If you’re looking for a bit of culture, and a bit of fun, well then UNDONE have done it.
UNDONE sent me the Calavera Neón for a hands-on review, and it was a series of firsts for me. First watch with a dial quite like this one; first use of a flyback chronograph; first experience with a mechaquartz movement; first time seeing a UV-reactive piece as opposed to lume. From a spec standpoint, it’s a great set at the price ($365), but where my attention is primarily drawn lies in in the visual ties to Día de los Muertos – Day of the Dead. The watch’s sugar skull dial is truly something special, with bright, bold colors and a striking layout that makes use of nearly every available millimeter of dial space. I appreciate that the watch is an invitation to learn, as opposed to simply bright colors in a space. Don’t get me wrong – I love bright colors either way – but UNDONE’s intentional choice to highlight and pay tribute to Día de los Muertos is well-taken and allows for the wearer to feel a little bit of that magic that comes from the November celebration.
On the wrist, it wears comfortably; at 40mm, the case size is a common one, and the slightly domed crystal takes the thickness to just shy of 14mm. One of the first things to note is that there is no running seconds hand without the chronograph engaged. The center hour and minute hands move inconspicuously as the day goes on, with the skull’s right eye serving as a 24-hour hand. The neon blue center seconds hand, once activated, ticks at a quicker pace than your average quartz movement and could trick the eye any day into thinking it’s an automatic. By extension, the skull’s left eye is the chronograph minute counter, and when each hand is inevitably pointing in an entirely different direction, taking on a life of its own, the fun of having a complication such as a flyback chronograph is wholly apparent.
The strap that the Calavera Neón is fitted with is a leather underside, canvas topside two-piece strap with quick release spring bars. It’s soft and easy-wearing, but with a lug width of 20mm, the temptation to try it out on any number of strap options will always be present. I could see a black or dark grey nato-style strap working really well, or perhaps a suede leather strap in charcoal or chocolate brown. The bright and exciting dial will pop no matter what, so let your inner decorator out and see what combinations work best for you.
Now I know I mentioned it earlier, but this watch is not lumed. Instead, it reacts with UV light and essentially switches into dark mode.
For many reasons, this is super cool. But to me, the coolest of the cool is that this plays on the glow-in-the-dark type of makeup and mask-making that is seen so frequently at celebrations for Día de los Muertos. Once the lights go out, it’s like another world opens up, and quite literally at that, as one of the hopes of the celebration is to remind the dead of what they mean to those who are still living. Now, I haven’t had the watch here for long enough to see anyone in the afterlife has taken notice and come to say “hello,” but it’s only been a few weeks, so that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily ruled out either ;)
If your wrist is in need of some excitement, maybe the Calavera Neón will scratch that itch for your collection. But whether this neon sugar skull visage calls your name or not, take this review as a little reminder to research something new whenever you get the chance. Yes, the watch is exciting and fun to have, but I spent just as much time diving into the cultural history it displays as I did physically with the watch itself. So go on, live a little - or live a lot, your call - and learn about the world around you.
As always, wherever you are, and wherever you’re going, many thanks for stopping by.