Selten Watch Co. Series 00

I’ve been waiting on the new watch from Selten Watch Co. for a while now. I can’t recall when I first reached out to, but it was pre-pandemic (one day, I hope, someone will read this and say, “What pandemic?”). Then there was silence from the brand until a few months ago when I got a message: Selten was moving along at a brisk pace and I’d be getting a review piece. What had initially jumped out at me–and I’m sure at anyone who has taken an interest in or backed the watch–was the dial in its entirety. While I have my thoughts on meteorite dials, I won’t deny their neat factor and I do like the texture they provide. The reason I think the Selten stood out for me is that it uses a decidedly rugged material for a dressier watch style. I’m here for it.

The entirety of the dial is the star here, especially when the light hits just right. The gleam of the blued hands against the meteorite provides a beautiful contrast of both color and texture. The brushing around the bezel is well-defined and radiates for a bursting effect. This one sets itself to keep drawing your eye back to it, even if you don’t bother to check the time.

As Alec Baldwin named his podcast, here’s the thing. You’ve got this fantastic dial that is inarguably dressier than it is sporty, especially with the blued hands and day-night version. Then you have this 13mm thick case that is decidedly sporty. The finishing is quite good, but seems to reinforce the disparity: the case is brushed throughout except for the thin chamfer along the top edges and the sidewall of the bezel. I also like how the endlinks are fully brushed, giving some breathing room between the mostly-brushed case and the polished center links of the bracelet. The crown, for its part, adds a dash of polish, but its conical shape makes grip less than ideal–it’s not bad, it just could be better, and since it’s a push-pull crown, grip is less important than it might be for a screw-down.

My favorite part of the crisp finishing is undoubtedly the radiating brushing on the bezel, like an impact burst from the meteorite striking the dial.

I don’t necessarily care if a dial is meteorite (and I’m growing tired of it being promoted as rare as a material or as used in watches: over 65,000 meteorites have been found on earth and brands at every price point have done one). But I do like the texture and look of such dials. If you’re looking at the picture above and thinking things look a bit lifeless, that’s intentional on my part. The dial (the hands, really) relies heavily on light to have its greatest effect and, frankly, to be legible. I repeatedly found myself having to tilt it around so the hands could catch the light and be read. And as you see above, the hands can get completely lost against the day-night disc at 6 o’clock. Gladly, the watch comes in three other iterations: the same dial with lumed lance hands, or your choice of either handset without the day-night disc.

There’s some quality signaling here: go ahead and look at the dials of Keaton Myrick, Kari Voutilainen, or Laine–the applied arced logo is very on-trend in independent horology. The applied indices are sharp and I love the actual chapter ring, separating the meteorite from the thin grey minute scale.

Look above. Now, look below. What a difference some light can make. The day-night disc uses different shades of meteorite on the day (light) night (dark) indicator. The polished stars come to life in the light, but much like the hands, lay flat without it. One thing that is exceptionally cool: the aperture in the hour hand perfectly encircles the two indicators as it passes over them. Magnifique!

You may have noticed this version lacks lume. If you’re in need of glow-in-the-dark fun, you’ll need to opt for one of the lance hand editions.

This is without a doubt the nicest Miyota movement I’ve seen. The custom rotor is fantastic and the striping on the movement plate really adds life to the normally lifeless Miyota movements. You may not be familiar with the automatic Miyota 9132, which features date, 24-hour, and power reserve indicators and is part of Miyota’s higher-end 9000 series. Selten has happily omitted the date and power reserve display, either of which would have ruined the dial (do note that the date position on the crown remains). The 24-hour indicator has been changed to a day-night display, which automatically adjusts when you set the time. The movement has 26 jewels, a 40-hour power reserve, and beats at 28,800 vph with an accuracy of -10/+30 seconds per day. Not too shabby. The versions without the day-night disc will feature the Seiko NH35 or NH38, depending on availability.

Look at those big silly ears on that clasp. The brushed and polished h-link bracelet tapers from quick-release 20mm endlinks to a skinny little 16mm clasp, and I really liked how it makes the watch look. the heavy taper slims the watch a bit, which is needed on the chunkier case. Never mind your grumbles about the lack of micro adjustments or worries about the butterfly clasp coming undone: this style is perfect for this watch and not once did I have an accidental release (#accidentalrelease).

The Selten Watch Co. Series 00 comes with a wonderful deep blue leather strap from a brand called HAS NO BOUNDS. I’ve never heard of them, but the strap has a great feel and is clearly high quality. It’s thin, but a bit stiff so will certainly require some break-in.

As I finish this review up, I have the Selten on my desk in front of me. It pulls you in with its finishing and dial design. While the marketing materials lean too strongly on the meteorite, the dial never feels gimmicky.  On balance, I wish the case were a different style and I would implore any backers or future buyers to opt for the lance hands. That said, I cannot deny the beauty of the watch. I don’t think anyone will be disappointed if they choose to get the Selten Watch Co. Series 00 (or any iteration). You can learn all about it on the brand’s site. And here’s some nice news: the watch is still available for pre-order on Indiegogo–just click here!