American watchmakers are, alas, somewhat of a rarity (in comparison to the Swiss at least) so it is always a great experience to across a brand from the good old US of A who are doing things right and releasing first class watches in limited runs and ensuring the quality of the wares that they produce.
Few are doing this better right now than Chicago based Oak & Oscar and their latest limited edition goes by the name of the Sandford and, if you were a fan of their debut piece, the Burnham, then this is more of the glorious same (with plenty of new coolness thrown in as well).
Legendary Status
Named after Sandford Fleming, who was a a Scottish-born engineer and inventor who relocated to Canada in the mid-1800’s. He was the man behind the creation of a large portion of the Canadian railway and was also one of the biggest proponents of the use of standardized time zones so, as you can see, he was a man who was serious about time and the Oak & Oscar Sandford Watch does a magnificent job of celebrating his accomplishments.
This brilliant to look at and Swiss powered GMT watch is certainly an understated offering and one we’re particularly fond of here at Manhattan Time Service – not least because of its American roots. The Sandford Watch from Oak & Oscar has an independent GMT hand and a rotating inner bezel and boasts a 40mm watch face that is just about spot on size wise for those men who want a classically stylish watch that still makes quite the visual impact.
Mesmerising Features & Design
Designing and crafting a watch is an incredibly difficult undertaking, particularly when you don’t have hundreds of years of watchmaking tradition behind you so taking stock of what small, American watchmakers Oak & Oscar have accomplished with their incredible Sandford timepiece is essential.
Wonderfully well designed with a custom case, complimented with a charcoal grey sandwich dial, dark grey hands and finished off with an orange seconds hand with a custom counter balance, the whole thing is just a joy to behold. The inner workings of this beautifully crafted timepiece are there to be enjoyed through the sapphire crystal case back and you’ll likely find yourself mesmerised by the movements you witness.
Old School Cool
There is a certain retro appeal to the Oak & Oscar Sandford watch that extends far beyond the iconic gentleman after which it was named and the understated aesthetics and first class components used in its construction make it a wonderful addition to any watch aficionados collection of timepieces. It boasts a striking 20mm tapered leather strap, which is crafted from Horween leather made at the workshops of Indiana-based Woodnsteel and, courtesy of the orange undertones it has, it will develop a mighty impressive patina with continued wear over time.
No content with offering this amazing horween leather strap, the Oak & Oscar Sandford Watch also comes replete with an equally as stylish olive green premium nylon strap which means you can chop and change your choice of strap and completely change the look and feel of your timepiece – a pretty nice touch, we’re sure you’ll agree.
The actual timepiece itself is put together and rigorously put through its pace in the United States by a highly-talented team of watch experts at Ohio-based Lum-Tec.
Awesome Add-Ons Just Keep On Coming
The Oak & Oscar Sandford is the watch that just keeps on giving, Not only do you get the fantastic watch (with the extra nylon strap), you’ll also be treated to a matching leather watch wallet which has been conceived and designed by Oak & Oscar founder, Chase, and crafted by the super cool brand, Defy Mfg Co, who are a fellow Chicago apparel and accessory purveyor.
To really understand the unparalleled excellence of this timepiece from new American watchmakers, Oak & Oscar, we’ve outlined the full list of features that you’ll enjoy if you’re lucky enough to get your hands on one below:
- Bespoke sandwich dial with Super-LumiNova BGW9
- Tapered, Horween leather strap with signed buckle
- Modular leather watch wallet to hold three watches in detachable suede pouches and strap tool. Made of Horween and Tasman leather
- Double-domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating
- Soprod C125 automatic 25 jewel mechanical Swiss movement with independent GMT hand
- Color-matched date wheel with window at 6 o’clock
- Signed, screw-down crowns with internal gaskets
- 10 ATMs water resistance (200 meters)
- Limited Edition of only 300 serialized pieces; 200 in stainless steel and 100 in charcoal PVD
Needless to say, that’s a pretty sweet line up of features for any timepiece but when you factor in the American design and construction coupled with the relative affordability of the piece (under $2k) then we’re not expected the incredible Oak & Oscar Sandford watch to be sitting on the shelves for long and you’ll need to move quickly if you want to be one of the lucky three hundred who manage to get one on their wrist.
Available: Oak & Oscar