We are back for the New Year, with a brand new website and with a brand new watch brand. We have been lucky to share new brands from all around the world and this time we are going to Japan with Normal Timepieces. The model we are going to be reviewing is the Extra Normal Series EN08-L18BL.

*The lighting of the camera has made the golden case a bit more vivid than expected*

Who is Normal Timepiece Watch?

Normal Timepiece Watch was founded by Ross McBride, an American born living in Japan since 1985. With his work influenced by mid-century American design, and Japanese sense of minimalism, and craftsmanship, Ross has gone on to create his own graphic design practice and designing furniture, and interior design.

Normal Timepieces watch brand was created for those who enjoy subtlety and just love the small things in life. A watch for those who do not care about the flash or loudness in life but for those who have “a quiet confidence in their own design sensibilities.”

Features

Movement: Miyota 2035 Japanese Movement

Battery: SR626SW (estimated 3 year lifespan)

Accuracy: -10 / +20 second / month

Water-resistance: 3ATM (to 30 m / 100 ft)

Dimensions: Ø32 x 8 mm / 1.26” x 0.32”

Weight: 35 g / 1.23 oz

Case: Brushed IP Gold 316 Stainless Steel

Crystal: Flat Tempered Mineral Glass

Face: Black

Hands: Gold Mirrored

Band: Black Premium Calfskin Leather

First Impression Normal Timepieces Watch

The watch is quiet and very subtle. The packaging was also very minimalistic and it reminded us of the packaging of Maven Watches. The first feature which will attract you straight away is the hour hand. It may sound weird but we will delve into this stunning feature later. The watch also came with two separate straps, a gold mesh and brown leather strap. Overall, the Normal Timepieces Watch EN08-L18BL has minimal features with an alluring design.

Dial

Let us start with the showpiece of the watch. The dial on the Normal Timepieces Watch is completely empty to follow the minimalistic theme. However, only one numeral is visible and it appear under the ‘hour hand’. The dial has two layers. The top layer has the black background and a cut out of the hour hand. The second layer, which we do not see, has the numerals in a black colour against a gold background.

So how does the hour hand works? The first layer acts like the hour hand. When the hour changes the black layer rotates and the cut out of the hour hand lands on the number on the bottom layer. It is definitely an innovative and intriguing design. If you love unique design, then the Normal Timepieces Watch will definitely astonish you. In terms of the minute hand, it has an elongated simple rectangular design. Reading the time is simple.

Overall, the dial’s design will cause people to question how the hour hand works and we think it is absolutely great. Normal Timepieces Watches are definitely not normal.

Casing

The casing is simple and very much flat. The Tempered Mineral Glass used is flat and so is the back casing. There is not a lot of design on the back casing. There are couple of engraving on the stainless steel back casing with Ross McBride also included.

The lug is slightly curved and this helps to push the casing on the wrist. However due to the flatness of the watch, the casing does stick out slightly. However, it is comfortable on the wrist.

One feature on the front is the width of the casing. The width is a bit large but we think this suits the watch. Given the minimalistic theme, the thickness does add a bit more character to the watch.

Overall the gold casing and the black dial along with the black strap go well together and create a stunning looking watch.

Strap

The strap is made from premium Calfskin leather and it is very comfortable. The strap wraps around the wrist well and also sits easily on the wrist. There are enough holes for those who have small wrist, so no need to worry about have a lose watch. There are various branding on the strap engraved and this is a nice touch to a very minimalistic watch, where there is logo present at all on the dial.

As we mentioned before, the watch came with a gold mesh strap and also a brown Calfskin strap. Unfortunately you will not get two straps when purchasing the watch. Luckily, there are quick release pins for easy interchange. We are not a big fan of the gold mesh strap as we feel the colour does not go well with the casing. However we are quite pleased with the brown strap.

Movement

Inside the watch, there is a quartz movement, a Miyota 2035 Japanese Movement. It is not the best movement we have come across but it does its job well. The time accuracy is okay. A -10 / +20 second / month is not a big deal but given this is a quartz, you would expect the time accuracy to by within single digit discrepancy.

Buy, Shortlist or Avoid?

First let us discuss the price of the watch. The RRP is $210/ £154/ € 173. It is an expensive watch given the simple movement. However we would say to buy this watch. The main reason is the outstanding unique dial. You will not see this feature on any other watch and this is why this watch should be on your wrist or in your collection.

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