High Adventures in the Great Outdoors – Undone
There are no two ways about it: The opposite of “off-the-rack” is gaining in popularity with customization being a feat of exclusivity and luxury. What in the world of bespoke tailoring with clothing being made to individual measurements of the customer, has been practiced for the longest time, specifically with tailor-made suits in the UK has now firmly established itself for other products as well.
When it comes to watches and the Hypebeast era we live in, brands tend to dominate the scene and while it might be hard to argue with the craftmanship that results in the creation of a Rolex, theme-wise it seems like antiquated concepts around e.g. aviation and seafaring, are being rehashed again and again. On the other end of the spectrum there are mass produced, widely available cheap variants which usually do not have staying power or merit beyond the flavour-of-the-day appeal. In other words, the equilibrium between accessibility and personalisation paired with quality manufacturing in the realm of watch making is rarely to be found.
Having used the Apple Watch for many years in a utilitarian manner for its features, I felt it was time to invest into a watch to sprinkle my day with a different aesthetic and add a bit of variety to the daily humdrum.
Enter Undone and their endeavour to make individuality matter by creating unique timepieces by understanding their customers’ requests and creating the desired watch specifically for them without any further third party involved. After having refined their approach to watchmaking by mastering the fundamentals via the creation of a line of vintage-inspired lines based on both mecha-quarts and automatic variants, they embarked into more experimental territory.
The way it works is that you browse Undone’s website to select the individual components of your watch, with the option to customize each minute detail from thousands of possible options and component either by relying on tried and tested presets or customizing everything from colour schemes, bezels, straps, etc. from scratch, including adding initials, engravings and other personal touches to the mix.
Once happy with the design and features, the individual parts are then being assembled by expert watchmakers, placed through strict quality control to make sure that nothing is out of place – a process, which also ensures responsible production and the elimination of excess waste.
Apart from the bespoke services Undone offers, collaborations with partners like DC Comics, illustrators and established graphic designers further aid in Undone’s commitment to explore and accentuate your own story.
The watch I created is based on a classic basecamp design with the customized features chosen paying homage to both classic designs as well as personalised touches, which includes the display of artwork I have specifically created for the backside of the watch, sealing the uniqueness of the watch.
Quality at work when it comes to building monuments to the greatest of all thieves.
