It’s no secret that I like what Undone Watches has been doing. The brand has established a solid line of watches that serve as platforms for their increasingly inventive design team. Perhaps my favorites have been the Undone’s x Simple Union collaborations inspired by the Japanese wabi-sabi aesthetic. Today, Undone releases the latest model in that series, the MŪ3, and they look stunning.
Where the previous Simple Union collaboration watches were based on the Basecamp tool watch series, the latest uses the excellent new Terra platform. Inspired by World War Two military watches, the Terra is 37mm wide, 43.3mm long, and 12.8mm thick. Its tidy proportions, smooth bezel, and brushed and polished finish give the watch a tailored look and great versatility. While it sounds small on paper, the barrel-shaped gives it sufficient presence for all but the biggest wrists.
The MŪ3 has two variants, both with Undone’s Kyoto Dial layout. It is Undone’s interpretation of a Japanese California dial, a combination of Kanji characters and Arabic numbers I find particularly appealing. There are two variations in this series. Sometsuke pays tribute to the Japanese blue and white porcelain, while Urushi evokes black Japanese lacquerware.
On the Sometsuke, polished enamel creates the look of porcelain. The dial is split to show a glimpse of the Seiko NH35 automatic movement within. The sight of the movement’s gold plating is meant to remind you of Kintsugi, the art of mending broken porcelain with gold, a craft that reinforces the idea that it is the scars of trial and hardship that render life even more precious. At 12 o’clock, you will find the Simple Union fan logo.
the Sometsuke comes on a Simple Union leather-backed Katazome cloth strap. Katazome is a traditional dyeing method that began in 1603. Intricate designs of cranes, peonies, and chrysanthemums are hand-cut from Japanese stenciling paper; a dye-resistant rice paste is applied onto the fabric, which serves as the “stenciled out” designs when the fabric is dyed in indigo. The pieces of Katazome fabric used here are over 150 years old. Straps are equipped with quick-release spring bars, although I cannot imagine why you would want to remove a strap as perfect as this.
Urushi is the traditional art of Japanese lacquerware. Japanese monks made tea using parts from the Urushi tree, which was as toxic as poison ivy. They did so as a ritual to complete their impending mummification process, which was rumored to help preserve the body and blur the boundary of life and death. No actual Ursihi was used in the Urushi dial, rather, it uses black polished enamel further enhanced with Maki, the sprinkling of gold or other precious metals into the surface of the lacquer, creating a uniquely beautiful effect. It wears a minimally stitched brown leather strap with quick-release pins.
Pretty though the watches may be, they are meant for practical, everyday wear, and have bright lume, screw-down crowns, and 50m water resistance.
Undone will sell you a Sometsuke for $488 US, or an Urushi for $445 US. Bear in mind that the last Undone x Simple Union limited edition sold out in 48 hours, so if you like what you see, I suggest you head over to Undone.com stat.
