One of the most interesting projects to have bubbled to the surface in 2024 is Kollokium. The brainchild of industry veteran Manuel Emch (best known these days for his work at Louis Erard), noted collector Amr Sindi (AKA @thehorophile) and watch designer Barth Nussbaumer, Kollokium is, in many ways, defined by what it isn’t. It’s not a brand, for starters. It’s a project-based platform with no locked-in set of aesthetics or DNA. The only guiding principle is to explore accessible alternatives in watchmaking. But don’t go thinking that Kollokium is a watchmaker because it isn’t — they rely on a network of Swiss suppliers and manufacturers to create their products and don’t even put their name on the outsourced movements they buy.

From anyone else, this sort of high-level philosophising about the nature of the business could come across as a tad pretentious, but the Kollokium team makes it work. They make it work largely because the watch — the Projekt 01 — is so good.

For clarity, the Projekt 01 Variant “D” is actually the third version of the Projekt 01 and the second publicly available piece. Confusing nomenclature aside, the Variant D is a limited edition of 299 pieces that really shows off what the Projekt 01 is all about.

The watch is full of considered design details, but none shine quite as bright as the dial. Rather than a traditional, two-dimensional dial, Kollokium here has created a three-dimensional artwork inspired by every 10-year-old’s favourite pin board or perhaps the pixelated pop art of Roy Lichenstein. The dial consists of 468 individually applied markers arranged into a complex, miniature topographical map that, from afar, reveals a clear set of hour markers. This particular version emphasises the remarkable dial even more so, by topping off each and every one of the 468 cylinders with hand-applied X1 SuperLumiNova. Naturally, there’s also plenty of green lume on the hands. What makes this dial even more special is that you can clearly see the three-dimensionality of it, courtesy of the boxy sapphire crystal, which adds a hefty 1.7mm to the overall height of the watch.

Fun design choices don’t stop there either; the case, with its sophisticated open flanks and fancy lug design, eschews the typical milling and machining process of modern industrial case-making in favour of die casting, a process which sees molten metal poured into a mould under high pressure. It’s not a process you often see in watchmaking because it can have a high error rate. The resulting case is beautiful, though raw, and has a unique finish that comes from the process. It’s unashamedly industrial, lacking the crisp edges and fine finishes typical in the industry.

All this adds up to a watch that, besides being utterly charming, lives up to the founders’ lofty promise of doing things differently. It’s a great example of a product breaking all the rules and succeeding because the people behind it understand the fundamentals of watchmaking so well.

Tech Specs: Kollokium Projekt 01 Variant D

Movement: Automatic-winding La Joux-Perret G101; 68-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours and minutes; central seconds
Case: 40mm × 11mm; stainless steel; water-resistant to 50m
Dial: Textured black base with 468 applied cylindrical markers with luminous material
Strap: Anthracite elastic textile single-piece strap with “hook” buckle in die-cast steel
Price: CHF 2,999.99 (excl. VAT)
Availability: Limited to 299 pieces