This Hand-Chiseled Timepiece Is Inspired By Ancient Arrowheads
Each limited-edition A1 Prehistoric takes more than five hours to chisel by hand.
The latest sculptural timepiece from Anoma Watches channels a decidedly Stone Age sensibility and an impressive level of detail with the A1 Prehistoric Watch.
The stainless steel A1 Prehistoric Watch modifies the flagship dial design of the company, launched in 2023 by former A Collected Man executive Matteo Violet-Vianello. Anoma released its debut model a mere two years ago, as the Ref. A1 TFA24 Anoma A1 later sold at auction for more than $12,000, while this visually striking timepiece delivers another level of detail entirely.
As the watchmaker notes, the A1 itself drew inspiration from a 1950s free form table first designed by Charlotte Perriand, resulting in an eye-catching rounded triangle dial. Set on a nearly monochromatic textured Italian leather strap, the latest update to the ultra-minimal timepiece boasts a clean dial with contrasting silver hands, and as Anoma notes, the A1 “was carefully designed to be as comfortable as possible, on all kinds of wrists,” complete with an utterly unique case shape.
The earliest of human tools, like the axe and the arrowhead, served as primary inspiration for the update to the Anoma A1, as the company’s founder said. “I have always been drawn to them for their primal energy — the way you can feel every violent incision of the human hand, every brutal scar left thousands of years ago,” he said in a statement. For the A1 Prehistoric Watch, that means hand-chiseling across more than five hours to get each fine line and detail just right (or perfectly imperfect, rather). French engraver Steven Brunel takes charge of the chiseling process in a tiny Mornand-en-Forez workshop in the remote Loire region of France.
The sunburst dial itself is also meticulously crafted, while a Swiss automatic Sellita SW100 movement rests within. 600 individual lines are cut into the brass sunburst dial, and a deep anthracite finish calls to mind “the monochromatic appearance of early human tools made from stone and flint,” the watchmaker notes. Clocking in at 39 x 39mm but wearing closer to 37mm, the rounded stainless steel watch is meant to feel “unearthed rather than constructed” when worn on the wrist.
Limited to just 100 units and set for delivery this coming October, the A1 Prehistoric “begins with the essential, sculptural form of the A1 and collides it with the force of the human hand,” the horologist said. The A1 also hails from distinct inspiration driven by the 1930s modernist sculptures of Constantin Brancusi, the watchmaker noted.
Brancusi’s collection of early human hand tools further plays a large part in the idea behind the new A1 Prehistoric Watch, which is sure to become a prized collector’s item. Priced at about $3,900, this vivid and remarkably detailed work of art is quite likely the most distinctive (future) piece in your wrist game collection.