Studio Underd0g Declares War on The Clones, with Av0cado and Guacam0le

Copies of popular products are inevitable. Many cars look alike, many drinks taste the same, and Apple and Android steal from each other every year. There are Submariner wannabes and Royal Oak rip-offs – it’s just how the world works. That said, who doesn’t like a good “Weird Al” Yankovic version of a hit song? Now that Studio Underd0g, the playful UK-based brand with colourful and accessible pieces (many based on food), has “homages” from obscure brands, they decided to have fun with it and “Weird Al” Yankovic a “Weird Al” Yankovic copy of their own watch. The best way to fight a copycat is to simply copy the copycat (and we’re so down with it – bravo). 

Following the discovery of a copy of the Watermel0n model in January 2024, Studio Underd0g enthusiasts began sending tips and updates about more copies. In lieu of taking legal action, founder Richard Benc decided to show a little humour and recreate the “Avocado Color” watch they found from brand copycat Proxima. This new Limited Edition Av0cado joins a second Guacam0le model in the spirit of good fun. The stainless steel cases are 38.5mm in diameter and 12.9mm in height (44.5mm lug-to-lug), so very wearable for a wide audience. There’s a double-domed sapphire crystal and flat exhibition case back, along with 50 metres of water resistance. No corners have been cut here. These are also bicompax chronographs, so you’ll find familiar flat pushers at 2 and 4 o’clock flanking the crown.

The dials are the fun part, mimicking the colours of (you guessed it) avocado or guacamole. Each dial has two layers with a satin sandblasted base and coarse dégradé centre section. The Av0cado dial is yellow with a Studio Underd0g “big eye” 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock in the brownish colour of the pit, while the Guacam0le dial is light green with the 30-minute counter in dark green. The small seconds sub-dial at 9 o’clock is smaller with a snailed pattern (both sub-dials are equally sized on the “Avocado Color” copy). Hour and minute hands are black on both with Super-LumiNova C3, but the chrono seconds hand is green on the Av0cado dial (copying the copy) and black on the Guacam0le. A green tachymeter spans the outermost perimeter on both, but is darker on Guacam0le. Round indices are white on Av0cado and black on Guacam0le, differing from stick indices on the “Avocado Color” copy.

Powering the pair is a bespoke Seagull ST-1901B hand-wound column wheel chronograph with a swan neck regulator – which the brand has managed to secure despite the complex supply of this movement. Studio Underd0g partnered with Horologium to assemble and regulate each movement in the UK – 3 positions with an accuracy of -10/+15 seconds per day. It has 21 jewels, beats at 21,600vph (3Hz) and comes with a 50-hour power reserve. Functions include central hours, minutes and chronograph seconds, 30-minute counter and small seconds. Although not intricately decorated, it’s nicely finished with blued screws and Geneva stripes.

The 20mm straps are from a collaboration with David Richards (The Strap Tailor) and are handmade Italian Epsom Calfskin with Hass Zermatt lining. The tanning process alone takes almost a month to finish, and while fun, these watches punch above their price point at GBP 550, EUR 600 or USD 675.

Both limited edition Av0Cado and Guacam0le models launch on May 8^th for only 9 hours between 3pm and 12am BST. Nothing will be produced beyond this window of orders and the first 800 will be delivered before the end of May. For more information and to place an order (remember, only a 9-hour window), please visit underd0g.com.