When you read press release after press release, you get to learn a lot about how a brand sees itself and their approach to watch design. Some brands write incredibly dull and boring press releases while others are full of life and actually make you feel excited about the project they’re introducing. The new Kollokium Projekt 02 falls squarely into the latter category. You need look no further than the fact that they’ve called the initial release the Friends, Family, Fools & Flippers edition to see their sense of humour.
If you’re unfamiliar Kollokium they’re a microbrand (self-styled as a project-based collective) founded in 2020 and who made a splash in the microbrand space with their distinctive Projekt 1 with its pin dial. Since then, they’ve iterated on the Projekt 1 a few times and are now moving onto the Projekt 02, which is no less spectacular in its ‘neubrutalist’ design. Instead of pins, it features a display of 9 layers made up of 67 dial plates (each lacquered and painted with lume) that are stacked by hand for every watch.
It creates a sort of topographic display with hills and valleys, though careful attention has been paid to ensure it still functions as a watch. 12 peaks are equally spaced around the outer edge, serving as the watch’s hour markers. On close inspection you’ll also notice that the pattern consists of repeating thirds, giving a strange sense of uniformity to the otherwise organic visual. As if the landscape has been sculpted.
One of the analogies Kollokium give is that if Projekt 1 is Bladerunner, with its densely populated cities and neon lights, then Projekt 2 is Dune with wide expanses shaped by Shai-Hulud. But both living in sci-fi realms that challenge what is possible. When I first read that in the press release, I thought to myself, ‘what are they on about’, but after studying the dial a bit more, I can see how the contours could look like the sand dunes of Arrakis.
The dial is only one part of the Projekt 02’s distinctive design. The steel case is made using a diecast method, where molten metal is poured into a mould to create shapes that would be impossible to machine. It creates a dark, matte finish that Kollokium have decided to keep exactly as it is from out of the mould. On top of it sits a large sapphire crystal without bezel. There are a handful of inscriptions across the case, notably the moniker K,P–n°02 is found on the side, which is shorthand for Kollokium Projekt 02. As for the caseback, I’ll let you read that for yourself.
Speaking of the solid caseback, that leads us to one of the other points that Kollokium make in the release. The movement inside is the La Joux-Perret G101 with 68-hour power reserve and as Kollokium observe, “since kollokium had nothing to do with the movement, it was decided to leave it completely unbranded and unadorned. It’s not like you can see it anyways ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ .” It makes me wonder if I should add more emoticons to my writing.
The Kollokium Projekt 02 is limited to 199 pieces in the inaugural Friends, Family, Fools & Flippers edition (aka FFF&F). It will be offered first to owners of the Projekt 1 F&F edition, then owners of any Kollokium watch. The first publicly available Projekt 02 will be announced in 2026. The FFF&F edition is priced at CHF 3,333 (approx. £3,100) and those future public models will be CHF 3,666 (approx. £3,400).
Price and Specs:
More details at Kollokium.
