Kollokium Introduces Projekt 01 Variant “D”

Despite being around for less than a year, kollokium was in the making for four years before it launched its “friends, family, & fools” pre-series. This took the watchmaking world by storm, which kollokium then followed up with Variant “B”, its first official and publicly available model. Having sold out in less than two minutes, this proved that the hype surrounding kollokium was more than just an ephemeral flash in the pan. They have since introduced its third and latest neubrutalist creation, Projekt 01 variant “D”.

Founded in 2020, kollokium comprises three friends in the watchmaking world who have already established their legacies within the industry. Barth Nussbaumer is a reputable watch designer with many years under his belt, having worked on projects with Petermann Bedat, Jaquet Droz, and TAG Heuer. Manuel Emch was also a part of Jaquet Drox and other brands like Louis Erard and Romain Jerome, all of which he steered to better pastures during his tenure. Lastly, there’s Amr Sindi, also known as “The Horophile”, who is well-known within the indie watch scene and for his involvement in several collaborations.

 

On the Dial of Projekt 01 Variant “D”

Kollokium’s Projekt 01 Variant “D” has built upon the foundation laid by Variant “B” with great aplomb. Described as a work of transhumanism,  kollokium applied the same design concept that celebrates form over functionality without compromising its integrity. Seen as a fresh and novel idea to what lo-fi design is meant to be, the dial of Projekt 01 Variant “D” is a 3D reconstruction of an intentionally pixelated image rendered by Adobe Illustrator.

Upon closer inspection, you’ll notice that the dial’s subtly textured black base is set with 468 individually hand-applied cylindrical hour markers. The cylinders have six different diameters and heights, all sandblasted and filled with white X1 grade Super-LumiNova (also by hand) that glows with a bright green emission. This is what gives off its slightly blurry “utility” type dial, which encourages low-key intrigue that needs to be discovered up close.

However, easy readability was at the forefront of the creators’ minds and something they took into account from very early on. The oblong-shaped hour and minute hands are dyed black, and their outlines are filled with white X1 Super-LumiNova. Their positioning makes them seem like they’re floating above the dial. This provides a nice contrast against the bright fluorescent green seconds hand that comes complete with an open triangular counterweight on the other end.

 

Making a Case with Projekt 01 Variant “D”

By now, many would ascertain that the kollokium Projekt 01 Variant “D” was a far cry from conventional high-end watches they have come accustomed to. The founders of kollokium doubled down on its intention to creating something vastly different from the rest of the industry, which is evident not only on the dial, but the case as well. Made of 316L stainless steel, the case wasn’t made using typical machine and milling processes but rather die-casting steel.

Seen as industrial and old-school, the case of Projekt 01 Variant “D” doesn’t feature any embellishing or finishing. In its stead is a uniform, industrial heavy-duty steel tool-like appearance with a specific texture that can only be produced when injecting molten steel into a cast form. This makes the case unexpectedly soft to the touch as it borders somewhere between being matte or frosty, despite its rough exterior.

Due to the die-casting process, the angles and edges of the watch are slightly rounded off while the surface of the steel is neither entirely matte nor sparkly. Unlike the neatly polished and delicately brushed satin-finishes one can find in just about every other watch made, Projekt 01 Variant “D” strongly opposes conformity with its simple die-casted steel in all its industrial glory that is both brutish and raw while still being easy on the eyes and wrist.

The case is made of a two-part construction with the case back taking a sort of barrel-shape alongside cruciform screwdriver-inspired lugs. The watch’s movement in encased within the middle sector and is protected by a steel container, which is fixed on top of the base. On the left of the case, you will spot the project’s full internal dossier name: K,P-n°01.

 

Powering Projekt 01 Variant “D”

While kollokium sees itself as many things, one aspect they would distance themselves from is being considered as a watchmaker. This is because kollokium doesn’t produce its own movements. Instead, they decided to fit the Projekt 01 Variant “D” with La Joux-Perret’s G101 automatic movement with a 68-hour power reserve. The Swiss-made movement can also be found in another popular watch brand, Furlan Marri with its Sector Automatic collection. As kollokium had no hand in producing the movement, they decided to keep the movement unbranded and unadorned.

This is to keep your gaze entirely focused on what’s above the movement, which is the dial. And instead of having a metal bezel, kollokium decided to utilise sapphire box crystal that is completely level with the base of the dial with a flat top to avoid any visual distortion. Both sides of the glass are also coated with an anti-reflective coating, ensuring you get a good and clear view of the time at all times.

At 40 mm, the kollokium Projekt 01 Variant “D” isn’t the biggest nor is it the smallest; while there’s no such thing as one size fits all, it certainly does come close. The watch has a thickness of just 11 mm that includes the sapphire box crystal glass, which accounts for half of its overall height. On the right side of the case, you’ll spot a triangular valve-shaped crown that has a quintessential industrial look and vibe.

To keep the watch fastened and secure, it comes with an anthracite single-piece strap that is textile and elastic with a hook-fastening system. It’s able to stay strapped to your wrist without being too snug whilst also providing breathability to keep itself dry. The design of the strap was inspired by outdoor gear and a certain smart connected watch.