Archimede Does Classic German Design at a Fair Price with the new 1950-4

The 1950’s were a unique time in terms of both manufacturing and design. Post-war Europe and the United States were, in many ways, still reeling from the previous decade’s global conflict while also enjoying the benefits of a revitalized economy. This, in turn, created a boon of creativity and a sort of mid-century design renaissance that is still admired today.

One company that has looked back to the archival design language of the 1950’s is German brand Archimede. The 1950’s collection nods to the design language of this decade with a visually flat dial and an array of small design details which shows a knowledge and respect for this time period.

Their latest in the collection, the 1950-4, continues this study in mid-century excellence with new dial executions in green and black, with a variety of strap pairing options to choose from. While the new watches have a subtle charm to them at first glance, it’s the small details that really shine.

For starters, each of the references is a 40mm stainless steel ICKLER case with a classic Arabic numeral dial layout and a subsidiary seconds scale at the 6 o’clock mark. A railroad track pattern circumvents the dial, adding just enough detail to be visually appealing without detracting from the overall clean visuals. Most interesting, perhaps, are the lumed hands, numerals, and indices which were inspired by the use of radium in vintage watches, and light up in a charming nod to the past (but don’t worry – it’s not radioactive). 

The 1950-4 is the first in the 1950s collection to be both manually winding (powered by a SW 261-1M movement) and to include a small seconds subdial on the watch, marking an evolution in the direction of Archimede’s 1950’s line-up. Each iteration shows the versatility of the classic design as the brand continues to mine archival details while updating them for the modern wearer.

You can purchase any of the six references of the 1950-4 model now on Archimede’s website, with prices beginning at €960.00.