the wider history of humanity and exploration.
On the wrist, the Diatom Inner Worlds Mercury is well sized at 39.5mm diameter x 9.35mm thickness. It’s difficult to ascribe it one of the main wristwatch archetypes. It isn’t really classy or elegant in the manner of a dress watch with its steel construction but at the same time the intricate dial means it’s not a tool or sports watch either. With 100m water resistance it’s capable of withstanding the trials and tribulations of daily life but it’s not built for adventure. Ultimately, I would describe it as a GADA watch – go anywhere, do anything – a versatile timepiece that while not specialised for any specific occasion or task, is suitable for all of them.
It comes with a three-link steel bracelet fitted with a toolless change mechanism. It’s a little fiddly to get it connected at first but once it’s on, the connection is solid. And honestly, it’s the same story for any watch that comes with its bracelet unattached so that isn’t really a Diatom specific issue. The reason the bracelet comes unattached is because the watch comes in a custom box shaped like a book, with the story of the Liberty Bell 7 on the initial pages and the watch stored at the back.
The Diatom Inner Worlds Mercury is priced at £2,200 and limited to 450 pieces. The individual limited edition number of each watch is included on the caseback alongside inscriptions dedicated to the Liberty Bell 7 and the fact it’s the Mercury edition. My lasting impression is that the watch meets and beats my expectations in the metal.
Price and Specs:
More details at Diatom.
