Latest Review
There are a few brands out there whose every release excites us. Whether it’s due to infrequency (thus making every release a big deal) or sheer style, we always look forward to their releases. Defakto is one such brand for… well, both reasons actually. They release one maybe two watches a year, and though they tend to be subtly different than the last, are always a delight to view. Recently, they released their “modular” series (one of which I am wearing while writing this, and I can say without a doubt it’s their best to date… but more on that in a few weeks) and just today they announced another new line, the Struktur.
Following up their first quartz watch, the Detail, the Strukur utilizes the same 40mm x 6.6mm thin case, but introduces something totally new to the Defakto catalog; 3-hands. Yes, to this point, Defakto, who made a name for themselves with one-handed watches, had yet to produce a 3-hander. The Struktur does so in an elegant manner, keeping true to the modern, stark, graphic sensibility of all of their watches. The dials are an exercise in restraint, with thin lines arrayed around the edge of white or black surfaces for the hour and minutes and an equally sparse sub-seconds at 6. Though minimal, as per usual, they look great.
A few of the models standout from the group, with contrast sub-dials. This simple inversion, creating Panda-cyclops’ if-you-will, adds a surprisingly playful element that takes the watches to a new place. One that is a bit more daring and bold. In total there are 4 dials (all white, all black and white w/ black sub, black w/ white sub), mix in with that 2 case finish options, and you also have a nice amount of options to choose from. For my money, the white dial/black sub in a PVD case would be the winner.
The Struktur comes in at $360 in steel and $429 in PVD, all feature Swiss-made Ronda 715 movements and sapphire crystals. This puts them at the high-end for a quartz watch, but low for a German-made watch. As with all Defakto watches, these are made by the Ickler family in Pforzheim, Germany (along side Archimede and LImes) with the utmost skill.
