When we took a deep dive into the design philosophy and watches of American microbrand Matthew Mercury one of their standout collections was the quartz powered Dan W Anniversary chronograph. However, whenever I see a cool quartz watch, the collector bias within me always wonders what it would look like if the watch had a mechanical movement at its heart instead? Fortunately, Matthew Mercury has answered that question with the introduction of the Dan W Automatic.
In order to accommodate the new automatic movement, the proportions of the case have been updated. It still measures 42mm in diameter but the thickness has been increased to 13.85mm from the 9.8mm thickness of the quartz edition. I actually quite like that increase because it makes the watch feel like an authentic tool watch, larger and more imposing on the wrist as if it belongs at a track day timing race laps.
It’s a similar story across the dial where the core identity remains the same but there are a small tweaks due to the automatic movement inside. Most notably, the subdial arrangement has changed with the 30-minute timer now at 12 o’clock, small seconds at 9 and 12-hour timer at 6 o’clock. The subdials are also bigger now, with less of a gap between them and the blue ring that separates the hour and minute track from the centre of the dial.
One change that isn’t visible from static photos is the movement of the chronograph hand. Mechanical chronographs have a smooth, sweeping motion instead of the deadbeat of quartz, responding instantly to the press of the start pusher. The feedback is immediate and satisfying. The automatic movement at the heart of the watch is the Sellita SW500a with 4 Hz frequency and 62-hour power reserve. That’s a pretty major jump in terms of quality and prestige.
For pricing, the Matthew Mercury Dan W Automatic chronograph is £1,150. At time of writing it’s currently sold out on their website, but you can register your email to be the first to know when it is back in stock. Watches like this are a significant step forward for Matthew Mercury in breaking into the awareness of dedicated collectors, showing their ability to design mechanical watches.
Price and Specs:
More details at Matthew Mercury.
