CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SNOW

Aera’s first chronograph model represents not only a change in weather for the young British microbrand but also a surprisingly minimalist execution of the stopwatch theme.

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Aera aims to offer a “clean, contemporary take on classic tool watches” by uniting “British design and Swiss engineering.” Since its start in 2018, the team has been applying those rules for a diver (D-1), a field watch (M-1), and a pilot watch (P-1). With the C-1 (the ‘C’ obviously being short for chronograph), first announced in October last year, Aera has taken the next logical step and is now offering an equally simplistic chronograph with a 42-mm stainless-steel case.

The watch is currently available in two versions, each limited to 300 pieces: The ‘Cloud’ execution shown here comes with a matte light grey or off-white dial, the ‘Shadow’ variant with black PVD coating and a black dial with red accents. Both have a ‘one-piece dished dial’ with recessed subdials, and a three-part stainless-steel case with a water resistance of 100 metres.

A third version of the C-1 was made as a 25-piece limited edition for Rennsport, fittingly a UK-based 911 Porsche ‘restomod’ specialist, with a black dial, a regular brushed stainless-steel case and two sub-dials clearly inspired by the iconic five-spoke Fuchs rim often found on vintage Porsches. All three watches look surprisingly different when put next to each other, which is another indication that the brand’s comparatively narrow design codes have been very carefully developed.

Two Firsts for Aera