Undone Lean into Retro Nostalgia with New Vintage Salmon Wristwatch

Undone are a brand known for their philosophy that every watch collector should be able to find their perfect timepiece. For that reason they offer diverse customisation options as well as fun and quirky collaborations that serve unique niches, such as the Dark Knight Retrospective. However, they also create homages to iconic vintage watchmaking with the latest example being the new Undone Vintage Salmon.

It’s a bicompax chronograph with a salmon pink dial. Nowadays the term ‘salmon dial’ applies to practically any watch with a rose gold dial, but historically that wasn’t the case. The term was only used for watches that had rose gold coloured dials with white metal cases and did not apply to tone on tone watches with rose gold cases, which was the dominant combination.

The contrast between white gold or steel cases compared to the pink dial visually represents the skin and meat of the titular fish. It might sound bizarre but in a world with the Rolex Hulk and Pepsi, it’s not the strangest naming convention.

Undone’s Vintage Salmon is therefore a true salmon watch, pairing the pink dial with a 40mm stainless steel case. Stylistically the case is based on the Urban design, with an understated round design, relatively straight lugs and classy pushers flanking a wide, knurled crown.

The signature salmon dial features a vertically brushed finish and is accented by the pair of subdials on either side of the central hand stack. Those subdials are a 24-hour scale and small seconds. What’s particularly nice about the dial is the inclusion of Breguet numerals, a typography developed by the legendary watchmaker Abraham Louis Breguet. It adds a sense of retro nostalgia to the piece, which is totally in keeping with recent watchmaking trends.

Under the surface and visible through the display caseback is the calibre TMI VK64 meca-quartz movement with flyback chronograph. Meca-quartz is a hybrid style of calibre that uses a quartz system to power mechanical functions. It’s a solid halfway compromise between accessibility and the prestige of mechanical watches. Which means the Undone Vintage Salmon is just £297, sitting squarely in the middle of Undone’s price range.