Review: SevenFriday M1B/01 “URBAN EXPLORER”

SevenFriday is an interesting brand. It doesn’t have a long heritage but it has seen some tremendous success over the last decade of its existence. I would say SevenFriday is a premium lifestyle brand. The concepts and designs are done in Switzerland, the movements are Japanese and the manufacturing is in Hong Kong. I have always been attracted by the unique designs of SevenFriday watches which are bold, and in a juxtaposition of words, futuristic retro. Depending on your view, the watches evoke imagery of a spaceship or a retro 60s television set.

I am a believer that the experience of owning a new watch starts with the box. The unboxing experience from SevenFriday is notably different from traditional watch brands. The outer box is a wooden miniature crate, which I have to say looks very cool. Slide open the lid to reveal inside a black soft touch velvety foam box which would protect the watch from shocks in transit. Enclosed is also a red printed cloth with instructions on how to use NFC to register your watch with SevenFriday. This shows that the brand is all about keeping up with the times, no pun intended.

I had the M1B/01 Urban Explorer to play around with for a while, thanks to SevenFriday. It is definitely a unique watch and one that would suit specific tastes. It is an unmistakable SevenFriday design with a cushion cut case (47.6mm x 47mm) made from polished stainless steel featuring a multi-level interface. Forget traditional time reading, this watch features a time-reading system using rotating discs with Arabic numerals. It is a nice touch which makes this watch stand out from traditional three hand watches. The dial also features blue PVD accents on an animation wheel and two patterned cut out panels which are reminiscent of tyre treads.

What could look very space inspired is taken down to earth when these deep embossed tyre tread patterns are paired with the 28mm padded denim watch strap which is leather underneath. This is undoubtedly a casual watch and not one for the boardroom. The denim adds a certain rugged appeal to its otherwise sleek and futuristic look. Paired with a brown leather jacket this watch would go down a treat. I would probably not advise pairing it with more denim items unless you’re intentionally going for a Britney & Justin 2001 double denim look. It should be noted, it is not a dive watch so there is only 3ATM- Splash / Rain Resistant.

It’s a hefty watch at a 143g and is powered by a customized Miyota 8215 automatic movement with a 40 hour power reserve. It’s more than capable should be reliable. This watch could be your daily driver and its build quality is notably solid. It has a stainless steel etched case back and sits comfortably on the wrist. The name urban explorer makes a lot of sense for this watch. That’s exactly where I see this watch being used, up and around town.

The SevenFriday M1B/01 “Urban Explorer” retails for AUD2,115 from their website. This pushes it up into that entry level luxury watch market inhabited by many brands. This makes the price a little harder to swallow when you are competing for example with a Tag Heuer Formula 1 which has the brand recognition. Ultimately, if what you want is something unique and that stands out in the crowd, this could be a brand you may consider but it is worth looking at their other series to see which design fits your taste better.