Earlier this year Baltic introduced a new not-quite-formal collection called the Prismic, and while the dials could be considered polarizing, the new case constructed of steel and titanium was a home run. This week, the brand is adding a new dimension to the collection with a trio of stone dial variations, each based on a city that represents an important part of the brand’s heritage and future. Stone dials are having something of a comeback these days, and these new watches from Baltic do two things: stone dials don’t have to be prohibitively expensive, and they can be used outside of the deeply formal genres we generally expect to see them in.
When I think of stone dials my mind immediately goes to Piaget for some reason. While other brands have used stone dials, Piaget manages to capture an evocative feeling in their use of stone that celebrates not only the texture and color, but also an era. Baltic has also proven quite adept at capturing an era in their design language, and these new Prismic watches do just that with an added sense of depth thanks to the stones chosen.
The three dials are jade green representing New York; red agate representing London; and lapis lazuli representing the brand’s home city of Paris. New York and London are home to showrooms for the brand as of this year, allowing visitors to view the current collection and make purchases in person. The cities are an important milestone for the brand in terms of expansion and exposure, and also set an important tone as to how the brand positions itself. It’s also worth noting that each of these watches will be limited to 200 examples produced.
The Prismic Stone collection uses the same 36mm case that measures just 9.2mm in thickness housing the manually winding ETA Peseux 7001 movement. The case features a 5 piece construction, and offers a mix of finishes and tones thanks to the use of steel and titanium. There’s a lot of structure to find and appreciate with this case, and even though the dimensions are very much old school, it doesn’t come off as a tiny watch by any stretch. The strong lines of the case place this watch in a decidedly less formal space than you might imagine. This is also what makes the use of stone dials all the more compelling, as it places them in an unexpected context.
Stone dials are typically associated with the jewelry aspect of a watch, and these feel… different than that. These watches have an everyday quality about them that falls just short of a tool watch, but not quite formal wear, either. The result is one of the most interesting watches to come from the brand yet, and a break from convention for the stone dial.
The Prismic Stone collection is priced from €1,250.00 (≈$1,387.50) on a leather strap, and from €1,310.00 (≈$1,454.10) on a mesh steel bracelet. All three will be available from Baltic as well as authorized partners beginning Thursday September 19th at 4pm, Paris time (that’s 10am on the east coast). Baltic
