AndoAndoAndo is a new micro brand out of Finland, founded by Japanese designer Yu Andoh and named for the three Andohs in his family: himself, his wife, and his young son. The brand’s first offering is the A-1, an asymmetric automatic that exhibits a strong sense of style and purpose. I got to sample this black-on-black prototype.
Obviously, the AAA’s most striking feature is its case, a round barrel offset in a rectangular frame. This kind of asymmetrical shape is nothing new (the Roger Tallon LIPs and Giorgetto Giugiaro Seikos leap to mind) but it is certainly uncommon. It evokes a late 70s to early 80s aesthetic that still looks futuristic today. Ando settled on this particular shape for reasons practical, as well as aesthetic. By moving the dial left, he could position the crown well away from the wearer’s hand and tuck it into a valley on the flat right side, essentially making that section an enormous crown guard. This eliminates the possibility of the crown digging into your skin when you flex your wrist.
The crown is small, signed, and not the most accessible but it features a channel so you can grab it from its safe little nook and a coin edge on the upper section provides sufficient traction for setting and winding.
AAA wisely kept the A-1’s dimensions compact. It measures just 37mm wide and 42mm long, allowing it to sit squarely within the confines of my meager 6.75” wrist. The website goes out of its way to recommend the A-1 for those small-of-wrist and I know some of you have already written off the watch on that basis, but unless you have a huge wrist, I’d ask you to reconsider. The oddly-shaped footprint makes the watch appear larger than you might think and its modest 11mm thickness is maximized by sides devoid of curvature or chamfer. The result is a stout, industrial-looking piece with an aggressive wrist presence. A couple more millimeters in width would have radically changed its proportions.
To run the works, Ando chose the stalwart Seiko NH36A automatic movement, which you can view through an exhibition case back secured with four screws. Note that while the front crystal is sapphire, the rear window is mineral glass. Water resistance is 50m, which is on the low end but perfectly sufficient for daily wear.
Simplicity was a key factor in the A-1’s design brief. To that end, the watch has only what Yu considered to be the basic elements: polished baton hands, no minute track, day and date (English/Japanese), and that’s it. Period. There is no text or logo on the dial, which keeps things clean and is really for the best considering what a challenge it would have been to squeeze all three Andos on there. This is not to say the dial is boring. There are two levels to its textured surface, proper finishing around the day/date window, and sandwich construction that displays a bright layer of SuperLuminova.
The black leather strap also keeps things simple. Its 20mm wide with quick-release bars, black stitching, and a matching signed buckle.
The AndoAndoAndo A-1 comes in four variants: the black/black shown here, sliver/silver, silver case with black/silver dial (“black donut”), and a black case with a silver/black dial (“white donut”). All are sandblasted for a matte finish. If you are looking for more variety and happen to be handy with a set of watchmakers’ tools, Yu has teased the possibility of making the case available as a stand-alone purchase for modders.
Photo by AndoAndoAndo
I have no love for watch boxes so the A-1’s packaging is among the best I’ve seen. The watch and strap sit securely inside a sandwich of dense cardboard, the top layer of which contains all the key information. This slides into an outer sleeve decorated with a technical drawing of the watch. It is deceptively simple, exceedingly clever, and environmentally friendly. A home run.
AndoAndoAndo A-1 preorders are open now for the appealing price of €280 (about $295) including VAT. If its distinctive shape, modern style, and tidy proportions speak to you as they do to me, I would heartily recommend giving it a try.
