At the recent Wind-up NYC, I met Mitch Greenblatt, the founder of Xeric, a brand known for its avant-garde style and alternative time-keeping mechanisms. Among Xeric’s wild and wonderful selection was the upcoming Vendetta X, a wandering-hour retro-futuristic watch that is in equal parts unique and insane.
Mitch designed this wild wedge to celebrate the brand’s tenth anniversary. The Vendetta X is described as a statement piece born of a “passion for vintage dystopian science fiction and concept cars of the 70s,” and boy, does it deliver on that retro-futurist promise. It could have been a prop from Logan’s Run or maybe strapped to Bootsy Collins’s wrist as he took the stage for Parliament’s Mothership Connection. It’s a wedge telling time with a series of rotating discs visible through a windshield, for God’s sake. The minute I saw it, I wanted to write about it. Sadly, Mitch only has his prototypes on hand, so I have not had the opportunity for my usual hands-on review. Still, I did technically have my hands on it, as you can see from my sad iPhone snapshot below. All the other photos here are from Xeric.
The case is, as you can see, unorthodox. You will notice not one but four sapphire crystals on the top side, and if you think they evoke the greenhouse of a sports car, you would be correct. Mitch names Giugiaro’s Lotus Esprit and Bertone’s Lamborghini Countach as influences, and that “folded paper” school of supercar design is unmistakable here. The brushed stainless steel case gives it a serious mechanical bearing. DeLorean DMC-12, anyone? Yes, I know that’s an 80s reference, but it did come from Giugiaro’s ItalDesign studio.
Vehicular references aside, the first thing I thought when I picked up the Vendetta X was “Audacieuse Spaceman,” a 70s-vintage automatic watch that was pure space-aged whimsy. It was sold under several brand names, and you can still find them on eBay occasionally. Although Mitch knows the watch well, he did not have it in mind when he conceived of the Vendetta X. Indeed, with its conventional, three-hand movement, the Spaceman seems almost quaint compared to the new Xeric.
The Vendetta X measures 41mm at its widest point and 15.4mm thick at its peak. The listed dimensions say 36mm lug-to-lug length, but that lug box is set pretty far into the underside. If you measure from top edge to bottom, you’ll find it is 45mm long overall. Now, I know I own dive watches that are bigger than that, but this is one of those rare situations where the listed dimensions belie the size of the actual watch. Suffice it to say, a 41x45x15.4mm box is large, even in pointy wedge form.
I had the chance to put it on my wrist at Wind-up, but that is as far as I was able to go. A more thorough examination will have to wait, although frankly, my usual questions about practicality get tossed out the window for a watch like this. No, it won’t fit under your shirt cuff. I mean, look at it! Do you really want to wear this with a suit? Fine. Then I suggest you fly your freak flag and strap it over your cuff, Angelli-style. I’m only half joking. This watch demands an audience and will not be hidden away.
While we are talking about utility, I will mention that the watch is rated for 50m water resistance, so you can’t dive with it, but it will stand up to most daily use without complaint.
The Caliber X2.4 Wandering Hour automatic movement on the popular Miyota 9039 (24 Jewels, 28.8k bph, 36-hour power reserve). While the display may seem confusing at first, it is pretty simple. The large disk shows the hour and progresses across the frame, pointing to the minute in the fixed index below. When its hour is up, it advances out of the frame, and the next disk assumes position to take its place. I love the fact that it is both high-concept and low-tech at the same time. Don’t get me wrong; engineering a wandering hour complication is no small feat, but I am reminded that mechanical digital displays were all the rage shortly before electronic digital displays knocked them out. It’s a nostalgic mechanism for an obsolete future — perfect for the Vendetta X concept.
Xeric offers the Vendetta X in six color variations, including a black case and dial with orange markers, but it was the Rosewood Brown that drew me in. The natural wood has a lovely fine grain and delicate color variation. The discs and index are a rich anodized brown, and the engraved, white-lumed numbers pop.
At night, Super-LumiNova will light it up, offering a blue-green glow on all but the orange hour arrows. While I only got to see them under a brief zap of UV light at the show, I suspect the watch will be a real treat in the dark as those three disks shine through the four windows.
Xeric supplies excellent straps for all their watches, and the Vendetta X is no exception. It’s a 24mm beauty in padded Horween leather segmented like the seats of a Ferrari Daytona and tapering to a signed buckle.
There is something about the combination of that clinical brushed stainless steel and glass case with the warm brown wood and leather that speaks to me. The other colorways are appealing, too, each in their way, from the luxuriant Oxblood to the hint of techno-menace suffusing the Carbon Fiber model. Still, the juxtaposition of warm organic and cold industrial materials makes the Rosewood model my favorite.
The Xeric Vendetta X has just wrapped up a successful Kickstarter campaign and is now available for pre-order on their site for $1,050 ($1,500 retail less $450 with code 10YEARS). Shipping is expected by mid-November. Only 110 of each variant will be made, so if you are ready to try the outrageous and innovative Vendetta X — and do so at a healthy discount — I’d suggest you head over to xeric.com soon.
