Beyond the impossible-to-ignore layered dial, the monobloc steel case adds another element that sets the watch apart. Kollokium uses diecasting to construct the case – yes, diecasting like your old Matchbox toy cars. The technique gives the case a matte, tool-watch-ready-for-anything vibe. With a crown shape, Kollokium says it calls it ‘valve’; that’s another difference-maker, too. I have the FFF&F version of the Projekt 02, and it wears and feels like a very sturdy watch, that’s surprisingly compact on my relatively small wrist, thanks to the 39.5 mm diameter, sharply downward-angled lugs, and a lug-to-lug distance I measured at about 46 mm.
The strap remains an elastic stretch fabric with a hook fastener made by Delugs. It’s practical and comfortable, and it comes in a dark grey shade, which Kollokium calls anthracite, that furthers the darker themes of this version.
Beneath the dial and behind the closed caseback beats an unfinished La Joux-Perret G101 movement that gets the job done without drama. Kollokium’s three founders, Manuel Emch (the numbers guy), Amr Sindi (the design, words, and messaging guy), and Barth Nussbaumer (the design guy and veteran watch and jewelry designer), don’t claim to be watchmakers. The movement is a means to an end – that being making a unique, time-only, sculptural dial, design-driven watch – and sits in the background while the design traits of the watch do the talking.
Andy Hoffman
2026-03-16 15:00:00