Arcanaut Press Area

Even a regular crown was considered too pedestrian for Arcanaut, so this watch features what the brand calls a “Pentablock” crown. The resulting case looks interestingly alien.

Danish design has an international reputation for excellence. Anders Brandt, co-founder and chief designer of Arcanaut watches out of Copenhagen aims to continue the rich tradition of his homeland by bringing true unconventionality to the watchmaking game.

Independence. Creativity. Visionary re-imaginings not of what a watch should be, but rather what a watch could be. Enter Anders Brandt. Co-founder and Chief Designer of Danish outfit Arcanaut. The brand was born in 2019 and, slowly but surely, began to trouble the fringes of watchmaking’s consciousness.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with opting for a more traditional approach to watchmaking, but for certain companies like Danish independent watch brand Arcanaut, being unconventional is the name of the game.

An evolution of the brand’s 50-piece limited edition D’Arc Matter model from 2021, the Colours Collection takes the same in-house developed Swedish slate composite dial and enlivens it with bright colours and a brand-new handset for improved legibility.

If the vivid lume colours that decorate each one of the D’Arc Matter Colours Collection dials look familiar, that’s because you might have seen them before. One thing is for sure, however: you’ve never seen them in the watch industry.

We should also mention the dials, which are based on the original Arc II D'Arc Matter and made from Arcanaut’s special composite material. It’s produced by taking Scandinavian slate and feeding it through an industrial coffee grinder, the result of which is then bonded with an ultra-clear binding agent to create this unique slate powder texture. It makes for a cool, dark backdrop that really lets the new lume and coloured strips shine.

The perceived quality of the machining and the solidity of the [crown] do inspire confidence.

This is an ergonomic, impressively restrained design overall, with a unique inverted lug structure, curving case profile, and a significant case side undercut that work together to provide a compact, balanced stance on the wrist.

Black Badger is on a mission to redefine the concept of luxury, but not in the way you hear on a near-daily basis from start-ups and doe-eyed micros the world over. He doesn’t want to democratize luxury by making it easier for more consumers to access his products; he wants to democratize the materials that can be considered luxurious.

It's very ergonomically design, the whole case is curved, the case back is arched so it sits on the wrist very comfortably, and falls down towards the "semi-lugs" for which the brand is known.

every time I put the watch on, I think of something else I want to say about it. More than that, I just want this watch and this brand to be on people’s radar, because what they’re doing is special, and the emotional response I’ve had to this watch in the form of dopamine spikes is like little else I can think of for under $4,000.

Arc II — D’Arc Matter, designed by James Thompson, co-owner of Arcanaut, is created using slate local to his region of Scandinavia, which he collected near his home before grinding to a fine powder and binding with ultra-clear resin to form composite plates of stone and resin.

I often see watches that put all their effort into the case or the dial, not both. Arcanaut was able to achieve an extremely fun dial that is paired with an excellent case. The case is mostly bead blasted except for a polished surround on the sides of the case. Where the case design shines is in its shape.

Given all the amazing innovations in dials and movements across the industry, it’s great to see some novelty in case design. The integrated lugs slope downwards enhancing wearability as it hugs the wrist.

The ARC II is a work of art, and sometimes, art demands compromise. In this case, one must sacrifice a bit of legibility for that magnificent, storied dial. Of course, you also get a novel case design, a lovely (if sometimes overshadowed) handset, and a real conversation starter at your next Cars and Coffee.

The indie is known in its native Copenhagen as a sort of skunk house for innovative design and engineering for its watches, particularly for dials, which combine Nordic aesthetics with innovative and daring materials.

Nordic watchmaker Arcanaut is set to release its latest timepieces, the Arc II — D’Arc Matter Colours Collection, with just 25 pieces of each of the four colour options being made available.

In my mind, Scandinavian design is all about creating your own rules, with a very functionalist approach in mind.

Yes, the Fordite dial is the big eye-catcher, but the case is also quite something. Arcanaut calls this shape, which is edgy yet also fluid, an “angular pebble.” The CNC-machined case is made in Denmark by a specialist according to Arcanaut’s exact specifications.