Vancouver, British Columbia is an often-rainy city. But when sunlight breaks through the clouds and bounces off both water and snow-capped mountains, the contrast is beautifully arresting. Similarly, the Original, the debut watch from Vancouver’s Thacker Merali Watch Company, captured my interest most in sudden flashes of both high and low light. The Original will launch on Kickstarter, March 24, 2021, but we have already sampled a well-sorted prototype for this review.
The Thacker Merali Watch Company is the product of a collaboration between Vancouver watch enthusiasts Bob Thacker and Raheem Merali. Together they have brought us a Swiss automatic-driven watch that is debuting soon on Kickstarter. A debut watch is always a tricky proposition. In the case of the Original, they made sure the watch was up to a high specification for its price segment and stuck to a relatively safe design.
The Original has a brushed 44mm 316L stainless steel case that does not feel all too large on the wrist. This is likely because the case is well-proportioned in relation to its 22mm lugs. I often wore this watch on my own tropic rubber strap which seemed to balance the case well. They have also kept the watch relatively thin (13.5mm); a solid decision the greatly improves the wearability of its broad case. A knurled crown finishes it off. It looks great and is nice to the touch.
You have your choice of four colorways: black, white, blue, and sunray silver. Each has color full to the edge of the dial only marked with large numerals at “12” and “6.” The 12 is a fiery red on each of the dials with the 6 providing a black or white contrast depending on the dial color. You also have a white day and date window on each of the dials, which in the case of the black and blue dials feels uncomfortable, especially as the date window is without any framing.
Overall, it is an attractive layout, but I wish they had added more dimension because, in most lighting conditions, the dial looks a bit flat. Perhaps that is why my favorite glimpses of the watch came when stepping outside in the morning sunlight and in the evening gloaming where the lower-angled light bounced off the reflective hour indices. These were my two favorite moments with the watch, catching me unawares at both times.
The Thacker Merali comes standard on a bracelet with a deployant clasp and handy a quick-release system that allows easy removal and replacement with a pinch of the two tiny knobs on the underside. Like the rest of the watch, the bracelet is a conservative design that has been nicely executed. I found it to be well-proportioned to the case and very well-constructed. They have also assembled a series of custom-made straps that will be available through a “value pack” during their Kickstarter campaign as well as for sale afterward. The straps will be silicone, sailcloth, and Italian calf-skin leather, and all equipped with quick-release pins. While I was not able to handle the strap options, the photographs I have been able to see do appear promising.
Thacker Merali built this watch for everyday use and built it to handle whatever your everyday schedule might bring. It is rated for 100m of water resistance, so you’ll be able to enjoy the Victoria beaches and the Banff ski slopes. It’s also protected by a double-domed sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating and the dial is topped off with bright Super-LumiNova.
The Thacker Merali Original will launch on Kickstarter at CAD $395 ($310 US). This is a fair price for any quality automatic but excellent for one with a Swiss Sellita SW220 inside. Based on the venerable ETA 2824, this 26-jewel, 28.8k bph automatic is a reliable unit with a smooth sweep and a day-date complication. It is visible through an exhibition case back.
While I wish that the brand had taken more risks with its design, the watch is neither cynical in its pricing, nor does it cut corners in its specifications to carve out a tiny bit more margin. For those readers who are taken with the Thacker Merali’s quietly attractive looks, this is an honest debut watch at a particularly appealing price. The Thacker Merali will go live on Kickstarter on March 24.
