DWISS is a younger watch company, first founded in 2011. But it actually goes back a bit further. The founder, Rafael Simoes Miranda, won a number of design awards for his earlier work in Italy. The next year, in 2012, DWISS would win its first International Design Award. They’ve since won 10 more, including the coveted IF Design Award earlier this year.
I recently obtained one of their M3 Automatic watches. This unique watch has a layered dial, with the back, outer layer displaying the hours and the front, inner layer displaying the index. The M3 is a 500-piece limited edition, and comes in three color schemes: black, blue, and white. It’s also available with either a steel bracelet or a rubber strap. The one I have is the black version, it came with both the metal bracelet and rubber band.
A Unique, Layered Dial
The most appealing feature of the M3 Automatic, by far, is its dial. Instead of both hands moving along the same index, the hour and minute hands move along separate indexes. The outer index is recessed towards the back of the case. It consists of a single, broad hour hand that moves along an outer ring with Arabic numerals at the hour positions. There are also very tiny hashes at the five-minute marks within each segment. Given the breadth of the hand, these hashes are difficult to read precisely if you really wanted to, but they’re an attractive design element.
Along the inner edge of this outer index, you’ll notice the numbers 1-31 written sequentially starting just past the 12 o’clock position. These form the date display. Alongside each number, there’s a small window in the dial. A single red marker sweeps along behind, putting a red dot in the hole for a particular day. This is a refreshing departure from a standard date window.
The inner index occupies the center of the dial, and is visibly raised. The second hand is similar to the hour hand in that it’s very broad, but it’s actually only a third of a roughly triangular lug that rotates around a central axis. The minute hand itself is solid lume white like the hour hand, while the other two thirds of the lug are black and skeletonized. Minutes are written in Arabic numerals at the five-minute positions, starting with a “00” at 12 o’clock. Similarly to the hour index, there are even finer hashes in-between the numerals, but these are purely for style.
One thing I liked about the M3 is that it’s very easy to read in the dark. The bright lume hands and indexes glow blue and provide excellent visibility. And while the black dial provides an even starker contrast, the blue and white dials look just fine at night as well.
An Octagonal Display Case
The stainless steel case is mid-sized, with a diameter of 42mm and a thickness of 11.7mm. It has a fat bezel, with an octagonal outer edge and a round inner edge surrounding a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. You’ll also notice a display back, which provides a clear view of the Caliber 2824-2 movement.
The crown is large enough to easily operate even if you’re all thumbs. It’s also easy to see, with a black gripping material on the black dial reference, and a matching blue grip on the blue variant. And with a screw-down design, it helps to ensure excellent water-resistance. The M3 is safe to a depth of 660 feet, sufficient for just about any kind of aquatic activity.
ETA Caliber 2824-2 Movement
The ETA Caliber 2824-2 is one of the most widely-used movements on the market. As a result of its popularity, it’s easy to have fixed. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a watchmaker without experience with this movement. However, it’s no longer in production by ETA. This means that replacement parts are getting pricier as time goes on.
The Caliber 2824-2 can be as accurate as +/- 12 seconds per day, and is easy to regulate. Even unregulated, it’s typically better than +/- 30 seconds. But if you want to get the best performance, you’ll definitely want to keep it regulated.
Interchangeable Bands
The DWISS M3 Automatic Watch can be ordered with either a stainless steel bracelet or a rubber strap. The stainless steel bracelet is of a simple, three-link variety, with very wide center links that provide a very comfortable fit on wrist.
The alternative rubber straps come in black for the black dial, or blue for the blue variant. They’re surprisingly comfortable, and don’t stick to your wrist. They’re also easy to adjust, whereas you’ll need to have tool or bring the watch to a jeweler to adjust the steel bracelet.
For more specs and to view the entire DWISS range of watches visit their official website here.
