Aera announces two eye-catching chronograph watches

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Bold design is one of the big watch trends in 2024.

Unusual case shapes, gemstone dials and special display fonts provide a key point of difference for those looking for something beyond the scope of a “traditional men’s watch”.

Instagrammable wristwatches range from fashion for vintage Piaget to start-ups with an eye for unusual case shapes to the enduring craze for Christopher Ward’s Bel Canto, a watch whose hourly strike is announced by a replica bird striking a gong on the dial.

Just last week Nicholas Bowman-Scargill talked about the excellent Bristol watchmaker Fears esquire He believed that dial design would soon become the main reason for purchasing a watch.

Into this creative hotspot comes Aera, which today announces its first chronograph, the C-1.

It is available in two different versions, both of which are real eye-catchers.

The British brand kicked off 2022 with two highly acclaimed debuts, the P-1 Pilot and the D-1 Diver. Both were crafted from high-quality materials such as brushed 904L stainless steel and offered a new interpretation of the tried-and-tested Tool Watch DNA with clever twists such as one-piece domed dials, domed sapphire crystals and a pared-down, minimalist design.

The look was clean, modern and distinctive while still remaining true to the original inspirations.

The C-1 uses this design template and builds upon it.

The two versions are the C-1 Shadow, a black model with red and white accents.

And the C-1 Cloud, a light gray design with sky blue accents.

Both watches are made from the same durable stainless steel as their predecessors, with domed crystals and domed dials, and measure 42mm.

They run on Sellita’s SW510 Bicompax Elabore movement.

Aera’s first watches were praised for their precise design details, such as the way the circular counterweight of the second hand circled the “A” of the brand’s logo as it passed.

The new watches, the result of 16 months of research and development according to the brand, show the same care.

The C-1 Shadow features a black PVD coated case to match its matte black dial.

The bezel features engraved markers and numerals filled with a glossy black lacquer. The three main hands and two hands on the subdial are coated with Swiss Super-LumiNova and glow green in low light conditions. The Aera logo at 12 o’clock is made from solid Globolight, adding dimension and depth to the dial.

The C-1 Cloud is the first Aera watch without a black dial.

The brand says the palate is “an exercise in lightness,” with the combination of matte gray and sky blue being an unusual combination in watches. The subdials and the three main hands glow green again thanks to Super-Luminova and Globolight is used for the logo at 12 o’clock.

Although the watches form a pair, they look strikingly different – perhaps a homage to the strong, original brand aesthetic to play with.

The watches each come with two integrated straps, one made of diving rubber, the other made of Italian leather, as well as a leather watch case. The C-1 Shadow costs £2,100. The C-1 Cloud costs £1,950.

They will be produced in an edition of 300 per model, with a staggered release.

The first 100 of them are available starting today.

The C-1 will undoubtedly strengthen Aera’s standing as a micro brand to watch, and we look forward to more to come.

aera.co