Hans Hilfiker deserves a better strap
By Sam Okafor, London ยท
The SBB railway clock was designed by Hans Hilfiker in 1944 and it's one of the great pieces of Swiss design, comfortably alongside Helvetica. Broad black bars for hours, thinner bars for minutes, and the red lollipop seconds hand, added later and said to be modelled on the signalling disc a platform guard would raise. It's legible from across a station concourse, and on a wrist it's legible from across a room.
The Mondaine wristwatch version is faithful, white dial and all, and at 40 mm it's a sensible size. The black bars are bold enough that even a quick glance gives you the time.
My problem is the execution around it. The metal bracelet looks cheap, the mineral crystal will scratch, and the case is plain to the point of anonymity. The dial is a classic; the watch is merely a product.
415 dollars, quartz, 50 m. Buy it for the dial. Swap the bracelet the day it arrives.