Undone Basecamp Watch

When we first discovered the watchmaker, Undone, here at Coolector HQ, their stand out USP was their capacity to customise the design of your chosen watch but they’ve increasingly moved into more conventional watchmaking with a number of standalone releases, the latest of which is called the Basecamp Watch and, safe to say, we’re liking what we see. This excellent, adventure ready timepiece is built for the urban explorer and has a multitude of impressive features that help to set it apart from the competition.

The Undone Basecamp watch has a thoroughly reasonable price tag of just £220 which is pretty impressive given the calibre of timepiece you’re getting. The Basecamp Watch aims to remind you that it’s time to step back, take a break, breathe and not be weighed down by the stresses and strains of modern living. It reminds you not to count your time. Make your time count: a metaphor for your escape, your adventure.

Seek Your Adventure

Great to look at and incredibly robust, the Basecamp Watch from Undone is a premium, custom-made tool watch that is equipped with the style, comfort and hard-wearing features that make it capable of braving the day-to-day madness of a contemporary, urban existence. A tool watch is a wrist-worn, time-telling instrument that must have the ability to withstand outdoor ordeals and assist the wearer in their adventures. A tool watch criterion is to always readable, right away in almost any environment.

The Undone Basecamp Watch (£220) is shaped by wartime necessity, technological advancements, and exploration of our earth, with these type of watches being every man’s constant companion for their adventures day in, day out. It is both lightweight, weighing in at just 66 grams, and compact with a design that fuses effortlessly with an explorer’s physique, so they never have to be taken off during a journey. With dimensions of 40mm in diameter and 15mm thick, the Basecamp sits snugly on any wrist. Lug-to-lug length is 48mm and lug width is 20mm, allowing easy exchange with all Undone 20mm straps.

As with most watches, one of the most important elements of the design is the movement used and the Undone Basecamp Watch doesn’t disappoint. It has one of the most reliable and robust workhorse movements in the watchmaking industry – namely, the Seiko Instrument Inc. NH35a automatic movement. The Japanese are known for precision and efficiency and this watch fuels up by wrist motion, but can also be wound manually via the crown. When fully wound, it’s armed with a mighty impressive 42-hour power reserve.

Legibility The Key

As mentioned, one of the most crucial elements of adventures watches like the Basecamp is their legibility and Undone have gone above and beyond here to make theirs one of the best in the business. The lime is retro beige by day, and radiant green by night and when charged under sunlight, the Japanese phosphorescent pigment ensures a vibrant, long-lasting glow that will endure till dawn. It has an orange hour hand, which is recognised as the colour of safety, and proven to be best perceived by the human eye in both dark and bright conditions.

Customisation is something which is still apparent with the Basecamp Watch from Undone and there are four stainless steel case options (with our favourite being the matte black here at Coolector HQ). In addition, it has three strap options which include the exclusive NATO strap selection in orange, olive green, and black, in two different coatings. “NATO” is a nickname for the “G10” strap first issued to British soldiers in 1973 – waterproof, fail-safe and easy-to-change. Last but not least, you’ll also have the choice of two different bezels in the shape of either an understated ‘sterile’ bezel displaying just one lumed pointer to indicate the hour, or the more conventional ‘graduated’ bezel for accurate minute-by-minute measurement.