There are a number of French watch brands making an impact on the industry, and perhaps none more so than Baltic. The Paris based brand has proven adept at bringing their mid-century inspired original designs to life at approachable price points. Their aesthetic generally falls into the ‘classic’ category that’s easy to understand, and feels comfortable at a glance. Because of that, they also feel safe. Their newest watch, the Prismic, takes a step away from that safe territory, and delivers on a more formal note that’s not bereft of confidence. The result is a rather unique take on a genre we don’t see much of these days, and it somehow still delivers the simple Baltic aesthetic we know and love.
A key theme to understanding the Prismic is the concept of layers. Baltic has built up an impressive array of detail through the use of multiple materials and finishes. This begins with the 36mm case which is constructed from steel and titanium in both brushed and polished finishes. The mid-case is titanium with a brushed texture and a slightly darker tone, while the bezel, lugs, and caseback are rendered in steel. The 5-part construction offers a big impact on the overall look and feel of the case, which is a component that far too often feels like something of an afterthought. At this price point, it’s all the more impressive to see the amount of detail they’ve been able to achieve here.
Not content to take a back seat to the case, the dial also gets in on the layering action with a variety of finishes creating contrast between the functional elements. A base guilloché layer hosts a brushed sector at its perimeter creating a separate plane for the application of the hour markers. The cardinal positions get long bars that stretch over the center of the dial, accentuating the dimensionality, while the remainder of the hours are square pyramid like structures that create a notable visual contrast from the expected. These hour markers create a bit of tension between the dauphine hands and chic finishes, making for an overall exciting dial that I suspect will be quite polarizing amongst enthusiasts.
Taken as a whole, the look of the Prismic is quite striking and not without some drama. This is a welcome step away from the predictable, and a further exploration of the brand’s design DNA, which is still very much in its formative stage. This is a chic, bold watch that evokes some of the same era that their sport watches do, albeit in a very different manner. The use of the tight mesh milanese strap brings this vision home, placing it in a different era while never feeling old-fashioned. This is a tough line to walk but Baltic achieves it here.
Inside, Baltic is using the hand-wound Peseux 7001 mechanical movement with 42 hours of reserve. The relatively simple movement has a distinct charm that’s visible through the exhibition caseback. Its use also helps keep the total case thickness to an impressively trim 9.2mm, which includes a domed sapphire crystal.
The Baltic Prismic is offered in 4 dial colors: blue gray, salmon, green, and purple. The price on a metal mesh bracelet is 1050€, while the leather strap will come in at 990€. The first 100 units produced will be numbered, and the pre-order window will be open for 10 days beginning today, February 15th. Deliveries are expected to commence this summer. Baltic
