UNDONE 5th Anniversary Upgraded Basecamp Watches

We’ve seen an awful lot of watches here at Coolector HQ over the last five years but there are some watchmakers that just resonate with our style sensibilities and one such brand is definitely that of UNDONE Watches who are celebrating their 5th anniversary with an upgraded version of one of their most popular timepieces, the Basecamp, alongside a whole new version called the Cali which releases on October 15th.

It’s actually quite hard to believe that almost five years has passed since UNDONE burst onto the scene with its comprehensive customiser; which changed the watch personalisation experience for both avid watch enthusiasts and general consumers alike. In preparation for the November birthday of the Hong Kong based watchmaker, the team have worked tirelessly to revise collections, curate components and rebuild the first class website and customiser and it will all be launching this October 2nd so make sure you don’t miss out on their latest timepiece offerings.

Setting Up Basecamp

The Basecamp Watch from UNDONE is definitely one of our favourite releases from the watchmaker to date so we were understandably excited when we heard that they were releasing an upgraded version and a whole new offering, the Cali, this October. Equally as exciting is the brand-new website which will guide customers through an optimised, “less-click, more visual” experience; making for a more seamless, better informed purchase. UNDONE’s iconic customiser has been stripped down and rebuilt with speed, visual appeal and user experience in mind.

Though it was already an awesome watch, UNDONE have decided that the Basecamp was due an upgrade. It will be the first of many product lines to be upgraded; based upon feedback from their customers. The new model will receive a water-resistance upgrade; from 50m to 100m, and K1 glass will replace the existing Plexiglass bezel inserts. This makes good on the original launch promise and the graduated bezels will finally be available in black, green and blue. To help deliver this technical upgrade, a new blue gradient dial has been added to the Basecamp Classic line; with a new, speckled surface catching light at certain angles, mimicking the breaking waves on a blue ocean and it will be available from October 2nd.

As mentioned, UNDONE are also planning a whole new Basecamp Watch called the Cali which is hitting their digital shelves on the 15th of October. The Cali is an impressive looking timepiece to say the least. Made by the Swiss, used by the Italians and shared with the Germans, the California dial design; with its muddied military origins was conceived with one goal in mind, to aid WWII divers in referencing the time and 12 o’clock position without fail, coining the original name -the error-proof dial. UNDONE have hit the high notes with this one and we’re sure it will fly off the shelves given its fantastic price tag of just $315.

California Dreaming

The Cali dial will launch in Olive Green and Ebony Black on the 15th October; which is a contemporary twist of the traditional, muted military tones. The default configuration will ship with the classic Mercedes hour and sword minutes handset. Basecamp Classic and Cali are housed in a robust, no-nonsense 316L stainless steel case; a circular brushed on top and polished along the sides and chamfers. The case measures in at 40mm diameter, 48mm lug-to-lug and 20mm strap width and sits effortlessly and comfortably on the wrist.

At a glance this dial will appear the typical California design in so much as it’s highly legible, slightly barmy and eclectic. However, when you catch it in the right lighting and you’ll discover that the blank area reveals a striking and intricate waffle pattern normally found on dress watches. Consisting of fine lines that allow the light to explore deeper and bring an added dimension to the dial. At first it has your curiosity, then it has your full blown attention.

With the height coming in at 15mm from case back to the top of the double-domed Lexan Polycarbonate crystal, there is an impressive visual impact to the Cali Watch from UNDONE; which gives it that curvaceous side profile. The timepiece is driven by the Seiko Instrument Inc. NH35a automatic movement which delivers an excellent, reliable performance; armed with a 42-hour power reserve when fully wound via the crown. Make sure you don’t miss out on the Cali when it launches on the 15th.