A traditional retrograde hand does not move in a constant circular direction but rather follows an arc and jumps back to the original position at the end of that arc. Retrograde hands as such, typically “jump” back to their starting position. There have been a lot of retrograde seconds hands on watches that use partial versus complete circles to indicate the seconds. One of my favorite examples from the past was a collection produced by Milus that used three retrograde hands on the dial – each counted 20 seconds and operated one at a time. DeWitt’s take on making the traditional retrograde seconds hand more interesting was to begin with a hand that doesn’t jump. Instead, once the seconds hand reaches the end of the arc, it simply changes directions and moves back to the starting position. Thus, a single 30-second scale is able to indicate a full 60 seconds because the hand moves across it two times per a minute. Very cool and very clever.
DeWitt didn’t end there and decided to make the motion of the dual-direction retrograde hand a bit more “precise.” How did they do that? The answer was by changing the length of the seconds hand so that you know if it was indicating the first or second 30 seconds of each total minute. The scale on the dial of the watch has two levels: one being for seconds 0-30 and the second one being for seconds 31-60. The fun part is that the movement mechanically changes the length of the seconds hand by a very small amount (perhaps a millimeter). I really like how this system works and the thought that went into it. It offers marginal utility, but as a mechanical movement lover I really appreciate stuff like this. Unfortunately as I said, DeWitt might be excellent at imagining, engineering, and building such concepts – but communicating them is not currently their strong suit. I can easily see an owner of this Academia Skeleton watch wearing it for months if not years and not actually being aware that the seconds hand changed its length each 30 seconds.
At this time DeWitt only offers the Academia Skeleton in an 18k rose gold case. The case is a very wearable 42.5mm wide and only about 10mm thick. The case sides have the typical contrast colored crenelation (I believe the black areas are done in vulcanized rubber) that we’ve seen in a lot of DeWitt products. The lugs are semi-skeletonized and the overall case is both attracting and comfortable in my opinion. Attached to the case is a comfortable and good quality alligator strap and the case is further water-resistant to 30m capped with a sapphire crystal on both sides. DeWitt was correct to use a curved strap end to match the contours of the case a bit more elegantly.
Even though the Academia Skeleton didn’t at first look like a DeWitt watch to my eyes, the more I’ve worn it the more the DeWitt character comes out. The design quirks are part of that for sure, but there is also the sense that it is a watch produced by people who truly like horological machines – Count DeWitt himself is a big part of that. DeWitt and his wife are the main personalities behind the brand and it is very true that you can sense their influence in most all the products. Visually pleasing, the real interest in the Academia Skeleton is in the small technical details and aesthetic design features you don’t find in other watches. So look closely and enjoy. A limited edition restricted to just 28 pieces total, price for the DeWitt Academia Skeleton reference AC.SKE.001 is 78,000 CHF. dewitt.ch
Necessary Data
>Brand: DeWitt
>Model: Academia Skeleton reference AC.SKE.001
>Price: 78,000 Swiss Francs
>Size: 42.5mm wide, and approx. 10mm thick.
>When reviewer would personally wear it: When wanting to both impress and have something interesting to look at and visually investigate when I have idle waiting time.
>Friend we’d recommend it to first: Aficionados of unique mechanisms and novelty in wristwatch movements who also appreciate a handsome (yet rare) skeletonized dial.
>Best characteristic of watch: Dual-direction retrograde seconds counter with adjustable length hand is the coolest feature and one that most people seeing this watch outside of this context might easily miss. Attractive skeletonization overall from a brand that doesn’t make watches like this too much. Comfortable on the wrist without having a boring case.
>Worst characteristic of watch: Hands are too short and blend in with the dial resulting in legibility issues. For increased popularity and marketing success, DeWitt really needs to enhance their ability to tell the technical stories of their products.
