Minus 8 Watches
Minus 8 watches- I know some of you know this brand and some don’t. So, first, let me start by telling you about the Minus 8 watches.
It’s a San Francisco-based company. MINUS-8 has made no changes whatsoever to the production of watches.
Their watches are the result of years of hard work. Also years of challenging their partners to perfect a construction method.
Their watches define convention and a futurist, architectural mindset. The Minus-8 collection shows two things. First the practical excellence of traditional watchmaking. second a window into the future.
History and Mystery of Minus 8 Watches
A few years ago, Dana Krieger, an industrial designer from Astro Studios. He set out to redesign and rethink watches.
He and Astro Studios, the company behind the Xbox 360 and Nike Fuelband. They wanted to break up the long and rich history of watches by using bolder designs and new techniques.
They came up with the name Minus-8, which refers to the time zone of the West Coast, where the watches are made.
Astro has worked very hard on MINUS-8 because it came from the idea of a single industrial designer. He saw a chance to do something different.
David explained, “The vision is most often purer when concepts start from a singular voice.” The responsibility then shifts to that individual to convey their vision to collaborators.
The MINUS-8 design team has been kept small to keep the vision focused. Each season, they work to improve their imaginative thinking and direction.
Now, as you know a little about the background of this company. That takes us to the next part of our article Minus 8 watches. We’ve mentioned some amazing watches from minus 8. So, without any further delay let’s start.
The Minus 8 Diver
This is the first dive watch produced by the California-based company. It is an example of a brand that likes to stray a little bit from the norm.
Since I’m honest, I prefer the normal. But that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate it when a company does things with a twist.
Bezel
I don’t like the bezel’s action because it can be turned with only one finger. But there is also no play or slop in the bezel.
The bezel insert is, to the best of my knowledge, made of PVD-coated steel. Though it could also be made of matte aluminium.
They say that each Minus 8 Diver watch undergoes pressure testing before leaving the factory. As this is being marketed as a genuine dive watch.
I can’t back up that claim, but it worked fine in the shower. My real concern was if it was used as a real dive watch in the ocean. It would bring me back to the crown, which would not be protected (no crown guards). When screwed into the case, the solid crown does feel secure.
Movement
The Seiko NE15/6R15 is a reliable automatic movement that has a 55-hour power reserve. a very dependable and most-used micro-branding movement.
It is used by MKII, Dagaz, Hexa, and many other brands of dive watches. Throughout these years, the Seiko movement has demonstrated its dependability. None of them ever posed a problem for me.
Bracelet
The bracelet is nice, but solid end links would have been great—on second thought. The watch would look much bigger.
In my view, they did this because they wanted to make a big watch. A watch that would look smaller than it is so that people with smaller wrists could wear it.
It worked very well on a few natos that I tried on. A NATO-friendly watch. Plus, the buckle was decent.
Case
The case that Minus 8 uses is alike other cases, but it might be a little thicker than their non-divers. Although they added a plate on the side of the crown. It also gives some specs, which could have been left off.
The crown is like that of other models. I wonder if this plate is only for looks or if it serves a purpose, like protecting the crown.
Minus 8 calls the bead-blasted titanium finish on the case and bracelet titanium PVD.
I would have preferred brushed titanium. As scratches and marks can be smoothed out. but if you wear this watch hard, it will show every mark.
Altogether, titanium is a very scratch-prone metal. Although I like the lightness and the dark grey color, the scratches and the fact that it is PVD-coated scare me.
Thus, if you use the watch a lot, the scratches will show up. The case has a diameter of 44 mm. It has a thickness of 14,3 mm, a length of 53 mm, and a lug width of 22 mm.
The device has a water resistance of 30ATM or 300M. It is a significant amount and more than enough for regular use in the shower or swimming pool. This watch will be useful for swimming in the summer.
Minus 8 Layer
It’s sleek and futuristic in the cool Blade Runner way. This shows a keen eye for design and detail. It has a solid, if unassuming, Seiko NH35A dial inside.
Dial
The dial is what shows the design ethos. The red-on-black scheme makes it readable with a deliberate glance.
Even though it is a blackout dial and does not shout the time across the room.
The hands have a crisp Deco feel to them, especially the minute hand, which makes me think of the Chrysler Building (Shinola, are you listening?).
The Minus-8 Layer is layered, and they packed a lot of information into a very clean dial by using the layers while the date window and hour hand hide under the bottom layer, which is why I particularly like the 8:00 time zone.
Hour numerals, font, and double-digit format. The next layer is coordinated with the date.
The baton markers for the hours or five minutes come next. I’as followed by the second’s markers and a narrow ring with hash marks for one-sixth of a second.
That’s a lot, but the dial’s center is spotless. The hands only reach the most important information, but if you look further, you’ll find more. A tasteful, understated logo also keeps things simple.
Bracelet
There is, of course, the strap that supports NFC. I haven’t talked about it yet because I don’t have any other NFC-capable devices, so I can’t say much.
It’s pretty cool, but I’ll let others who are more up-to-date comment. According to me, it would be very cool to link the Minus-8 Layer to a smart door lock.
So that you can use it to unlock your phone and grab the knob to open the front door. It has a nice butterfly deployment clasp that adds a finishing touch.
Crown
The crown is worth mentioning. This, in my view, is one instance in which common sense was on purpose compromised. I do comprehend why it is a funny little rounded rectangle.
Although it conforms perfectly to the case’s shape. Adjusting that odd knob is frustrating. There is a very good reason why crowns are round.
Minus-8 is one of those names that you rarely hear or see being worn in the wild.
Minus 8 Square Chrono Watch
Case
The Square Chrono’s stainless steel case has a two-tone look. The watch has a matte silver face and a bevelled case back. It looks more like a titanium tone due to the bead-blasted PVD textured finish.
Between, a black stainless steel body is sandwiched. This results in quite an interesting colourway that works well.
It’s a high-quality, well-made item. It’s one of those items you can immediately appreciate when you first pick it up. As it should be, the fit and finish are without a doubt excellent.
Although 40mm may appear to be too small, the square shape of the casing makes it much larger than it appears. To give you an example, it is larger than the 42mm Apple Watch. It fits my 7-inch wrist.
Dial
The design of the dial on the Square Chrono is one of its most striking features. Despite its minimalist appearance, it is still packed with images.
The subdial and main chronograph hands are in black. But have ends that are colorful in an almost neon-fluorescent tone. It looks like hovering tips without attachments. It is placed against the dial’s flat dark grey background.
This watch shares the same slim design as the painted-on luminescent dial markings.
The watch’s squared design is perfectly complemented amazingly. The square design with the semi-skeletonized hour and minute hands.
Despite the poor lume, the dial’s sharp, detailed indicators and bright, fluorescent colors. It still stands out against the dark, flat background. This makes it very legible in any lighting condition.
Strap
The strap is a straight piece of thick, vegetable-tanned black genuine leather. It is 20 millimeters wide. It has a double-stitched lug termination for that artisanal look.
It’s a leather strap made well with a suede back that feels great on the wrist. The strap, like many others, is at first stiff, but it does soften and break in with wear.
Pushing one side of the spring bar through the opening in the side lugs makes it simple to change the strap. A small jeweler’s screwdriver or a small needle that fits in the hole is all you need. No other special tools are needed.
Conclusion For Minus 8 Watches
These watches are by far my favorite watches from minus 8. At first, even though I wasn’t aware of the brand but the moment I knew I became a fan.
Their watches are ideal in all aspects. The design-PERFECT. The movement-PERFECT. The price-PERFECT.
There are many other watches from minus 8 available. This was my favorite minus 8 watch list. So do check out their other watches.
