New independent arises

A new watch brand from an English designer arrives with an interesting premier – introducing the O.G Deep Space, by Oliver Gallaugher from Bristol.

Press release information with commentary in italics.

The new O.G Deep Space DS 1 has a retail price of GBP 7,800 (about SGD 13,000), inclusive of VAT and is a limited edition of 10 pieces made to order. Available at the O.G website.

A new independent arises from England. This startup is by Oliver Gallaugher, a designer who turned his hand at watches. The watches are designed by him and carries his name on the dial. But the work on the watch is by artisans all around the world. The key in the design is the dial, which is a graphical representation of the night sky with shooting stars. The dial is diagonally brushed and coated to suggest the movement of the stars. The premier release is a limited edition of 10 pieces. The release novelty is 41mm steel cased. The case, dial, hands, and buckle are made in Moscow and Hong Kong, while the strap is made in Vietnam.

The movement is dubbed GUY-1, named after Oliver's grandfather, and is based on the ubiquitous Unitas 6598, reworked in Glashütte with a new main plate and bridges. The movement also feature an independent escapement bridge. The movement is presented in a gold plate with perlage and Glashütte ribbing on what is now a Saxon styled three quarter plate. The escapement is fitted with a swan neck fine adjustment system. The movement is built and assembled in Glashütte by DK Precision Mechanics, including all the custom parts and decorations.

The overall look and feel of the watch from the release materials is very good. Oliver did send quite a number of photographs, including details on the movement finishing. The watch is essentially a product which designed in-house by Oliver and with an admittedly nice curation from contract manufacturers. Though this method if market entry is not unusual, many of the more "famous" independents use the same route, the asking price does strike us as a bit on the steep side.

PROFILE

Oliver Gallaugher is a 32 year old, independent and self-taught designer from Bristol, England. Inspired by the unconventional and enterprising spirit in his family, he has pursued a burning fascination with watches and an ambition to develop his own brand and ideas. With this vision he began a journey of discovery, learning about watchmaking, connecting with manufacturers and refining an intuition for design and presentation. Throughout this pursuit he has offered his passion and the knowledge he has gained to other enthusiasts and brands moving towards the same goal – helping them conceptualise their watch ideas and original movements.

O.G is a new brand under his name, that works with artisans around the world to create neo-vintage and avant-garde watches in small series, with their own unique themes.

"O.G watches are for people who follow their intuition and vision no matter what." – O.G

"DEEP SPACE"

"I imagined animating a watch's dial without any moving parts, creating movement through texture and tone. I saw flashes of light and dark with a scattering of stars – deep space." – O.G

From the shimmering dial and exclusive movement, to the bevelled buckle and handmade, non-stitch strap – every detail of the Deep Space watch has been carefully considered to make sure its design is homogeneous in all aspects.

Deep Space is the first O.G watch series, limited to 10 pieces. Each watch comes with a lifetime warranty, an exclusive look at new models before release, and priority on a future O.G watch of the owner's choice.

GUY-1 MOVEMENT

"I’m inspired by many styles of watchmaking but have always found an emotional connection with more classically designed movements – their robust and timeless construction, lasting hundreds of years; treasuries of knowledge displaying techniques forgotten or often neglected by industrial movements.

For the O.G brand, the aesthetic of the movement is just as fundamental as the front facing design of the watch." – O.G

The GUY-1 is the first O.G movement, named after the founder's grandfather Guy, who was an inventor and engineer. It is based on the Swiss Unitas 6498, refined in Glashütte, with some major visual and functional improvements.

Featuring a re-modelled mainplate and new bridges including an independent escapement bridge which are decorated with gold perlage, Geneva stripes, polished chamfers and jewel countersinks.

Other highlights include mirror polishing on its steel screws, swan-neck regulator, and Glashütte rachet-click system. A screwed balance wheel, crescent-shaped anchor bridge, side-screw mounted dial and a decorated gear train with diamond-bevelled centre wheel. For a full list of features and finishing please refer to the specifications on the O.G website.

THE DIAL

For purity and simplicity, only the hours and minutes are displayed under a floating chapter ring which is printed on the underside of the front sapphire. This is to add depth and focus to the dial, as each one is special, with its stars engraved by hand.

Diagonally brushed and then specially coated, light is reflected like a shower of shooting stars across its surface when tilted, flashing different shades of dark and light. The logo is pad printed in gold over multiple layers.

The geometrical hour and minute hands are made in a two-piece construction from titanium and steel, creating a clean contrast between the 0.1mm chamfered, sandblasted bodies and tips.

"My Father was a painter and decorator, and my Mother is an artist and writer. Growing up with their creativity continues to stimulate my mind with abstract ideas, where watches become the canvas or story." – O.G

THE CASE

Neo-classical in style and a comfortable 41mm in 316L steel – the Deep Space's case is finished with contrasting polished and sandblasted surfaces to create subtle reflections that chase its curves. It features a large vintage style crown for superior winding and adjustment, and a decagonal screw-down case back with a clear view of the proprietary GUY-1 movement.

STRAP & BUCKLE

To create a homogeneous design, details and consistency matter. That's why the original O.G buckle is directly inspired by the case's monochrome aesthetic, matching the case's two-tone decoration.

Handmade with a non-stitch design, the ultra sleek and durable nylon and calf leather strap in space grey pairs well.

ASSEMBLEY

Each of the ten Deep Space watches are assembled in Saxony, in the historic watchmaking town of Glashütte by DK Precision Mechanics – a small team of master watchmakers and decorators, who produce movements and components for many esteemed watch brands.

O.G watches will be created in different collections.

"Deep Space" is the first model in the "Lyrical series", which will showcase watches with abstract themes, exercising traditional and artisanal disciplines such as: hand engraving, enamelling and guilloche – to name a few.

Other collections will focus on more practical use complications, inspired by their own relevant themes.

"It's also very important to me to develop new movements that are special to the brand. I have many more ideas for new and original watches." – O.G

REFRENCE: DS1PIECES: A limited edition of 10 watches (made to order)

CASE:

41mmx10.5mm,49mm lug to lug.316L Stainless Steel, polished and sandblasted decoration. Sapphire crystals with anti-reflective coating.Water resistant to 30m.Made in Hong Kong & Moscow.

MOVEMENT:

Caliber GUY-1Manual-wind, time-only display (hours & minutes).18,000 bph, 48 hour power reserve.Screwed balance wheel.Tested in five positions within +/- 6 seconds.Highly decorated with 3N & 4N gold platings and hand finishing on surfaces and components. Made in Switzerland and Glashütte.

DIAL & HANDS:

Dial – brushed titanium base with an anodised coating and hand engraved stars.Yellow gold pad printed logo. Chapter ring printed in silvery grey under the sapphire crystal. Hands – made from titanium and steel, sandblasted finish with anodised coatings.Made in Moscow and Glashütte.

STRAP & BUCKLE:

20mm/18mm. Handmade from grey nylon x black calf leather with quick release spring bars. Made in Da Nang by Handdn O.G buckle, made in 316L Stainless Steel with polished and sandblasted decoration. Made in Hong Kong & Moscow