The Zeitwinkel 240° NOIR, The Stealthiest Of The Brand’s Sports Watch

A new collection from an independent watchmaker is always an exciting thing to witness, especially when it’s a brand that has been on your personal radar for quite a while. One such brand for me is Zeitwinkel, characterised by its clear and modern style backed by neatly finished German Silver movements. I was lucky enough to get my hands on the prototype of the recently introduced 240° NOIR for a few days, to check out what was in the making for almost a decade-and-a-half. And I must say it left quite an unexpected impression!

It’s not often I get to spend time with Zeitwinkel watches, but now I have had two in short succession. Just a couple of weeks ago I made the statement the 273° Sapphir Fumé was my favourite Zeitwinkel to date, this 240° NOIR certainly surprised me. On one end it’s very ‘Zeitwinkel’, and on the other, it sort of isn’t, which puzzled me a bit at first. But I must say, it’s giving the 273° Sapphir Fumé a run for its money thanks to the stealthy vibes and attention to detail despite seeing less of the mechanical side of things. Anyway, let’s get straight into the watch.

Apparently, it took the team 14 years to mull over the idea of a Zeitwinkel sports watch and make it into production, but here we are. It is the brainchild of Ivica ‘Maks’ Maksimovic, one-third of the founding team of the brand, and it comes in five variations. Four of them have a dark grey PVD coating, and only one comes in all-black; the 240° NOIR. Everything starts with a 40.5mm wide steel case, a new size for the brand, which is then finished with a black DLC coating. The design feels familiar and comes with the same recessed sections in the caseband, a stout crown with excellent grip, a slanted bezel and sapphire crystals on both sides.

The standout element on the outside of the watch is without a doubt the bezel. Where normally this is brushed or polished, here it’s coated in black (obviously) but engraved with a scale from zero to 60 and then infilled in white Super-LumiNova. The result is a bezel that literally ties in the exterior with the dial, as it matches in theme and colour. Speaking of which, the dial is also quite interesting. To me, a sports watch should be legible first and foremost, which the 240° NOIR certainly is. The hands have a strong contrast against the black background thanks to a generous amount of Super-LumiNova. The numerals, in a font exclusive to Zeitwinkel, are big and bold, and again filled with luminous material.

Where it gets interesting is the mix of textures though! The outer section has a coarsely grained finish and is reserved for the applied numerals. On the outer edge of the is a raised track in black with a white scale, which the rather long central seconds hand ‘touches’ on its 60-second trajectory. The inner section, however, is surprisingly decorated with a radiant grooved pattern. It reminded me a bit of the folds in traditional Chinese fans, or a a parasol propped up to protect a nobleman from the heat of the sun. Call me an odd thinker, but my mind sometimes wanders off thanks to details like this… Regardless, I like it very much and I think it comes through best in the 240° given the strong contrasts between the black and white. Alternatively, the grey PVD-coated variations come with a tone-on-tone grey dial or vibrant red, orange or blue dials.

Where normally you can bask in the glory of Zeitwinkel’s German Silver, or Maillechort movements, the 240° throws up a dark-tinted curve ball. Instead of the wonderful champagne tones that normally lure you in, the movement’s plates and bridges are now finished with a “Black Or” treatment. This darkened tone still reveals ample amounts of detail, and more importantly a high level of finishing, yet ties in with the stealthy vibe of the rest of the watch. As a result, the gold-coloured wheels and engravings, as well as the weighted band on the rotor, stand out in striking contrast.

The automatic movement, driven by a partially openworked rotor runs at a rate of 28,800vph, or a frequency of 4Hz if you prefer that connotation. It’s fitted with a Glucydur Straumann hairspring and has a rather generous power reserve of 72 hours. This all seems very fitting for such a robust and action-ready watch! The finishing includes bevelled and polished edges, perlage and Côtes de Genève, as well as chamfered and polished screws.

The Zeitwinkel 240° NOIR comes on a very supple yet robust black rubber strap, fitted with a black coated butterfly clasp. The strap itself has a very nice thickness and tapers slightly from case to buckle. The inside is embossed with a multitude of the brand’s logo, with the brand’s name being embossed on the top side of the strap. Price-wise the Zeitwinkel 240° NOIR is the range-topper in the collection, retailing for CHF 17,200 while the other models cost CHF 15,900 (both excluding VAT). It can be purchased directly from Zeitwinkel, or through its network of retailers.

To round things off, I think the 240° NOIR is a sleek and stealthy addition to Zeitwinkel’s already impressive line-up. The fit and finish, even on this pre-production prototype are very good and will be even better in the final watches that will go to clients. It might seem like a fairly straightforward watch at first but there’s a lot to discover. Coating the case in black changes things up quite dramatically yet takes nothing away from the brand’s typical contemporary style. The recessed sections still come through, and details such as the small separation between the lugs and the bezel give it a ton of character without going overboard. I also love the various textures of the dial and the simple yet clear font for the numerals. And finally, there’s the movement, which, even tinted like this, is just a joy to behold!

For more information, please visit Zeitwinkel.ch.