Feynman Cove Eclipse
Manufacturer: Feynman Timekeepers | Price: $1,588 SGD (£880 GBP, $1,160 USD)
I remember when I first came across Feynman Timekeepers. They were just announcing their first model (Feynman One) and it caught my eye. It wasn’t completely to my taste, but I really appreciated that they were doing things a little different and designing things their own way. There was no ‘playing it safe’ and no obvious blatent rip-off of another design. Their inaugural piece was even a dress watch, which definitely goes against the grain. They had my attention. I loosely followed their progress and then I saw their second model announced. The Cove, which I have before me today. This one is much more to my liking aesthetically, so it’s great to be able to take a closer look and see what it’s all about.
Specifications
- Dimensions: Diameter – 41.4mm, Thickness – 12.7mm, Lug to Lug – 44.8mm, Lug Width – 20mm
- Movement: ETA 2895, 28,800vph, Hackable, Self Winding, 50hr Power Reserve
- Case Material: Brushed & Polished 316L Stainless Steel
- Bracelet/Strap: Custom FKM Rubber, Signed Milled Buckle
- Crystal: Boxed Sapphire, Underside Anti-Reflective Coatings
- Bezel: Fixed, Polished Weight: 95.5g
- Water Resistance: 200m / 20ATM / 660ft
- Lume: Swiss Super Luminova®
- Crown: Screw Down, Signed
- Caseback: Screw Down, Exhibition Display
- Where to Buy: Feynman Timekeepers
- Dial Options: Black (Vintage), Blue (Eclipse), Green (Founders Edition)
Feynman Timepieces - A Brief Introduction
Case & Crown
Off the top, this is a 41.4mm watch in a steel case. The dual crown design immediately hints that there is an internal rotating bezel. The dial is striking and really captures the same vibe as the brands first model. You can see that they have developed their own unique style and have stuck with it. That continuity is something I love to see and really helps a brand to cement its identity, which is actually quite difficult to do well.
The case is really rather nice. It’s slightly reminiscent of a Speedmaster, but with more simplistic lugs as they do not feature that signature ‘twisting’ of the Omega. The wide-set polished side chamfers give a very nice wear on the wrist and help it to visually appear a little smaller than the 41.4mm might suggest. The lugs have a gentle downwards curve which further enhances the wearability of this piece and help it sit close to the wrist.
Dial
The variant I have here is the ‘Eclipse’. The outer part of the dial is dark blue and really rich. It almost appears black, but in the right light, this lovely blue just pokes through. It’s really nicely done and it is by far my favourite of the three colourways. It’s rather hard to catch in film and even the brands own pictures on their website don’t even do it any justice. This blue section of the dial is left rather simple, with simple engraved lines for each of the hour positions. Given the other amount of detail on the dial and the wonderful colour, this was a wise choice. The outer section is then completed with a small nameplate, with the brand name printed on it. A nice touch and one that is usually seen in much higher end watches. It’s a detail which really adds to the watch’s premium appearance.
Separating the inner and outer sections of the dial is a raised circular section which sits above the blue outer dial. On this is a printed lumed minute track with the cardinal markers set as numbers. Moving to the inner portion of the dial, we have this wonderful striated pattern. This which then sits below the out portion of the dial, creating a third level of depth. This inner pattern is one of the aspects of the watch’s design which has become a signature for Feynman, along with the seconds sub dial at the 7 o’clock position. In the Cove’s case, the pattern is a wonderful striating mixture of curved lines. It is quite subtle and not always immediately apparent when on the wrist, but the pattern is lumed, creating a unique and striking appearance in low light conditions. This is not going to be to everyones tastes, but I think it’s great. As I previously mentioned, it’s great to see a brand doing their own thing and giving us something totally unique.
Movement
Powering things on the inside is a movement I have not seen used all too often by microbrands. This fact alone may be the persuading factor to some enthusiasts looking to expand their collection of different movements. The Cove features a Swiss ETA 2895. That is, an automatic movement with a subsidiary seconds dial. Due to the time setting crown being at 4, this sub dial is located at 7. This movement does have a date feature and looking at the dial side of the watch, you will see that the date is not shown. Yup, the dreaded ‘phantom date position’.
You can feel the date changing when operating the crown in the second position. I am not a fan of this, even though the movement choice sometimes limits the options for microbrands in terms of their designs. I do however feel that with a black date wheel, a date could have easily and neatly been incorporated at the 3 o’clock position perhaps. To further wet the appetite of anyone still sat on the fence, the movement in question is finished to top grade specification and you get some really nice decoration on the back side of the movement, with improved accuracy. Very nice!
Strap
Conclusion
Overall I am a fan. As mentioned, I’ve been following Feynman for quite a while now and was intrigued when the opportunity arose to see their latest creation up close. It is refreshing to see a brand unashamedly doing things their own way. This kind of creativity and uniqueness are two of the things that the microbrand sector of the industry thrives on and it’s good to see Feynman flying the flag in that regard.
Pros
- Great movement – top grade finishing
- Custom rubber strap
- Unique and cohesive design
Cons
- Crowns are a little small and can be fiddly to adjust
- Phantom date position
- Strong competition in this price bracket
If the brand's unique styling is for you, then this one is well worth a closer look.
