The Xeric Invertor II Flips Watchmaking Around

Who remembers discovering the charm of mechanical watches? We sure do. It’s the beating heart of this hobby and of the whole wide world of tiny machines that we love to collect. The folks at Xeric seem to agree, and they make the movement the star of the show with the Invertor II Automatic, a watch that turns things upside down in more ways than one. Call it a conversation piece, a new space age icon, or simply a fun watch – we think it’s a ton of fun.

The Invertor II looks like it was beamed to Earth from another planet – even its case resembles a UFO or space pod. It measures 42.9mm wide, 44.7mm long, and 12.4mm thick, dimensions that are pleasantly compact for a watch that makes such an impressive visual impact. An enamel-filled crown is flanked by crown guards and lives at the 12 o’clock position. As an homage to retro driving watches, the Invertor II’s time display runs along the bottom flank of the case along a revolving drum demarcated by 15-minute increments. Depending on the configuration and color, the time-telling aperture features generous amounts of lume in various styles for excellent visibility in the dark.

Moving from the side of the case to the top, we are greeted with a flipped view of the caliber inside, the Miyota 82N4, and its custom rotor designed by Xeric. The rotor itself is also lumed and adds to the space-age look of the watch. It’s also protected by an anti-reflective sapphire crystal. On the edges of the exhibition case (front!), a decorative bezel matches the caseback design. Thanks to the vertically brushed finish all around the case and bezel, the Invertor II is at once futuristic and retro. All models are paired with 20mm Horween leather straps with tool-free quick release systems. Water resistance is rated to 30 meters.

The Invertor II is Xeric’s celebration of the mechanical watch as a concept. By flipping the idea on its head (quite literally), Xeric reminds its wearers just how amazing it is that these tiny machines are constantly working to deliver something as simple as time. You can pre-order the Invertor for $499, and full MSRP at launch is $750. Xeric’s avant-garde design chops don’t end with the Invertor II, however; on June 17th at 10AM PST, the brand will also launch a Kickstarter for The Retroscope, which you can check out here. To learn more about the Invertor II, the Retroscope, and all things Xeric, visit xeric.com.