Almost forgot the dial. Here is another example of a dial that dazzles with a brief instant of initial confusion, even though it should prove legible once one is accustomed to it. While the dial is busy for only displaying hours, minutes, and seconds, it is a design technique that creates interest and an impression of dynamism. In other words, it’s like the opposite of Bauhaus. SevenFriday or Dietrich are examples of brands in the pricing neighborhood (though a bit more) that like to take this approach. The three-spoke steering wheel-shaped disc in the center indicates the hours with the white-colored shaft, and the red skeletonized minute hand should be easily distinguishable from the sweeping seconds hand when seen in person (as opposed to in static photographs).
The dial is successful in creating a sense of depth – which is something enthusiasts tend to point out – with various layers created by the stack of hands (each lumed) that contrast with one other, the rehaut that carries the minutes/seconds scale, followed by the raised numerals (lumed), and finally by the center of the dial with its cutout view to a layer underneath. This layer seems to mimic a movement plate with perlage, but it is so deeply cut as to look more like a Japanese fan pattern (though I feel like there might be some automotive analogy I am missing).
What about the name, Gorilla? I first thought of Gorilla Glass, as used on Apple iPhones, but they are using sapphire here, of course. Then Fastback, a reference to “coupé” cars from the late 1960s and early 1970s like the Ford Mustang, also sounds like “silverback,” as male gorillas are called – I’ll let you come up with the adjectives that image is meant to evoke. The name is partly about branding, as Octavio candidly tells me, but it is meant to embody the characteristics of the brand’s design ethos, as well as to be “a bit of a curveball.” Without referencing a specific car, the automotive part of the design inspiration is more indirect, but is certainly rooted in the era the brand’s creators admire. The Gorilla Fastback watch seems to be entirely composed of different elements of 1970s car design, from the fonts of the logo and numbers on the dial to the perforated leather strap’s titanium buckle that’s hobnailed like a car’s pedal.
Gorilla stands out from other startups and microbrands, for one thing, because of the creators’ backgrounds. While Octavio seems to be more the face of the brand, his partner Lukas Gopp also comes from big Swiss watch brands, including time at Audemars Piguet. To me, the real question is why? Why focus on accessibility? Part of the answer is that Octavio and Lukas have already had a chance to work with some of the hautest horology out there, but mostly on existing collections initially conceptualized by previous designers. It seems like they wanted creative freedom, a design challenge, and to do something a bit Rock ’n’ Roll. But they also felt that there was a niche to be filled and an opportunity to stand out within this particular segment.
Even if Gorilla does not stand completely alone, they do stand out at under €1,000 with their materials and uniqueness of design. The Gorilla Fastback, however, is aimed at those for whom the particular automotive theme and aggressive 1970s aesthetic resonate, rather than a broad, general appeal. Gorilla is starting off with the Gorilla Fastback watch in a run of 500 numbered pieces. This is not a limited edition, but the first 500 buyers will get this acknowledgement of being part of the brand’s beginning. Price for the Gorilla Fastback is US$880 [2016/10/6 – updated with official pricing], with availability beginning at the end of September 2016, and the brand invites you to sign up for the newsletter on their website. gorillawatches.ch
