Seals Watch Company has released the Model A.5, two intense new variants of the popular Model A. For these versions, Michael Seals teamed up with Matt Smith-Johnson, the Art Director for A Blog To Watch and better known as @teenage.grandpa (and who, by the way, is neither a teenager nor a grandparent). With a splash of color and some serious 1970’s swagger, the Burgundy Roulette and Acid Green A.5s make a bold statement.
The shape and style of the case will be immediately familiar to those who know the Model A. Like the original, it is a soft hexagon of brushed and polished stainless steel measuring 41mm wide and 51mm long, but it is not the same case. Thanks to a slim Miyota 9039 automatic movement, they managed to shave down the thickness to just 11.65mm. Blunt, sloping lugs flow seamlessly into an excellent bracelet – which is a good thing considering that there is no way to fit a standard-size strap. It has an anti-reflective sapphire crystal, screw-down crown, and is waterproof to 100m.
The Burgundy Roulette takes its name from the bezel’s dark red color and the black-and-yellow checkered 12/24 index that brings to mind vintage racing watches. Sans-serif Roman numerals (with a watchmaker’s “IIII”) and a red reticle distinguish the black dial. The Seals logo replaces the 12. My favorite touch is the handset. Long hour and minute hands may look like fat batons as first glace, but they are actually six-sided, echoing the case design. The hexagon on the paddle second hand’s tip is more apparent, and the whole package is delightful. Buyers may choose a white or yellow second hand. Of course, it wouldn’t be complete without a dose of SuperLuminova.
As odd as it may sound, the Burgundy Roulette is the more sedate of the two. For a real attention grabber, you will want to check out the Acid Green with its gloriously eye-searing 60-increment bezel. The designers went for a gray dial on this one, accented in blue with numerals only at 3, 6, and 9. The handset and lume are the same except that second hand options are yellow or blue.
Seals was my key example of how to do watch packaging right: no box, no plastic, just a useful watch roll in a cloth pouch. So imagine my horror when they announced the A.5 would ship in a 6 lb. polycarbonate box. Just kidding. The A.5 will arrive in a proper leather watch roll unencumbered by crap.
I dig what Michael and Matt have done here. They kept the best qualities of the soberly handsome Model A, shook it up a bit, its freak flag fly. The watches are listed for $800, and pre-orders are open now. These are limited editions of just 125 units each, so I’d suggest you not wait too long. See seals-watches.com for more. ⬩
