[VIDEO] Hands-On: the Xeric Timeline Retrograde

When I attended the New York Windup Watch Fair for the first time, I was exposed to a multitude of brands and had my eyes opened to just how unique the watch industry could really be. Among the brands that I was introduced to, Xeric stood out due to their futuristic, space themed and outright eccentric designs. As I’ve followed Xeric, they’ve continued down this same path, which brings us to the Timeline Retrograde. With this new release, Xeric has set out to revive the double retrograde movement, making it relevant and affordable for modern collectors.

To do this, Xeric has introduced the “Xeric Caliber X5.1” movement: to put it simply, this is a custom built module which stacks upon a Miyota 9015, a common movement in the microbrand community known for its reliability and affordability. This module gets you a retrograde display without the exorbitant costs associated with developing an entirely new movement from scratch. Additionally, since the foundation of this watch is a 9015, it should prove to be a reliable timepiece for years to come, but also be serviceable in case something happens. 

The standout feature of the Xeric Timeline Retrograde is, without a doubt, its retrograde time display. Unlike traditional analog dials where multiple hands simply rotate around the face, the two retrograde hands “sweep” across the dial in an arc and then jump back to the start. The hours are shown by a shorter hand that glides from 12 to 12, while the minutes are indicated by a hand that swings from 0 to 60, then resets. This unusual method not only looks cool but also introduces an interesting motion that most traditional timepieces can’t replicate, and certainly not at this price point.

Now that you understand a bit about how this watch functions and the movement behind it, let’s talk about how this watch looks. When you’ve created a watch with an unusual movement, it only makes sense to put it into an unusually shaped case, a “Squircle” in this instance with a polished bezel. Essentially a square case with rounded sides, the timeline comes in at 38mm in diameter, with an integrated lug to lug of 47mm and is complimented by a 3 link bracelet with polished middle links. Through removing a few links and using the second micro-adjust hole, I was able to get a reasonably snug fit on my 6.5” wrist. I feel that it’s important to note that this watch comes in at 12mm thick, one of the downsides of utilizing a module instead of a fully integrated movement. While not unreasonably thick, it’s on par with most modern dive watches despite only offering 50m of water resistance. Who would want to take this watch diving is a separate question outside the scope of this review. 

Under the sapphire crystal, which is anti-reflective, you’ll find a bifurcated dial that’s split by a numbered arc. While the right side of the dial features minute lines in 5 minute increments along with an internal date window with a cyclops magnifier, the left side features a much more simplistic curved line pattern. On the arc itself, you’ll find applied lumed indices. While it might help you read the dial in darkness, this watch deserves to be in bright environments where you can easily see every bit of finishing that has gone into this watch.

While I have said many positive things about the Timeline, I must admit there are two things that bug me about this model. First, I’ve noticed that the cyclops for the date wheel often created an internal glare, preventing me from easily seeing the wheel if I looked at an angle. However, bringing my arm up to my eye line (instead of looking down), made the date much easier to read and often eliminated the glare I was experiencing. That said, I understand that the use of the module on top of the 9015 likely requires the cyclops for the date wheel to be legible as the distance from the dial to movement in this watch has to be much larger than other watches utilizing the 9015. Let’s be honest though, it’s really not that big of a deal for me to raise my arm instead of lazily looking down.  

Now, my second gripe is really more about my general unluckyness and bad timing while wearing this watch. While wearing the Timeline, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone to check the time and realize that I just missed it in action, by a minute or even just a few seconds, or I’d hear the “click” of a resetting hand: a stark reminder that you’ll have to wait another 59 minutes to catch it in action. Neither of these gripes are really an issue, but just things that I noticed during my time with this watch. 

During my time with the Retrograde, I’ve come to enjoy it quite a lot, and could see how it might fit into a rotation with my own personal watches. As mentioned, this watch wore exceptionally well and didn’t feel overly large or clunky, despite its dimensions. If you wanted me to describe this watch in a single word, the best word I could think of would be “funky”, in the best kind of way. Whether you’ve been a fan of the retrograde style watch or just want to add an interesting piece to your collection, I don’t think there’s a better option that’s currently commercially available.

For those interested in the Timeline Retrograde, more details can be found on Xeric’s kickstarter campaign here. Pre-order pricing will be available starting at $699. The final retail price will be $1,199.