With the SEVENFRIDAY M2/04, the innovative manufacturer celebrates its 10th anniversary. Time to look back, but above all to look forward. A new app, its own community and various invitations for watch owners are waiting on the horizon. But first, the “Whisky” is being tested. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it?
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SEVENFRIDAY is celebrating its birthday. For the 10th anniversary of the Swiss brand, they have made a present for themselves and their loyal customers. Of course, how could it be otherwise, it’s about a watch. The watch itself looks extraordinary. Sure, that’s true of pretty much every watch SEVENFRIDAY currently makes. And from a purely visual point of view, the model simply called M2/04 is not as spectacular as, for example, the SEVENFRIDAY FREE-D 2, which, after all, came out of the 3D printer and pretty much outshone everything known on the market so far. Instead, everything is a bit more down-to-earth and somehow more traditional here. This also fits the nickname “The Whisky”. That the point.
What’s most interesting are the opportunities for interaction that SEVENFRIDAY offers its customers. This starts with a new app that will shape the future “UPO7F” community. The “futuristic” acronym stands for United People of SEVENFRIDAY. There is an NFC chip on the back of the watch. It’s easy to use: scan the chip with your smartphone, register, and you’ve joined the elite club of other M2/04 owners. Who wouldn’t want to belong to that?
But the UPO7F club can do a whole lot more. At least that is what SEVENFRIDAY promises. In addition to the function of a social media app including exchange among each other, offers and invitations are to be sent out. One of these will be the release of 300 bottles of a very special single malt Scotch whisky. The concept sounds exciting and reminds me a bit of NFT communities where similar gatherings are held. If the idea becomes successful, I can imagine many brands choosing this route in the future to strengthen the bond with their customers.
For this to happen, however, the product first must be great. What’s the point of setting up an app, your own whiskey, and a meeting if the watch it’s all about is a flop? That’s where this watch review comes in. At the beginning, I’m interested in the packaging, of course. SEVENFRIDAY’s packaging is traditionally extravagant, may come hot off the press from the 3D printer and is in any case a collector’s item.
I expected nothing less from the SEVENFRIDAY M2/04. I was not disappointed, that much is certain. The “packaging” is a genuine wooden box – no, not an imitation. A square wooden barrel in which “The Whisky” is stored, you could say. It captivates with the company mascot Riley, a bear printed several times. The box was designed by artist Kata Kerekes. If you pull out the lid, a red microfiber cloth is hidden underneath. On it is a barcode that gives access to the community. The M2/04 is stored securely in a foam cradle.
A beast! That’s the first thought that comes to mind about the watch. The case has a brute diameter of 47.60 by 47 millimeters. The rounded, square shape makes the M2/04 look even larger than a comparable model with a circular case. So make sure you understand how the wristwatch will look on your wrist in everyday use. You have to be able to wear the dimensions.
Once you’ve understood that, you’ll notice how classic the SEVENFRIDAY M2/04 actually is. But somehow it’s not at all, it all depends on your idea of what you find classic. The timepiece is not a typical three-hand watch with 12 digits and a date window. What is classic here is the dignified brown leather strap, the serif font of the dial and the gold-colored sides of the stainless steel case. On the first press pictures, the M2/04 was placed next to a whisky glass. The matching location: probably some kind of gentlemen’s club.
However, the watch cannot really be assigned to a clichéd situation or a fixed “area of use”. I would perhaps describe it as the watch for special occasions that you don’t wear every day and that is always an eye-catcher, precisely because it so skillfully combines traditional elements with futuristic ones. At the same time, it is more down-to-earth and more suitable for everyday use than the FREE-D. The intermediate conclusion: purely visually, the SEVENFRIDAY M2/04 is a worthy anniversary watch!
It’s breathtaking, how much effort has been put into the design of the case. The polished stainless steel makes a good impression and feels high quality. The M2/04 is made in China. SEVENFRIDAY proves impressively that this does not have to be a disadvantage compared to Swiss manufacturing. An elegant, engraved line with black Berlac painting runs through the case in the bezel area and gives the watch structure.
The most exciting part of the case, however, is the so-called animation ring. The term refers to the purely decorative element that extends once around the side of the case, shimmers in gold and delights with an eye-catching pattern. In keeping with the whisky theme of the M2/04, it has a Bouchonné design. It can be compared to the effect achieved by dabbing a cork over a freshly painted surface. Depending on the reference, SEVENFRIDAY uses the animation ring to create a design adapted to each watch with different materials. The Bouchonné surface has a PVD coating that protects against scratches. The sapphire crystal, which has received an anti-reflective coating, does the same.
On the case back, you can see the position of the NFC chip from the successful artwork that covers it. The SEVENFRIDAY M2/04 can withstand water splashes. However, I would strongly advise against swimming or even diving due to the water resistance up to a maximum of 3 bar.
The SEVENFRIDAY M2/04 is powered by an automatic movement. It is a 8215 from Miyota. Once fully wound, it has a maximum power reserve of 40 hours. The large crown is fluted and sits – somewhat unusually – at 9 o’clock. On its top, there is an engraved ‘M’, which stands for the collection.
It takes a little time to get used to the new way of reading the intricately designed dial, which is anything but conventional. Everything important takes place only in the right quarter of the dial. The time is read from the outside in, or from right to left. From the hour ring with marked half-hour increments, you move to the rhodium-plated minute ring with 5-minute increments.
The exact reading of a time like 9:48 is only possible by estimation by eye. However, this is not dramatic, since one can misestimate by 2 to 3 minutes at the most. Nevertheless. It won’t be as uncomplicated as with a common three-hand watch. On the other hand, you have to mention that the focus isn’t on functionality at all. Whether it’s 9:48 or already 9:49 – it doesn’t matter. You just take things a little more leisurely. In a busy everyday life, this attitude is helpful.
The brand’s iconic logo is framed by serif lettering. “SEVENFRIDAY AGED 10 YEARS” is the apt inscription. This is how “The Whisky” draws attention to its special nature as an anniversary model.
SEVENFRIDAY has chosen exactly the right bracelet. Nothing would have suited a whisky watch better than brown, rustic leather. It is calfskin, adorned with brown stitching. The quality is at a premium level. A SEVENFRIDAY M2/04 is simply a pleasure to wear on the wrist thanks to the soft interior. The brand’s lettering has been discreetly embossed. A brushed stainless steel buckle completes the good overall impression.
SEVENFRIDAY has given itself and us a worthy birthday present. With its very own design language, the M2/04 represents the philosophy of the Swiss brand. You either love it or you can’t do anything with it. For those who think that a good watch design should be functional, they are in for a bit of a culture shock here. The animation ring and the dial are ingenious, but anything but functional. However, that is not the point here. You don’t have to understand the SEVENFRIDAY phenomenon, you have to experience it.
In the case of the Whisky-M2/04, however, only 300 people will be able to enjoy it. That’s how many copies were produced on the occasion of the 10th anniversary. Whoever is one of the lucky owners can look forward to a fascinating timepiece that convinces with quality and redefines the term wristwatch. Cost: the equivalent of about USD 1,640.00.
In the following I have linked you everything important to the watch!
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