Latest Review
*Check out our full review of the Defakto Eins here.
Recently, Defakto sent us a sample Eins Nachtschicht (Nightshift) to wear and review. I have mentioned a couple of Defaktos (here and here) before, but this is the first chance I’ve had to hold one, or even see one in person. It happened to have arrived the same day as our C. Ward C8 Vintage, which was very fortunate, as they represent very different ideas about watch making and it was great to see them together.
Neither sacrifice quality for frills, but where the C. Ward is an ode to affordable luxury and tradition, the Eins is a stripped down thesis on contemporary design in watches, and the very idea of using a watch. And this can be seen from just the packaging alone.
The C. Ward is cradled in a shell of soft leather and wood that weighs nearly three pounds. It comes with various papers and a microfiber cloth. It’s beautiful and reinforces the quality of the product. The Eins comes in a 3.25″ x 3.25″ x 2.25″ black cardstock box with a slight texture. “DEFAKTO” is screened in white on the top of the box. The watch itself is strapped to a roll of black foam…and that is it, except for the small bag of German gummy bears Mr. Ickler kindly included, but that is probably not standard. The packages speaks to simplicity, truth to materials and a graphic minimalism that defines the look and feel of the brand from the logo to their website…and I can’t tell you how excited I was to see this. In my mind, it confirmed that the aesthetic of the watches and the philosophy of the brand are one. The Eins is not an anomaly in their line up, it’s their standard.
Upon initial inspection, the watch is exactly what you want and expect in this price range: a nice PVD coating, good detailing on the body, a very cleanly printed face and a sturdy strap. It features a sapphire crystal, full lume dial (hence Nightshift model) and an ETA 2824-2 automatic movement, all welcome details. Putting it on, I immediately noticed that the 42mm case is surprisingly thin at about 9mm, which makes for a very comfortable watch. The face is super clean and stands out, giving it a lot of wrist presence despite its svelte profile. And then there is the single, large hand with which you tell the time, the usage of which I’ll tell you about in the full review to follow.
