Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. Anoma Unveils the Second Chapter in its Shaped Watch Adventure, the A1 Slate
Following the blue launch series, Anoma comes back with a discreet, textured version of its shaped watch.
About a year ago, a new micro-brand launched on the scene and caused quite some noise due to its oddly shaped, slightly overdesigned but rather appealing triangular watch, the Anoma A1 Watch. The project of a young French-British watch enthusiast, Matteo Violet Vianello, the watch made a sensation with a sculptural case playing on the trend for shaped watches – Cartier Crash or Pebble, to name a few – and the initial limited run of blue watches sold out fast. The brand is back with the second chapter in its adventure, the Anoma A1 Slate – but there’s a bit more than just a new dial colour here.
Violet Vianello’s passion for watches began in childhood and led him to work at Sotheby’s and later at respected indie watch retailer A Collected Man. Last year, he started his own venture, Anoma, which is short for anomaly and does reflect the unconventional shape of his first model. The A1 watch draws inspiration from a unique source: a 1950s table by Charlotte Perriand (1903-1999), a renowned French architect, designer and Le Corbusier collaborator. Her free-form table, with its delta-shaped wooden top and tapering legs, has been reimagined in the compact form of a wristwatch.
Starting with what’s known and carried over the first model, the case of the Anoma A1 Slate retains the same shape and proportions, a sort of Delta-shaped, rounded triangular watch that is anything but classic… And yet, it has an elegant vibe, a sort of artistic singularity that is polarizing but far from void of a certain gracefulness. It is not your classic round, masculine watch. It is a watch that transcends genres and has a fairly contemporary approach to the unisex timepiece. Arty, a bit overly designed, not necessarily meant to be consensus-driven. Yet, it seems that originality and the organic pebble-shaped case paid.
The entirely polished case measures 39mm (width) x 38mm (height) and wears even slightly smaller on the wrist. The thickness, at 9.45mm, is not entirely true once you handle the watch. It feels a bit bulkier than I would have expected – it was one of my comments to Matteo when first handling the watch. The reason for that is that the top surface of the case is quite flat and I would have loved to see a more convex shape, with tapering sides and a domed crystal – probably too costly considering the price range in which Anoma plays.
What’s pleasant, however, is the tactile experience. The Anoma A1 is smooth, and no sharp angles come to disturb this design that could have been shaped by erosion. The crown is recessed into the case to maintain the sleek, streamlined silhouette and can be accessed via the cut-away area on the caseback. In the same vein, the leather strap is integrated into the case through slender openings on either side. There’s a bit of a Laurent Ferrier in this approach – something that can also be felt on the dial.
New this year, and the reason for the name of this Anoma A1 Slate, is the dial. But it’s more than just a new colour here. The dial has been refined on multiple levels. First, it has a finely, vertical brushed surface. Then, contrasting triangles are individually engraved using a hand-guided precision tool – two of them, with an almost vinyl-like surface, creating a two-tone effect. The layout has slightly evolved compared to the first blue iteration, and the markers and printings have also been redefined with elongated triangles for the quarters, adding consistency with the case. Finally, three layers of black lacquer are applied, creating a deep, nuanced dial that shifts colour depending on the ambient light. The leaf hands feature an exaggerated curve and dome to maximise volume, echoing the case’s contours.
Inside the case, no changes. The Anoma A1 Slate relies on the same no-frills but reliable Sellita SW100 automatic with a 4Hz frequency and a rather modest power reserve of 38-42 hours. This small 17,20mm movement was chosen to fit discreetly inside the shaped case. The watch is worn on an 18mm grey grained Italian leather strap, secured by a shaped steel pin buckle.
The Anoma A1 Slate will not be limited or numbered. However, due to limited production capacities and an already long waiting list (all those who couldn’t get the initial blue model), the orders will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Orders will open on the 10th of March, 2025 at 14:00 GMT. This new Anoma is priced at GBP 1,800 (excluding duties & taxes) – a higher price than the inaugural model that was deliberately priced low to thank early supporters.
For more information, please consult anomawatches.com.
