A small team in Scotland dedicates a lot of energy to make watches. They are Anordain. Known for their hand-made enamel dials, there is much more to their watches than just the dials. The Model 2 comes with plain enamel dials, like on the Model 1 but with different colors or with “fumé” dials. It’s these that made me pull the trigger. The brushed steel case design of the Model 2 appeals to me. I find it refreshing for a brand to come out with a 36mm watch when most brands stick to 39-42mm sizes. Powering it is the sturdy manually wound Sellita SW-210-1 movement. It displays two hands and no visible running seconds. Although the hands of the Model 1 are not made by Anordain, the Model 2 has in-house built and designed hands, a first for the brand. The fumé dials they produce are very special and have a textured background, with the color getting darker as you get closer to the edge of the dial. There are 5 colors to choose from so far: blue, orange, green, turquoise and purple. I hesitated with the purple dial, but settled with the blue combination as it seemed more my style.

You also get to choose from a wide selection of straps. Mine is a light brown natural shell cordovan matching the lume and dial print color. Ordering from Anordain is a great experience, with perfect communication with the brand through the whole process. You get to engrave the back of your model 2 with words or a map of a specific location. I chose the latter option which I find really cool. It’s a personal touch and the team at Anordain really do everything to make the engraving as you want it. They also ask you on which arm you will be wearing the watch so as to regulate the movement in the most precise way possible. Roughly 2 months after the online order, I finally got the watch. The packaging is really on point, with a beautiful outer box, leather inner box with zipper and some accessories. I even got an extra blue suede strap with a second buckle in the set!

Once strapped to the wrist you really start to understand how well designed this watch is. The case sits nicely on the wrist, and the rounded shapes give it a slim profile. The German made strap is of great quality and you feel a really soothing overall presence. The hands are open worked so the dial gets all the attention it deserves. Those hands are very intelligently made, each branch being tilted in opposite directions so that the light does not reflect the same way on both sides. They are not flat but curved in the width. The enamel dial really is the star of the show. The printed indexes and numerals seem to hover lightly over it. The open-worked font of the even numerals is beautiful, and leaves even more space to admire the face of the enamel. There is a real texture to the dial, with tiny bubbles of what must be metallic particles in the enamel. You can admire a rainbow of colors depending on light and reflections. Often the blue shade pops out right at you in bright hues, while at other times it seems to sink to a deep inky blue. The contrast between the hands, the enamel and the print is perfect, with excellent legibility at all times. The sapphire glass has anti reflective coating but you do get some reflections due to the smooth surface of the enamel.

So, perfect design all the way through? Well nearly! There is one little thing that is not perfect. Though the pin buckle is as well finished and designed as the rest of the watch, the vintage style creates a kind of bump that sticks out, with a slight space between strap and skin at the buckle. A thinner strap at the tapered end would certainly fit much better and properly “kiss your skin”. Overall, the Anordain Model 2 really is a stunning piece of design and craftsmanship. I am extremely pleased with it. If you like two handers with a strong design identity you will probably enjoy this watch.