Twenty-8-Eight

DeWitt Twenty-8-Eight Regulator A.S.W. Limited Edition Watch

New by Swiss DeWitt is a watch called the Twenty-8-Eight Regulator A.S.W. The fascinating watch contains a very technically sophisticated movement, as well as a design and high-end appeal that relates directly to the brand's love of 1920s era American art deco aesthetics. The watch has a dial with an image meant to evoke New York City area art deco buildings. Not sure if there is a specific building in mind, but you get the point. This is not the first watch with means to evoke art deco building, but the concept is so rich, I invite as many interpretations that brands can bear to design.

There are a lot of interesting little details in the watch that can be hard to see. For example, much of the dial is a "smoked" sapphire crystal that allows you to see the movement underneath it, but still provides the presence of a dial. The dial is composed of a building-like motif with a large opening for the tourbillon surrounded but a sunray style design. Functions for the watch include the time as well as a power reserve indicator.

Gallery: DeWitt Regulator ASW watch

Tags: asw, dewitt, regulator, twenty-8-eight, watch

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DeWitt Twenty-8-Eight Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Poor DeWitt. They haven't been having a good last couple of years. For a while they were making some of the most interesting and beautiful luxury watches from an indy Swiss watch maker. Now they are struggling to hold on. One of their main allures was the release of very complex watches. Plus I always liked their "castle rimmed" bezels (as I liked to call them). So for this year one of their new models departs from that, and is sort of a bore if you ask me. DeWitt, without the "DeWitt," is barely... DeWitt. While the watch looks like a down market version of their typically stately looking watches, it isn't. The watch is 43mm wide in all 18k rose gold and a complex to make guilloche engraved dial. Despite the standard columns on the side of the case and the intricately made dial, I am just not wowed. A bit problem is the lack of soul. It doesn't really have a theme in my opinion. DeWitt comments that it is part of their brand evolution - which if that is true, doesn't feel like a good thing. It is true that they need less expensive watches to stay around, but I am just not sure their core clientele is going to like this watch.

By the way, the hands are way too short. What is up with that DeWitt?Inside the watch is their caliber DWT8AU automatic movement - not sure who makes that, but it isn't them most likely. The watch will be part of a limited edition of 500 pieces. I don't mean to pan the watch so badly, but in a year from now no one will even remember it. Even though it is not unattractive per se, it just has a forgettable and hard to love style. Again, it lacks soul. Maybe they will have something more exciting to show off at Basel.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: 2010, basel, DeWit, gold, Twenty-8-Eight, watch