Up for review today, I have the prototype Mandala, the second watch from Second Hour, a young microbrand out of Melbourne, Australia. I gave their first offering, the Gin Clear Diver, a spin about a year ago. The Mandala is a bit of a departure from that first big dive watch and, in my humble opinion, a far more sophisticated design.
Second Hour describes the Mandala as a dress/sport watch. I’d emphasize “sport.” While the case and dial are neatly tailored and rich in detail (more on that soon) the overall aesthetic is more fun than formal. Of course, it has all the right specifications to handle whatever your weekend might throw at you: 100m water resistance, screw-down crown, sapphire crystal with six layers of anti-reflective coating, and to keep it looking good, an 800HV scratch-resistant coating on the case and bracelet. When the lights go out, eight layers of BGW9 kick in to provide an intense glow on the hands, markers, and chapter ring pips. You will also get a lumed crown, which is hardly necessary but always cool. It will look different from the one pictured here (raised logo rather than engraved) but it will still light up.
Flipping the watch over affords a view of the Mandala’s movement and custom rotor through a sapphire exhibition window. Attractive as the etching may be, Second Hour promises even better when the watch makes production. The engine is a Miyota 9039, the no-date version of the popular 24-jewel 9015 automatic. It’s a reliable unit, with a smooth 28.8k bph sweep, but my favorite aspect is its size. With a 3.9mm thickness and lower hand height than the 9015, you can squeeze this movement into some temptingly tight places, as Second Hour did here.
The Mandala’s case is 40mm wide. That’s mid-sized for a contemporary man’s watch and quite versatile, but as any good watch nerd can tell you, there’s 40mm, and then there’s 40mm. It’s all in the details. In this case, the watch feels smaller than that. I thought it was closer to 38-39mm and had to measure to be sure. A compact 45mm length goes a long way in this regard, as does its commendably slim 10.3mm height from the case back to the flat sapphire crystal. But basic dimensions only tell half the story as Second Hour has employed all kinds of tricks for redirecting our perception of size.
Viewed head-on, tapered lugs and crown guards reduce the overall footprint while the polished angled bezel and the lugs’ downward curve minimize the perimeter. The polished, angled bezel and curved lugs bend those lines away from the center to keep your focus on the much smaller surface area of the dial, whose white minute index makes it appear smaller than it really is. Now check the profile and notice how that deep polished undercut and narrow topside bevel blur the edges and highlight the sliver of brushed metal in between. The result is tight, lean, and a comfortable fit on my 6.75” wrist.
Turning to the dial, we see a host of tasty elements, starting with a fabulous emerald green dial with gilt hands and markers. A green ring gives way to the aforementioned white chapter index surrounding the dial. Mounted on this upper deck are quadrangle markers at 12, 4, and 8 o’clock that hang out over the chapter ring. Thicker, and proportionately narrower, markers with chiseled tips are applied to the dial’s surface, their chiseled gold forms highlighted by white outlines that trace the spaces between them. Like the three extra markers above, those at 12, 4, and 8 are distinctive, extending ever so slightly into the dial’s central plain. We saw this same unorthodox tri-point arrangement on the Gin Clear Diver. Here, it is better integrated and more cleverly employed as all the markers share the same shape, and the three are emphasized by slight differences in shape as well as that dramatic difference in elevation.
Traveling inward from the markers brings us the star of this show, a mesmerizing geometric mandala pattern that sucks you in as you watch the light bouncing off its sharp peaks and deep valleys, creating a sense of movement and dimension. Now if you can just pull your gaze out of that vortex a bit, you can appreciate the wild typeface used for the model name and how the Second Hour logo has been freed of superfluous text, possibility through transcendental meditation. Then, consider those hands; gold and polished like the markers, diamond-cut, and fork-tipped. Groovy!
If the green is too much for you, a darker, more conservative color may be more to your liking as it will dial down the texture’s effect. Second Hour plans to offer the Mandala in dark blue, black, as well as eye-catching pale blue and salmon, but you will have to check the Kickstarter launch for the final roster. Backers willing, a 6 o’clock date option might also make the final cut.
Given the rich detailing in the case and dial, an off-the shelf bracelet ensign would never do, so Second Hour sharpened up their drafting pens and worked up a custom design with nine long brushed and polished links that tapers from 20mm fitted solid end links to 18mm at the clasp. It’s a beautiful bracelet that flows both visually into the case and physically around your wrist. My only issue was the disproportionate thickness of the prototype’s clasp – a complaint I levy far more often than I’d like – but I can toss that gripe because Second Hour has redesigned it. Production watches will get a milled, signed, push-button clasp that is much slimmer than the one I sampled.
Photo by Second Hour
Buyers will get a pair of seatbelt NATOs with their purchase, which is nice, although not something I get too excited about, particularly for a watch as pretty as this one. I’d much rather get the brown leather two-piece strap Second Hour will include as a stretch goal. It’s more in keeping with the Mandala’s character and looks lovely against that green.
It’s a lot to take in, but because it is all so nicely balanced, you can enjoy its meticulous execution without getting lost. In both case and dial, the Mandala has a serious late 60s to early 70s vibe going here, and that, my friends, is a very good thing. Indeed, in many ways the watch harnesses some of the best aspects of that era of design such as Eastern influence, bold use of color and pattern, and unbridled experimentation. Devotees of 70s Seiko and Citizen sports watches will feel right at home with a Mandala on their wrist.
And how does one get their hands on a Mandala? Well, the first step will be to exercise some patience. Second Hour plans to launch on Kickstarter around March 18. Early bird rewards will start around $420 US, a nice break off the higher yet still reasonable $560 US retail price. For now, I’d suggest browsing SecondHour.com.au, picking your favorite color, and signing up for alerts. This is a wild little watch and you won’t want to miss it.
