Code41’s Mecascape is Not Not a Clock, Right?

Being subjected to new press releases everyday for watches that often bleed together and tend to all look the same after a while, I have come to appreciate brands and creators that veer toward the weird and wacky end of the spectrum. Even if it’s a product I can’t imagine owning (or one that I honestly don’t even like) I enjoy it when the strange stuff comes across my desk, sometimes for no other reason than it breaks up my day a little bit. At their best, the weird watches become truly desirable objects, and change the way you think about and interact with watches. I don’t know if the new Mecascape by Code41 reaches those heights, but it has certainly proven to be a fun distraction, and maybe it’s the type of weird watch adjacent product that will help to get you through the drudgery of another relentlessly average day. 

First things first: this isn’t a watch. The press materials claim that it’s also not a clock or a pocket watch, but I don’t know if I believe that. I mean, the good folks at Code41 have included a photo of this thing being removed from a pocket. And certainly any device that can be used to tell the time meets some definition of the word “clock,” which is honestly what I think the Mecascape most closely resembles if we simply must slot it into a category. But, of course, we don’t have to do that. Maybe it’s better if we don’t try. 

According to Code41, the name “Mecascape” is a combination of “mechanical” and “landscape.” The widescreen shape of the thing certainly makes you think of an expansive mechanical terrain that just happens to also tell the time. Constructed from grade 5 titanium, the Mecascape is designed to sit on a flat surface, and keeps time with a Swiss made movement (hand wound, of course) that has a full 8 day power reserve. It measures 108 x 71mm and is just 8mm thick. It’s basically the size of a large smartphone or a small tablet, and can be carried around in much the same way you would one of those devices. This one just has a 237 piece mechanical movement ticking away inside of it and serves no practical purpose beyond starting a conversation (nothing to sneeze at).

As a clock (Code41 calls it a “watch-object,” but I just can’t) it’s an undeniably cool design. Code41 has tapped deep into watch and clock making history here by going with a regulator style display that shows hours, minutes, and seconds in separate (but linked) dials. You’ll also find the date displayed within the large minutes dial. There’s a dial displaying a second time zone on the opposite side of the device, and a small indicator showing the power reserve. This, obviously, is no off-the-shelf movement. Code41 collaborated with Cercle des Horlogers, an independent Swiss movement maker based in Neuchâtel on the design. 

There are several practical considerations that have to be made when designing something like the Mecascape if it’s going to be at all functional and not, you know, fall apart upon handling it. One such consideration is ensuring that this thin and long device is rigid enough to resist twisting in a pocket or elsewhere. The rear side of the Mecascape has been covered with a caseback made from titanium, which Code41 insists is strong enough to stand up to normal everyday use (the entirety of the Mecascape’s front facing side is viewable through a large sapphire crystal). Interacting with the Mecascape is also meant to be as easy as possible, and is done through a pair of knurled crowns on each side, one for setting the time and the other for winding. The date is set via a push button that’s set into the case.

Pre-orders for the Mecascape open on November 2, so you’ve still got some time to consider whether or not you’d like to pull the trigger. It seems awfully risky to wait so long to open up orders though, since you never know when another custom made watch-object might come to market and steal your thunder. The retail price for the Mecascape is set at $9,360. Code41