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The SEVENFRIDAY Carbon PS3/02 Ruby and PS3/01 Jade will get you on the race track! The Swiss brand enters the stage of motorsports but stays true to itself. I promise you: you have never seen sporty racing watches so unconventional…

What makes SEVENFRIDAY different and therefore so special

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Watch my new YouTube video about these two special watches!

The Swiss brand SEVENFRIDAY deviates from the mainstream that usually comes from the heart of the watch world. In recent months, the models have proven to me several times in watch reviews how radically the still young brand breaks with seemingly established customs. A circular case? No way! A dial with traditionally arranged and only cautiously developed elements? Not at all! This approach, which brings a breath of fresh air into the sometimes somewhat unimaginative and repetitive watch industry, has always pleased me. 

In the same way, I am thrilled each time anew by the recognizable signature that runs like a red thread through each new design. I think the SEVENFRIDAY models always look a bit “spaced out”. If I were in charge of costume design for Star Wars, I’d give every species a timepiece like this. It’s almost ironic that the models are then somewhere still traditional mechanical wristwatches and fall back on functionalities that have hardly changed for decades. 

Well, a bridge to the virtual world – or whatever you want to call it – is built after all. The SEVENFRIDAY M2/04, with which the manufacturer presented itself and the fans on its 10th anniversary, was already equipped with an NFC chip. It enables entry into an exclusive community called “UPO7F”. The abbreviation stands for United People of SEVENFRIDAY. Communication then takes place via app. Events in the real world, including goodies such as limited-edition whiskeys, take customer loyalty to the brand to a new level. 

Jade and Ruby

Photo © 2023 by WATCHDAVID® David Drilling – All rights reserved

Logically, the M2/04 is not a flash in the pan and SEVENFRIDAY continues to expand the idea. And so the latest two additions to the model range also benefit from the technology that is otherwise also used to scan ID cards via smartphone. The new additions are identical except for the color scheme – fraternal twins, so to speak. Officially, they are called PS3/01 and PS3/02, but since this is more reminiscent of a game console than a watch, even SEVENFRIDAY refers to them as Jade and Ruby

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Probably their most exciting feature is the new case, which is partly made of carbon. In the past, SEVENFRIDAY has always been known for making its watches out of unconventional materials. You remember: the SEVENFRIDAY FREE-D 2 comes from the 3D printer! Carbon is associated in our memory with firmly anchored ideas. This material is used to build motorsport-ready cars that are regularly pushed to the limit by their drivers. Carbon defies the high stress like hardly any other material yet remains very light. Thanks to its good properties, carbon fiber composite has also proven its worth in other industries such as medical technology – and in the watchmaking industry.

The SEVENFRIDAY Carbon PS3/02 Ruby on the wrist

SEVENFRIDAY Carbon PS3/02 Ruby
Photo © 2023 by WATCHDAVID® David Drilling – All rights reserved

SEVENFRIDAY sent me the PS3/02 Ruby for this review. But: this is also valid for the sister model Jade, which only has a different accent color, as already described. Personally, I find this mint to turquoise tone even more beautiful than the aggressive red of the Ruby. This may be due to the fact that I am a great lover of Tiffany blue watches. As always, it’s a matter of taste. Most motorsport fans will probably go for the Ruby. Red just stands for speed, temperament and of course Ferrari.

In the center of the dial, just behind the skeletonized upper dials and hands, there is an imposing carbon structure in a honeycomb look, reminiscent of a radiator grille. In combination with the hour index in the style of a tachometer display, the dial of the Ruby (and Jade) makes a first-class impression. An appearance with an announcement! Visually, I would already consider the PS3 as an alternative to well-known luxury watches like those of Richard Mille, which are also prescribed in motorsports. SEVENFRIDAY doesn’t copy but does its own thing.

Just as it is with non-circular watches: they are big. The PS3 is no exception. More than 47 millimeters seem huge on the wrist; even more so due to the special shape, which generates more surface area with a comparable diameter. The characteristic shape of the case is supposed to be reminiscent of an old television, which is why SEVENFRIDAY also speaks of a “TV shape”. In everyday use, this sometimes even causes the watch to resemble an oversized Apple Watch with a special display background when viewed from afar.

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Fine tuning: the case explained in detail

Photo © 2023 by WATCHDAVID® David Drilling – All rights reserved

The case consists of various elements that can be put together to form a complex composition. First, there is the PVD coating, which covers a large part of the case and makes it more durable, scratch-resistant and long-lasting. The structure underneath is conventional stainless steel, which is also used to make the caseback. However, when we wear the Ruby on our wrist, we see something different, namely the checkerboard pattern of carbon fibers on the bezel. I already explained a few lines earlier why the watch industry has also discovered the material with enthusiasm.

However, this is not the end of the story. The successful carbon look is cornered by a white frame, for which SEVENFRIDAY uses resin. It structures the watch and takes away some of the “clunkiness” that wristwatches with blak cases tend to have. The final touch to the SEVENFRIDAY Carbon PS3/02 Ruby is the brand’s signature animation ring, which has become a SEVENFRIDAY signature. In this case, the designers have opted for carbon fiber. It reminds me a lot of trim elements that accentuate air intakes or windows on cars. 

For a premium watch in the low four-digit price segment, one expects sapphire crystal. That’s what the customer gets, with an anti-reflective coating. The manufacturer specifies the water resistance of the SEVENFRIDAY Carbon PS3 at 10 bar. 

Under the hood

Photo © 2023 by WATCHDAVID® David Drilling – All rights reserved

Engine is what SEVENFRIDAY calls the movement that powers the Carbon PS3/02 Ruby. The expression could hardly be more appropriate for a motorsport homage like this one. The engine, the motor of the timepiece, comes from Miyota. Its 82S5 has a respectable power reserve of 42 hours. However, points are deducted for the accuracy, which is only -20 to +40 seconds.

Dial and bracelet

SEVENFRIDAY Carbon PS3/02 Ruby
Photo © 2023 by WATCHDAVID® David Drilling – All rights reserved

SEVENFRIDAY is synonymous with creatively crafted dial designs. What the Carbon PS3/02 Ruby has to offer, however, is remarkably elaborate even for the Swiss brand. Four dial levels, artfully skeletonized, create a depth that is breathtaking to behold. Past two upper dials on which the hands are arranged, you look through the honeycomb radiator grille structure right into the heart of the watch. All elements give the Ruby a technical character that illustrates inspiration from motorsports. 

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SEVENFRIDAY Carbon PS3/02 Ruby
Photo © 2023 by WATCHDAVID® David Drilling – All rights reserved

In contrast to the FREE-D 2, reading the dial is much easier. Admittedly, the readability of the hands is still not optimal in the teeming layers. However, practicality is not the point here. If you’re looking for that, you won’t find it on the SEVENFRIDAY. The small second hand was removed and placed at 4 o’clock. 

Visually, the black leather strap matches the case well. Two different surface textures also structure the design here. In everyday life, I liked the wearing comfort. A pin buckle ensures a secure fit. 

My conclusion about the SEVENFRIDAY Carbon PS3/02 Ruby (and PS3/01 Jade)

Two new references have been released by SEVENFRIDAY: both have it all. The Carbon PS3/02 Ruby and PS3/01 Jade are visual masterpieces that do not take their cues from existing watches but take their inspiration elsewhere. Race track, motor sports, fascination with technology – these are the attributes that the two timepieces exude. The result is a complex design with sensitively coordinated elements. Components include the color and arrangement of the upper dials, the carbon fiber structure, the white bezel border, the animation ring, and much more I could name. Ultimately, though, you’ll have to make up your own mind about these fascinating wristwatches. It’s worth it.   

Photo © 2023 by WATCHDAVID® David Drilling – All rights reserved

Lastly, I would like to briefly discuss the packaging, which is in stark contrast to the sporty and technical wristwatch. For this, I can only recommend you my unboxing video, which I have linked to you above. There you can see the original wooden box particularly well. 

Both sister models cost USD 1,688.00 (excl. VAT). This corresponds to about 1,550.00 euros (excl. VAT) and is more than justified in view of the high-quality materials and the first-class workmanship. As always, you can find all other links below.

More about SEVENFRIDAY and the Carbon PS3/02 Ruby as well as the PS3/01 Jade

Here you can find the Ruby in the store

The Jade model in the SEVENFRIDAY store

More SEVENFRIDAY watch reviews in my blog

Watch photography

Gallery

Technical Details

NameCarbon PS3 Ruby, Jade

Reference numberPS3/01, PS3/02

BrandSEVENFRIDAY

Categorydress watches / skeleton watch

Price fromUSD 1,688.00 (excl. VAT)

Warranty2 years

Case Material316L stainless steel / carbon / PVD coating / Resin

Diameter47.00 mm

HighN/A

Watch Glassanti-reflective coating / Sapphire Crystal

Watch TypeAutomatic

Waterproof10 bar (100 m / 330 ft)

Movement NameMiyota 82S5

Power Reserve42 hours

Functionshour / Minute / small second

Dialred, turquoise

Indicesdashes

Special Featuresindices filled with luminous material / NFC Chip

Bezelblack / Carbon

Bracelet Colorblack

Bracelet Materialleather

Clasppin buckle

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