Welcome to T3's Watch of the Month, a regular feature in which we'll introduce you to a new watch maker, and review a special piece from its collection.
In this month's edition we've lined up a fascinating piece; the Stop2Go from Mondanie.
Before we get onto the piece and why it's so fascinating, here's a little about the brand and why we think it's special.
The brand: Mondaine
Mondaine watch company was launched in 1986 by the Bernheim family, but the origins of its design started much earlier in the 20th Century.
In 1944, Hans Hilfiker, a Swiss Engineer, Designer and employee of the Federal Swiss Railways, created a clock which has become known as the “Official Swiss Railways Clock”.
It's widely considered among one of the best examples of 20th-century design, with a clean black and white face, and a red lollipop second hand.
In 1986, Mondaine was inspired by the Railways Clock, and turned it into a watch collection – with an official license from the Federal Swiss Railways.
Since the first collection launched in 1986, Mondaine have been adding new lines each year to ensure the brand stays fresh and relevant to the modern watch market.
A great example of this is that Mondaine was one of the first Swiss brands to adopt smart technology, in order to keep up with competition from the Apple Watch.
In 2015 (the same year the original Apple Watch was launched) Mondaine launched the 'Helvetica No 1 Smart', which featured activity tracking, sleep monitoring, sleep cycle alarms, active alerts and adaptive coaching.
It was well ahead of the curb.
The following year, Mondaine continued to innovate with NFC contactless payment. Announcing a number of watches imbued with a PayChip, designed to offer convenient and efficient transactions at contactless payment points.
THE WATCH: Stop2Go
Now onto the piece itself. The Mondaine Stop2Go is designed to honour the original Swiss Railway Clock.
As a tribute to its industrial background the face is framed by a stainless steel case with two matt-brushed stainless steel braces.
Specs
• Swiss quartz Movement Mondaine cal 58-02 stop2go
• Screwed case back, individually numbered
• Stainless steel case 41 mm
• Anti- reflective coated sapphire crystal
• Genuine leather strap
• Water resistant tested to 3 ATM
• Swiss made
• Reference number A512.30358.16SBB
It's most prominent feature is the famous red second hand that completes its rotation in 58 seconds and then pauses at the 12 o’clock mark for 2 seconds (while the black minute hand jumps forward) before starting its next rotation.
Hence the name, Stop2Go.
But why on earth does it do that?! We hear you cry.
It's an homage to the original Swiss Railway Clock, which first featured the unique movement. Dreamt up by an ingenious SBB engineer, it allowed every single station clock across the country to synchronize.
This, in turn, allowed punctual and precise departures of Swiss trains for the last 70 years.
It's a bit of a novelty in a wristwatch, but it's a cool little nod to the past which gives the piece history and intrigue (which we really love).
Check out the pictures below:
Rather than a rotating crown, the Stop2Go features a functional switch-type crown, which makes it really easy to set the time.
The face is protected by scratch resistant anti-reflective coated sapphire glass, and a soft black leather strap keeps it attached to your wrist.
The piece that we've been wearing also comes with Mondaine's Backlight technology, which allows good visibility of the hands at night, without any disturbing visual effect of the design.
It does this by coating the underside of the hands in luminous foil, which is changed by light reflecting off the white dial during the day. It's pretty ingenious.
It's a true statement for the wrist, with a diameter of 41mm (we really like the size) and striking case design. We think it looks great, and wearing it gets lots of attention.
It's a design icon, and made with typical Swiss quality, seriously, what's not to like?
Check out the best Stop2Go prices below:
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