Latest Review
Defakto is a German watch brand known for its commitment to minimalist design. Alongside Limes and Archimede, Defakto is owned by the famed Ickler family, who has been in the business of producing high quality watchcases in Germany since 1924. Defakto was founded in 2009 by Raphael Ickler, whose minimalist vision has guided the brand since day one. In the past, we’ve reviewed a number of different watches from Defakto’s catalogue, among them the Akkord, the Akkord Modular, the Eins, and the Detail. Each watch was expertly executed, punching well above their weight with impressive fit and finish. Last week Defakto quietly revealed their newest watch–the Kinetik–and it’s the coolest one yet, boasting a design ethos that exemplifies simple done right.
The Kinetik comes in a 3-piece case housing an ETA 2824-2. At 39mm, the Kinetic is a great subdued size relative to the rest of the market, and it’s also the smallest watch Defakto currently makes. The stainless steel case is available in two finishes–brushed SS and PVD.
But the case here isn’t the real story, not by a long shot. The most interesting aspect of the watch is the face, where a unique handset and dial offer immediate readability of the time. The dial houses two separate tracks, an outer minutes track and an internal hours track–both represented via simples hash marks. The handset consists of two skeletonized rectangles and a simple needle for the seconds. The hours-hand is designed to frame markers along the hours track and the minutes-hand frames markers on both the minutes and hours tracks. When they stack or overlap, they create interesting shapes adding to the complexity of the dial.
And for one second each hour, all three hands superimpose to create a geometric shape on the dial. It’s a stark design that, unlike most minimalist watches being released by the droves today, actually offers a look you won’t find anywhere else. The dial is available in two flavors, matte white with black hands and black markers, and matte black with painted white hands and markers.
At approximately $538 (stainless steel) and $634 (PVD), the Defakto Kinetic presents a compelling value. No other brand produces a watch in Germany (in this case, Pforzheim) with an ETA movement at this price point. Combine that with the wholly unique design, and you get a value proposition that is practically unparalleled.
To purchase, head over to Defakto’s online store. The current lead-time is approximately 3-4 weeks
