Braun Braun BN0279 Sub-Seconds Limited Edition For Hodinkee

The pioneers of streamlined, function-forward modern design within the consumer goods space, it is almost impossible to move through the contemporary world without encountering the lasting influence of Braun – if you need some clarification, the iPhone in your pocket might be a good place to start. While the German consumer goods manufacturer might be best known for its Bauhaus-inspired household electronics, or by its most immediately recognizable industrial designer, Dieter Rams, watchmaking and horology occupy a unique – albeit underrated – space within the brand’s history.

Given the opportunity to try our hand at Braun’s watchmaking perspective, we wanted to combine the signature elements of our two favorite watch designs by the brand – the AW10 and the AW50 – in a manner that maintained the aesthetic purity and minimalistic ethos that is at the heart of all Braun designs while adding specialized touches to make it feel refreshed and new. Taking the form of a 40mm duo limited to just 100 units of each model, this collaboration with Braun is ultimately an exploration of restraint – an embodiment of the principle that “good design is as little design as possible.”

While the 40mm sizing of the bead-blasted stainless steel case feels particularly contemporary, the connection between both the AW10 and AW50 is immediately apparent with a glance. This is felt most acutely with both the presence of the clarifying red chevron by the date window at three o’clock and the yellow seconds hand which has been a Braun signature since its 1975 alarm clock days. Trimmed down only to the essentials, you won’t find any numerals to disrupt the visual harmony of the dial – the time is indicated with just a slim, lume-filled set of hands and the white minutes track that encircles the dial’s perimeter. At twelve o’clock, Braun fans will be pleased to find the brand’s iconic logo has been printed plainly in black with its signature oversized “A” character on full display. To set these two apart, you’ll see that we outfit one model with a black center seconds hand and yellow tip, and the other with a yellow-handed sub-seconds register at 6 o’clock.

Within both of the Hodinkee × Braun limited edition models, you’ll find that each watch is as sophisticated on the inside as it is streamlined on the outside. This collaboration represents only the second time Braun has produced a mechanical watch utilizing a Swiss-made movement– here in the form of the ETA 2892A2 automatic caliber with a 42-hour power reserve. To maintain a light and comfortable feel on the wrist, each watch is complete with a smooth black rubber strap.