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Watch history is often the story of unsung heroes. Zenith is commonly credited as the creator of the first automatic chronograph, while their collaborator Movado is often a footnote, if mentioned at all. The Omega Speedmaster, famously the first watch worn on the moon, gets most of the street cred when discussing out-of-this-world watches. However, any mention of the actual first watch worn in space, the Sturmanskie, is a deep cut rarely discussed. Mid-century watch cases tend to follow the same trend. While brands like Rolex, IWC and Zenith were busy becoming household names, the third party manufacturers making the cases of their renowned classics worked diligently in the shadows.
One such case designer and manufacturer was Dennison, a brand you may never have heard of, but undoubtedly handled if you are a fan of vintage luxury Swiss watches. Founded in 1874 by Aaron Lufkin Dennison (who the ALD collection is named after), Dennison became a powerhouse of both design forward and spec focused watch cases. Their patented air and water tight cases could be found on the wrists of members of the British Military, housed the famous Smith dials that submitted Everest in 1953 and even accompanied Lt. Commander Lithgow when he broke the world air speed record. Dennison went dormant after the 1960’s and, like many other once-defunct brands that followed suit with the emergence of the quartz crisis, has risen from the ashes. Resurrection stories can be hit and miss, leading many enthusiasts (including me) to develop a wariness toward what has the potential to feel more like a cash grab than sincere continuation of a brand’s story. After spending time with Dennison’s freshman collection after their relaunch, I’m of the opinion they are setting a high bar for revival stories.
A Notable Case
I’d planned on starting this review with the dials. As I waited for the mail truck to arrive, drooling over photos of the Aventurine, Malachite, Tiger’s Eye, and Lapis Lazuli stone dials of the ALD collection, it seemed like the logical choice. And while I was certainly impressed with them when I opened a box containing the Tiger Eye and Malachite variants, it was surprisingly the simple case that won me over. As watch enthusiasts, we tend to applaud complex cases that display complicated finishing. Dennison, a brand with real case-making pedigree, could have undoubtedly produced any case they wanted to pair with the mostly sterile dials of the ALD collection. Rather than distracting from the dials with unnecessary details, they instead opted to complement them with an equally subtle case, making uniformly rounded edges look effortless in the process.
As described on Dennison’s website, the ALD collection features their classic cushion case, inspired by the 1960s and designed by Emmanuel Gueit, famed designer of the AP Royal Oak Offshore. Available in gold PVD and stainless steel and measuring in with a width of 33.65 mm, the ALD collection would feel at home on most wrists and wears true to its 37mm lug to lug thanks to a lugless design. Allowing the option to customize your order, Dennison offers leather straps in brown, blue, green, and black, each featuring a signed cushion-shaped clasp.
At only 6.05mm thick, the ALD collection sits remarkably flat on the wrist. After I grew accustomed to having an entire case edge occasionally dig into my arm (it’s more comfortable than a crown but not something I’ve previously encountered in my 10mm+ thick collection) I learned to appreciate the unique wearing experience. Members of the thin wrist club (I’m not) and those that wear shirts with cuffs (I don’t) might appreciate the slim profile without an acclimation period. In addition to a sapphire crystal that sits flush with the case and a recessed crown that is discrete yet easy to operate, at the core of the ALD’s ability to deliver such a thin case is the Swiss Ronda Quartz 1032-1 inside. If the dials and case design aren’t enough to win over anyone suffering from quartz aversion, Dennison provides a counterpoint to the most common anti-quartz complaint (a ticking hand) by simply removing the second hand. As a quartz convert and collector on a budget, I appreciate that Dennison didn’t add a digit to the asking price simply to avoid a battery.
The Dials
Head to Dennison’s site and you’ll find two tiers of the ALD collection: Sunray dials priced at $490 and stone dials with an MSRP of $690. If you love the design but aren’t prepared to drop $200 to participate in the emerging stone dial trend, the Sunray dials offer a competitive point of entry to a brand taking an impressive approach to the phoenix chapter in their timeline. But I’d argue the stone dials represent even stronger value. We’ve covered stone dials in the past, including offerings from The Impossible Watch Company and, more recently, Baltic’s Prismic collection that created significant buzz. My crystal ball hasn’t decided if the suddenly prevalent natural material is simply having its 15 minutes of fame or if this is the start of a long lasting trend as the pendulum swings away from chunky tool watches and toward smaller dressier watches that are more suitable to unique materials and design risks. Personally, feeling burnt out on beefy watches with identical specs, I hope it’s the second.
This summer I got a glimpse of the stone polishing process when my son got a rock tumbler for his birthday. It took five weeks (yes, five) of constant tumbling with various grits to transform dull round rocks into shiny round rocks. With such an intensive process, I can see how cutting and polishing a thin slab of stone isn’t quick or cheap, especially when the piece of stone has been selected for its character and polished to perfection. No matter if stone dials are a blip or here to stay, it’s clear we are about to see an influx of the material used in a variety of price points and executed to different levels of quality. Having handled some of the cheaper (yet still not inexpensive) options out there, Dennison’s execution sets a high bar for stone dials (well) under $1000.
“Pictures don’t do it justice” is a bit of an industry cliche and is often used to describe dials that possess impressive depth and an ability to transform in different light. Making an effort to avoid simply saying that pictures don’t do these dials justice (they really don’t), I’ll say this: Raise your expectations from what the pictures alone can show. Looking at the Tiger’s Eye at different angles reveals a mesmerizing show of alternating patterns, colors and layers that simply isn’t available in man-made materials at this price range. Likewise, the Malachite dial seemed to offer more depth each time I glanced at my wrist- which was often. The elegant solid cathedral handset, straight from Dennsion’s own archives and available in different tones to match the case, works particularly well to complement each dial variant.
No matter which dial you choose, it will be sterile with the exception of the brand name printed off center at 4:00- a unique placement choice that provides the same balance a 12:00 logo does, while also successfully providing a unique calling card for the ALD collection. During my first day with an ALD on my wrist, I made peace with the idea that these marker-free dials were statement pieces, designed to be works of art that could also (sort of) tell time. However, by day two I realized this was a false assumption after learning the prominent corners of the cushion case served as helpful ghost indices. With the center of the flat areas representing 12:00, 3:00, 6:00 and 9:00, the corners serve as placeholders for 1:30, 4:30, 7:30 and 10:30. By day three I was telling time accurately to a minute or two without much thought.
Final Thoughts
As a brand revival skeptic, one of my biggest pet peeves are reissues that charge unproportional amounts of money for provenance but make no effort to revitalize a vintage spirit for a modern market. In stark contrast to the easy route, Dennison is offering a fresh yet inspired case and expertly polished stone dials at a price point that doesn’t charge an unnecessary story fee. The ALD collection never had a chance to exist in the seventies, but looks like it would have if Dennison hadn’t ceased operating.
Perhaps you’ve been looking to see what the stone dial hype is all about and have been searching for a case capable of magnifying the material’s natural elegance. Or, maybe you’re in a collecting rut like me and are seeking some variety from yet another 200 meter automatic tool watch. No matter which category you fall in, the ALD collection offers a compelling argument to embrace simplicity with a relaunch that is as visually compelling as it is value driven. Dennison
