Wren Watches and Wrist Enthusiast founder Craig Karger had a very particular remit when designing the new Vessel: namely, to imagine an integrated-bracelet luxury sports watch from 2075 rather than 1975. While the classic designs of Gérald Genta are certainly discernible as influences, the Vessel is something distinct. Indeed, regardless of viewing angle, it leans more sci-fi than retro — and this was precisely the point.
Having established Wren as a manufacturer of handsome and affordable dive watches, Karger took a hard left turn when partnering with designer Max Resnick — a veteran of Anoma and VPC — on the Vessel. Formulating a cushion-shaped, brushed 39mm x 39mm 904L stainless steel case with polished surfaces running vertically alongside the bezel and throughout the integrated, serpentine-like bracelet, they turned their attention to the watch’s crystal.
Rather than settle for a simple anti-reflective, double-domed model in the mode of many contemporary sports watches, they obsessed over the details: Karger wanted a faceted design that would minimize the dial distortion that typically occurs when such a crystal is viewed off-angle. But initial prototyping yielded just five usable examples from a batch of 100. At this point, Wren switched suppliers to a specialist manufacturer, significantly lowering the failure rate. The result is a crystal in which each curved exterior facet is precisely mirrored by an interior facet — a design new to the watchmaking world.
Beneath the crystal is a rehaut featuring the watch’s minute track, with five-minute intervals demarcated in white. With the exception of the Wren wordmark on the dial itself, this is nearly the only printing visible, making for a particularly legible design helped along by a set of luminous, bifurcated sword hands and a thin, aqua-blue central seconds hand with a skeletonized counterbalance. The watch is available at launch with two dial options: a steel version with a sunray pattern ($2,900) and a meteorite version with unique striations ($3,400).
Both versions of the watch ship on the aforementioned integrated stainless steel bracelet, with articulating links that flow smoothly one into the other in the manner of reptilian scales. The brushed design is interrupted by dual polished stripes extending vertically from the bezel flanks on the watch head, while a proprietary micro-adjustment mechanism developed by Wren is built into the bracelet links rather than the clasp. The result is a seamless, bangle-like timepiece that comfortably hugs the wrist — though a quick-change rubber strap is also offered for separate purchase, should the buyer prefer. (Water resistance sits at 70m, which is more than enough for casual wear in the pool or ocean.)
Powering the Vessel is the Swiss-made Sellita cal. SW300-1, an automatic workhorse movement running at 4 Hz with a power reserve of 56 hours. An exhibition caseback gives a clear view of its aqua-colored, skeletonized rotor, which was developed exclusively for Wren and looks somewhat like a turbine in some kind of futuristic spacecraft motor.
The Vessel is such a significant departure from the brand’s Diver One series as to cause a double-take — it’s difficult to believe that the same business could be behind both watches. But whereas the Diver One, handsome and comfortable as it is, is rather “safe” by today’s microbrand standards, the Vessel takes numerous risks, making it perhaps more divisive but also more compelling. The crystal design will invariably be a talking point for some and completely uninteresting to others, while a cushion case is certainly an acquired taste. But when viewed holistically — particularly in its meteorite-dialed incarnation — the watch provides a breath of fresh air.
Though some will quibble with its pricing — which sits somewhere between that of traditional microbrand watches and offerings from established mid-tier, group-owned brands — its combination of “luxury sports watch” tropes with a more affordable, off-the-shelf movement has yielded an oddball design that will surely satisfy numerous parties. Genta adherents have a fresh riff on the classic ‘70s silhouette, while design nerds have a well considered object with an emphasis on aspects that are typically less important to many brands. In sum, the Vessel is certainly not for everyone. But for those in search of a design that forges its own path, it’s a distinctly compelling proposition.
Wren Vessel Sunray Watch
Diameter: 39mm
Movement: Sellita cal. SW300-1 automatic
Water Resistance: 70m
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