Words: Josh Lee
In association with:
At Gentleman’s Journal, we’ve always had a partiality for those who do things differently – the creators who cut against the grain, upend the usual business models, and go about their activities and undertakings with originality in mind.
The world of watchmaking is also one of our deepest passions – the history of the houses; the beauty interlaced within the intricacies of timekeeping; the simple act of strapping a piece of high-design to your wrist – so, of course, when we first encountered CODE41, a brand revered for its unique approach to horological creation, our attention was firmly grabbed.
Launched in 2016 by Claudio D’Amore – the luxury timepiece designer formerly of Montblanc and Tag Heuer – the company, it has been well documented, doesn’t conform to industry norms, instead taking on the spirit of a community project rather than that of a global name, its participatory-focused way of operating defined by the notion of bringing together a group of enthusiasts – known within the CODE41 world as ‘Creators’ – who play an active role in the watch-creation process, including what functions to feature, materials to draw upon and aesthetic details to add to any upcoming timepiece.
Rounding out the ethos is the fact that each piece is centred around a policy of complete transparency – whether that be regarding the origin of its components, or production of price – which simply adds to the holistic, accessible feel.
Within its lineup – from the card-shaped Mecascape to the T360 Tourbillon – most notable, of late, is the brand’s launch of the second edition of the ANOMALY Evolution, a model of watch that is instantly recognisable for its technical design and high-quality Swiss movement, and is perhaps best defined by its creation story.
Formulated in the middle of two crises – one in the watch world; one in public health, the former of which hindered the ability to procure the ETA and Miyota movements featured in the ANOMALY 01 and 02 – the watch only managed to come about as the fledgling Swiss label, with the support and influence of its community at every stage of creation and development, upended the situation in its favour, deciding to continue with the model itself, but with a new suite of specs and materials entirely.
Following the success of the first edition – a product that sold more than 1,000 pieces within a few weeks and generated €1m in doing so – this specific model was offered to those who hadn’t managed to cop the original, with the new creation dovetailing the technical design of the 01 version and the Swiss movement and date of the 02.
In terms of looks, it’s all wrapped up in a high-quality 316L stainless-steel case, with sapphire on both front and back, with the latter side allowing the wearer to observe the intricacies of the movements within. Following suggestions from owners of the ANOMALY and the community as a whole, the watch also saw a reduced thickness to 11.2mm; improved legibility, which came via the use of Luminova on hands and indices; and an upgraded watertightness, to 100m.
Inside, there are features of equal note, beginning with the Sellita SW200-1 movement (in its Elaboré version), which offers a precision of -7/+7 seconds per day; a power reserve of 38 hours (meaning you can leave the timepiece at home while you take an overnight trip and not have to reset it when you return); and is also fitted with an Incabloc shock absorber.
Then, when it comes to the new second edition, CODE 41 has decided to elevate the model even further by introducing an orange colourway to the ANOMALY range, an addition that not only injects a bright hue into the largely monotone set, but also has a vibrancy that’s ideal to fall back on when wanting to brighten up the look of your wrist during the coming months of hot-weather dressing.
Mixing a poppy colour with the intricacies of Swiss design, the ANOMALY Evolution Edition 2 seems to strike the right balance between form and function, and the 300-piece release will be available for pre-order from 21 June, 2023 – 19 July, 2023.
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