The Surprise Return of the Amida Digitrend

One of the most interesting stories to emerge from Watches & Wonders (and the surrounding events in Geneva that saw literally hundreds of brands exhibiting new novelties) is the seemingly robust state of truly creative watchmaking happening at all price points. Anyone who strolled through the Beau Rivage (where many of these brands were hanging out, either officially or unofficially) can rattle off a list of favorites: SpanceOne, Sartory Billard, Furlan Marri, and Beda’a are just a few that come immediately to mind. Another brand that we saw (in an unofficial capacity – literally a meeting taken in the Beau Rivage lobby) was Amida, which is not a new name in watchmaking, but a rethinking of a heritage brand that we’ll definitely be keeping our eyes on. 

The new Amida Digitrend is a reimagining of a watch by the same name released in 1976. The unusual case shape takes inspiration from both classic sports cars and modern architecture, and the “driver’s watch” time display is a play on the original LED-style display, designed to be easily viewed from an angle with a hand on the steering wheel. 

Amida has been relaunched by watch designer Matthieu Allègre (whose clients include Lyrique, Simon Brette, and others) and Clément Meynier, founder of Depancel. Their new venture is timed to mark the 50th anniversary of the original incarnation of Amida, and relies on a combination of heritage and nostalgia, as well as some clever modern watchmaking, to make the brand interesting to a modern consumer. 

The original Digitrend was released at a time when watches using LED and LCD display tech were all the rage. But the Digitrend was not a quartz watch using this new display technology. The first Digitrend used a manually wound mechanical movement, with a readout seen through a crystal in the shape of a prism. The movement, like most movements, operates horizontally, but the time telling discs for the hours and minutes are projected vertically by the crystal, creating an optical illusion of sorts.

The new Digitrend operates under the same principle, but now uses an automatic movement at its base (a Soprod Newton) with an in-house designed module for the dual disc display. The hours jump precisely at the top of each hour, and the clarity of the display is impressive and easily viewable from a surprisingly wide angle. Lots of little details about the Digitrend have been modernized for this release, including the typography, the logo, and the case itself, which Amida says is now sleeker than the original. It measures 39mm across and still has a distinct retro-futuristic vibe to it, somewhere between a sports car and a spaceship seen fully from the vantage point of the mid 1970s. 

The new Amida Digitrend “Take-off Edition” will be available for a brief period of time directly from Amida beginning on May 28, and has a retail price of CHF 2,900. Delivery is expected to be completed in October. Amida