I’ve reviewed dress watches, sports watches, field watches, dive watches, pilot’s watches, space watches, chronographs, deck chronometers, and all manner of genre-bending permutations in between, but every so often, I get to review something completely different, like the Arcanaut ARC II Fordite prototype I have today. It is bold, colorful, and delightfully weird.
Arcanaut is a Danish microbrand founded by designer Anders Brandt and James Thompson, who is better known to watch geeks as Black Badger, creator of industrial jewelry and Badgerite lume. The ARC II is perhaps the perfect product of Brandt’s aesthetic and Thompson’s passion for unorthodox materials. Arcanauts are made in Denmark using Danish-made parts, except for the Swiss movement and a handful of other bits made in Switzerland and Sweden.
Before I get to my usual watch analysis, I must tell you about Fordite, the ARC II’s trippy dial material. In the most clinical definition, it is industrial waste from automobile production. You see, car bodies are attached to rotating jigs so the painters (or, more likely, painting robots) can spray the entire unit. Back in the day, automobile paint was commonly baked enamel, so over time, the overspray formed inches-thick layers on the equipment and every other nearby surface that had to be removed.
The resulting rock-hard material could be cut and polished like stone and was shot through with incredible striations of color. It wasn’t long before clever artisans used it for jewelry. Although the name Fordite is derived from the Ford Motor Company, it was not exclusive to that manufacturer. Nonetheless, Arcanaut says their supply came from 1970s-1990s Ford production. Those years likely represent the heyday of Fordite because the early 2000s saw a shift to modern automotive painting methods. It may be reclaimed material, but there is no more to claim.
Fordite colors and patterns are, for all practical purposes, completely random. Whatever chunk of “raw” Fordite you get today is comprised of the paint that happened to be popular in its era, that was in production at that particular facility, and was laid down however the spray guns happened to be pointed. This review sample shows amoebic splotches of black, white, silver, gray, red, some spots of yellow, and a surprising bit of bright green. As a bona fide car nut, I am captivated by the story of the material. I can’t help but imagine the parade of Crown Victorias, Mustangs, and Thunderbirds that contributed to its formation. Of course, it could just as easily have been from a Pinto assembly line, but we will never know, so I see no harm in dreaming.
The Arcanaut ARC II Fordite dial is beautiful; every aspect of the watch face shows it off. There are no markers. There is no index. The hands are skeletonized so as not to block your view. That dial commands your attention, perhaps to a fault. I love the modern shape of the brushed hands and their orange-lumed tips, but under many light conditions, they almost disappear against the riot of color below.
I understand the designers’ dilemma in working with Fordite. Choosing a contrasting color is nearly impossible when you don’t know what color and pattern you need to contrast with. The orange tips are a reasonable compromise, and they do show surprisingly well at night, even given their diminutive size relative to the length of the hands.
The ARC II’s stainless steel case is barrel-shaped and matte-finished. A brushed bezel surrounds the dial, and brushed frames highlight the insets sunken into the case sides. The watch measures about 41mm wide (40.6mm on my calipers), 13mm thick, and 49mm long from one protruding male lug to the other. To my eye, it appears larger than its dimensions suggest. I chalk this up to its squared edges and thick ends. And yet, it wears smaller than I thought it might. I attribute this to its curved profile and integrated strap.
On my 6.75″ wrist, it had an appropriately sporting presence, but not what I would consider overbearing.
On the underside, we are greeted by Fordite’s imaginary entry in the periodic table, surrounded by an image of the Fordite pattern and all the requisite specifications. I appreciate the way the case back is recessed into the arched case. You will also note a useful 100m of water resistance.
Inside, beats a Swiss Soprod A10, one of the many ETA 2824-based automatic movements.
One of the more intriguing elements of the watch is its rectangular crown. In the photos above can see the notch with which you extract it. I must confess that when I first unboxed the ARC II, I thought it was a button and tried to press it. Not my brightest moment. I would not have thought that a brick would be a particularly successful shape for a crown, but it works just fine, and it is perfectly in keeping with the overall shape and style of the case. Once wound and set, the head is seated into a shallow depression, preventing any accidental movement.
The band attachment is unique to the Arcanaut, so look elsewhere if you want a watch that will accept your favorite 22mm leather strap. In my humble opinion, if you design a watch with a proprietary strap, you had better make it worthwhile and offer some options. Arcanaut does both.
As you can see in the photos, a plug on the strap fits into a socket in the case, and two rounded ears wrap around that center section, meeting the case sides in a convex recess. Stout screws on either side hold it in place. It’s rather ingenious, and Arcanaut has thoughtfully provided a screwdriver for the job. The strap is 30mm at its widest point and follows the case’s contour until it reaches 20mm, then flares again before narrowing to a 20mm buckle. Removal and replacement are a snap.
It’s a good look, and I found it quite comfortable. My review sample came with an assortment of colors, all of which paired well with the wild swirl of colors in the dial. I will note that the white strap seems to have seen the most use, as evidenced by damage to its coating where it rubbed against the watch head. Granted, this was in an area that could not be seen, but I wonder how the strap will hold up over years of use.
The ARC II is a work of art, and sometimes, art demands compromise. In this case, one must sacrifice a bit of legibility for that magnificent, storied dial. Of course, you also get a novel case design, a lovely (if sometimes overshadowed) handset, and a real conversation starter at your next Cars and Coffee.
You can pre-order the ARC II Fordite directly from Arcanaut for $3950. Because the material is so unpredictable, Arcanaut allows you to select your dial from several cut samples in advance. It’s not cheap, but you will have a handsome, one-of-a-kind watch with roots of Detroit iron. Check it out at Arcanaut.watch.
