A maker of affordable watches with unconventional styling, SevenFriday is now a decade old. To commemorate the milestone, the brand has unveiled the Free-D. To put it mildly, the Free-B adds three-dimensionality to the brand’s trademark time display comprised of rotating discs.

And in a first for the brand, which has historically relied on Miyota, the Free-D is powered by a Swiss-made movement, Sellita to be exact.

Initial thoughts

While SevenFriday has increasingly felt like a “fashion” brand with its endless iterations of the same design, the brand has produced timepieces that are genuinely compelling. The Free-D is certainly one of the more interesting examples of its unorthodox design, though the over-the-top style is an acquired taste to say the least.

Bold, extra large, and definitely peculiar, the Free-D is actually based on the brand’s signature “squircle” case but dressed up with a 3D-printed external shell and lugs.

The added parts do exactly what they are meant to, which is to elaborate on the brand’s traditional case style to distinguish it for the anniversary. And they give the watch a decidedly alien aesthetic – it looks like a prop from a sci-fi film.

At the same time, the external cladding on the case is essentially plastic. Granted, plastic of various types is widely used in high-end watchmaking – Richard Mille and Hublot are proponents of its use – but it is certainly not for everyone.

In contrast, the time display is simple but easy to understand. It replaces the usual hands with triple concentric discs. While the disc display is a simple and common concept, it has been thoughtfully executed with a front cover that leaves it looking a bit more technical, while evoking more expensive watches such as those from Urwerk.

The Free-D is the first SevenFriday with by a Swiss movement, which is certainly another reason for its US$3,800 price tag – about three times as much as the typical SevenFriday. That isn’t exorbitant considering the unusual design and construction, but it is a lot for the brand. It pits the Free-D against other watches with unusual time displays, such as the wandering hour watches from Gorilla, as well as conventional watches from establishment brands like Tudor.

3D-printing

While the case is made of titanium, the external cladding (including the heavily textured cover over the dial) is polyamide, a type of plastic better known as nylon. Specifically, it is PA11 polyamide. The material is naturally grey in colour, while also being organic and sustainable – it is produced from castor beans.

Unlike the titanium inner case that is machined as is typical, the polyamide parts are 3D printed. The forms are primitive but the aesthetic is appealing. They combine a skeletonised construction with a grained finish, creating a sci-fi industrial feel that’s reminiscent of alien spacecraft and interstellar travel.

But the watch is certainly contemporary – it is accompanied by a digital image of itself and certificate in the format of an NFT, which can be accessed via an NFC chip embedded in the case back of the watch.

The 3D-printed cladding continues on the back

And the box is similarly 3D printed

With the hours on the largest, outermost disc, followed by the minutes and then seconds, the time is easy to read. While the time display might not be apparent at a glance, it is actually straightforward: a triangular pointer indicates the hour, minute, and seconds as the discs pass.

Key facts and price

SevenFriday Free-D

Diameter: 52.8 mm by 55.4 mm (44.8 mm by 45 mm excluding the wings)
Height: 23.7 mm (14.9 mm excluding the wings)
Material: Titanium and PA11 polyamide
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: Sellita SW300-1
Functions: Hours, minutes, and seconds
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz)
Power reserve: 42 hours

Strap: Leather strap

Availability:  Via Sevenfriday app
Price: US$3,800

For more, visit sevenfriday.com.