Bangalore Watch Company Apogee

I’ve been waiting a long time for the new Bangalore Watch Company release. I’ve had the chance to review two of their previous releases, the Mach 1 (which I still regret not buying) and the Cover Drive. BWC is interesting in its approach to watchmaking: Instead of a design language, the common thread between their watches is the inspiration they take from Indian history and heritage. The Mach 1 took its cues from the Indian Air Force, and the Cover Drive was heavily inspired by cricket, the country’s most popular sport. With their fourth watch, they look again to the skies, but this time a bit higher. The Bangalore Watch Company Apogee pulls from India’s space exploration history to deliver an entirely new look for the brand.

Opening the Apogee, I was in an unusual situation, having never seen photos or renders or even a sliver of the watch. Usually, I have some idea of what I’m walking into. When I got the package and tore it open, what first caught me was the gradient blue dial and the coldness of the metal–both very on theme for a watch inspired by space exploration.

I’m on the record (somewhere) as not being a huge fan of dual crown watches or hidden lugs. And the BWC Apogee didn’t do anything to change my stances. That said, I’ll give credit where it’s due. The knurling on the crowns allows for excellent grip and easy operation. And dual crowns are tricky because there seems to be a tendency for brands to make them too large. BWC, though, has found the perfect length here. The case is made of grade 2 titanium, which isn’t quite as strong as the grade 5 you often see in watches, but BWC has hardened all of the titanium on the watch (case, crowns, and buckle) to 3x that of grade 5 titanium. The finishing is a micro-bead blasting, which lends that soft grit look.

Qualms about hidden lugs aside, the case manages to sit rather easily on the wrist. It’s still right there, with nothing to mitigate its shape, but the dimensions aren’t such that it’s as prominent as other blocky watches, and its slight curve helps. The included quick-release strap strikes a great balance between sturdy and pliable, having a rigged feeling but still bending to the wrist.

The dial really hammers home the space vibe. Also available in meteorite (sans gradient), green (avec gradient), and grey (avec gradient), the blue dial stands out among the rest. The gradient here captures the feel of traveling to a faraway space, emerging from the unknown–and isn’t that what the dream of space exploration is: an unfathomably long journey to other worlds?

BWC kept their name and logo (which I love) unchanged from prior models, but the use of a decidedly techy font for the rest of the watch was a great choice—especially on the internal bezel, which allows you to track a second time zone. It’s like a readout from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Similarly staccato is the rhodium-plated blocked baton handset.

The coordinates are that of Sriharikota, an island just off the east coast of Indian that is home to the Satish Dhawan Space Center. It’s here that the Indian conducts space-going rocket launches. Say what you want of the date window; it’s fine. But also, maybe it resembles a spaceship’s porthole?

I had to get a shot of the steps to the dial. Maybe it’s not the date window that resembles the porthole but the entire dial. Or maybe it’s a docking port. Space is infinite, and so are the possibilities for interpretation here.

The advantage of keeping lume simple is that it’s easy to do right. The hands and indices both charge up quickly and shine brightly. Is the lume itself more impressive than my lume shot? Surely, I shouldn’t be the one to say…

Among the nails BWC manages to hit squarely on the head with every model, the casebacks keep blowing me away. The level of execution is exactly what I want when a brand decides to put an image on the back. In this case, it’s Aryabhata, the first Indian satellite launched into space (by Russia) in April of 1975. That’s five decades ago, as made clear by the text surrounding the imagery. Hiding underneath is a Swiss Sellita SW200, standard grade. It’s an ETA 2824 clone and has a 38-hour power reserve, and can be serviced easily, anywhere.

Titanium clasp to match the case? Yes. (The production model will have the BWC logo.)

As you can tell above, I have a few freckles because it’s summertime. And the BWC Apogee looks good on plenty of straps, giving it far more flexibility than you’d expect.

So listen. This is not my favorite Bangalore Watch Company model. It has a lot of features I don’t look for in a watch. But I’m a big boy and I can put my preferences aside to say that the Apogee is a well-made, aesthetically pleasing watch.  It’s sporty and a little futuristic and the entire dial just killed me–blew me away. The watch is the most expensive model they make and as I find their other models more intriguing, that’s hard for me to square. But again, we’re talking about my preferences. There are going to be people who love this watch, who finally have a BWC model they connect with. Maybe that’s you. If so, the watch will be available for preorder on August 15, and you can learn more now on the brand’s website.