In the span of six short years, independent brand Studio Underd0g has positioned itself as a leader in the contemporary British watchmaking wave. Founded by designer Richard Benc in 2020, the brand quickly made a name for itself in the industry with an irreverent and cheeky style that adds a refreshing spin to the sometimes stodgy business of watch design. Studio Underd0g pairs unique colors with quality finishing while “reject[ing] all that needs to go, like stuffiness, pomposity, and the reluctance to try anything new.” The 02SERIES brings together that fun-loving spirit and the brand’s commitment to boundary-pushing innovation. This summer’s release of Gen2 – the second iteration of the field watch collection – makes meaningful improvements to a fan-favorite.
Studio Underd0g’s 02SERIES offers a modern take on the famous Dirty Dozen – a group of twelve watch brands tasked by the British Ministry of Defence to create a field watch for military-issue during the last half of World War II. Chief among a long list of specifications the brands had to meet, the watches were to be tough, reliable, and highly legible. Nearly all field watches today pull their aesthetic from the form-factor popularized by the Dirty Dozen, and I was curious to find out what Studio Underd0g could offer apart from the typical iterations so often seen in this space. After a week on the wrist, I can say that the 02SERIES (Gen2) is unlike any field watch I’ve encountered before and is one of the best options right now at this price point.
The most notable visual differences between the original 02SERIES released in 2023 and the new Gen2 are the case sizing and colorway offerings. The 316L stainless steel Gen2 offers an ever so slightly larger case diameter at 37.5mm (over the original 37mm) but more notably slims down the profile, for a new height of 11.5mm (over the previous 12mm). A lug-to-lug measurement of 46mm keeps the watch compact and comfortable to wear with just enough curve in the lugs to hug the wrist closely. The deep purple “Nightshade” and dark cherry-hued “Red L0lly” join the original series’ “Steffany Blue” and the brand’s piece de resistance, “Pink Lem0nade.”
The internal mechanical upgrade comes in the improvement between the hand-wound Sellita movements. Gen2 sees the introduction of the Swiss Sellita SW200-2 M, which offers a twenty-one hour power reserve increase over the original Sellita SW210-1. Though originally an automatic movement, the conversion of the SW200-2 to a manually wound caliber by removing the rotor is a distinct nod to the Dirty Dozen. The upgraded power reserve offers a 50% improvement on the original series with 63 hours of uninterrupted timekeeping.
Both color combinations and innovative solutions are really where Studio Underd0g shines, and the 02SERIES provides a great playground for these two skillsets to collide. The dials aren’t just vibrant, they’re captivating. There’s a dynamic quality to the pop of color that transcends the flat effect of traditional dials. First, the brand uses a sunray base dial coated in seven layers of Super LumiNova. Then, they place a tinted sapphire disk one millimeter over the base to add in the color. The top layer hosts the printed Arabic numerals, railroad minute track, and the brand’s name. The dynamic effect comes from the interaction between the base lume layer and the sapphire disk above, held together by two visible pins placed by hand. The result adds depth to the dial and gives the appearance of floating indices.