Since its inception in 2018, Feynman Watches has taken its own unique approach to watch design. Each watch has been unapologetically out-of-the-ordinary and delightfully so. In 2020, we reviewed the Cove Diver, which made our shortlist for Microbrand Watch of the Year. Earlier this month, I got the opportunity to see the brand’s more recent releases at the March District Time show, including the Feynman One Snowflake that I am reviewing today.
The Feynman One Snowflake is one of four variants of the revised model One released in 2022. There were four other variants, but the only ones remaining in stock are the Snowflake and the Azure. It is 39mm wide, 46mm long, and 11.5mm thick, with a top-grade Swiss movement inside. And that, right there, is where it stops being conventional. If you view the case from any angle, you will realize that it does not have the proportions one would typically expect. A towering bezel dominates the upper half of the case, falling steeply away from a small dial aperture. The lower section continues the angle before shifting midway past the crown to a shallower approach that meets the display window out back. Smooth horn lugs are set low, reaching below the case back to grab the 20mm strap. It is weirdly beautiful and makes this relatively small watch appear huge in your hand.
That illusion of size almost disappears when you strap it to your wrist as the short lug-to-lug keeps things in check, and you realize that stout as it may be, the low profile allows it to slip under your cuff without issue.
On my 6.75″wrist, the One exhibited a sporty presence for a dress watch, or maybe that should be a dressy look for a sports watch? The lines are blurred. A case that emphasizes thickness usually says “sports watch” to me, but not when it has a modest 50m water resistance rating and an elegant silver dial without a speck of lume. Clearly, there is more to investigate.
The dial is a fabulous mix of elegance and avant-garde. The markers are tall, polished wedges. We have a 7 o’clock small seconds with its wavy indicator, a Feynman signature. Silver makes the surface texture particularly apparent, and oh, does it have texture! There is a hobnail pattern on the outer band, basketweave in the center, and differing levels for the rings of both the main dial and the subdial. It’s gorgeous, but the real surprise here is a blued skeleton handset. It’s offbeat, perfectly legible, and allows an uninterrupted view of that guilloché dial. The railroad track minutes index is about the only concession to practicality, but it is enough. Fancy though it may be, the timekeeping elements on One’s dial possess more than enough contrast and clarity to make it useful, which is more than I can say for many of my dress watches that lack useful indicators or markers, leaving you with only an approximation of the current time.
A peek around the back reveals the ETA 7001 hand-winding movement. It is nicely finished with blued screws and Geneva stripes. Even more impressive is its 42-hour power reserve. The movement is usually installed with the small seconds at 6, so here, the crown is moved one position as well, to 4 o’clock. It’s another distinctive touch, and it works well here. The crown is bun-shaped, fluted, and signed.
Yi Leather supplied the wild white lizard strap. Marbled with streaks of gray and finished with bright blue stitching, it’s a sharp strap that makes a bold statement. It fits the One’s eye-grabbing aesthetic, but if you were to put this watch on a tailored black or navy leather, you could even wear it with a suit.
The Feynman One, 2022 edition, sells for $1,588 SG ($1,197 US). That money will get you a watch unlike any other in your collection, and in the best possible way. For more information or to place an order, visit Feynman Timekeepers at Feynman.watch.
