"While it might be cynical to say that Toledano & Chan's b/1 is a completely original design - no watch is born in a vacuum, after all, and this one clearly borrows liberally from the vintage Rolex Midas - there's plenty to love about this quirky piece. Conceived by British-born, NYC-based conceptual artist Phil Toledano and Hong Kong-based collector Alfred Chan, it marries Brutalism and luxury in a way that feels familiar to significantly more expensive pieces from larger brands."
"The first b/1 - which features a stainless steel case married to a lapis lazuli dial - immediately grabbed the watch world's attention when it was unveiled in 2024. Its case, inspired by the windows on the Met Breuer building in New York City, was immediately different, even if it took a page out of the Rolex Midas book, particularly with its left-hand "destro" crown configuration and integrated bracelet with seamless links."
Many microbrands release derivative, poorly executed watches, yet some originals show attention to detail and founder passion. Toledano & Chan's b/1 blends Brutalist geometry with luxury finishing, drawing on vintage Rolex Midas cues while recalling high-end designs like Bulgari Octo Finissimo and vintage Piaget. The initial b/1 paired a stainless steel case with a lapis lazuli dial and a case inspired by the Met Breuer windows, featuring a left‑hand "destro" crown and an integrated bracelet with seamless links. An automatic Sellita movement kept the price at $4,000, and the b/1.2 with Tahitian mother-of-pearl sold out at $5,700.
Read at InsideHook
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]