The tenets of Brutalism emphasize and elevate bare building materials for honest designs with intrinsic appeal in a celebration of the unadorned and monochromatic. While there are some show-off exceptions, the horological community shares a similar appreciation for truer expression and simpler form, with many timepieces revealing their inner workings. The B/1 wristwatch by Toledano & Chan takes that connection to another level, drawing significant inspiration from the principles of Brutalist architecture used as a plan to construct a fashionable signifier with modernist sensibility.
Created by Phil Toledano with partner Alfred Chan, the B/1’s stark and angled case takes on an architectural element attributed to the revolutionary designs of the 1970s, specifically Marcel Breuer’s Met Breuer building in New York City.
The B/1 is also unique as a destro, a watch designed with the crown facing left. The intricate design of the watch, including its angular hour and minute hands, pays homage to the irregular and geometric forms found in both Brutalist architecture and the distinctive watches of the 1970s.
Toledano, an artist and avid watch collector himself, says the Met Breuer’s intense, sculptural, and unified design elements are vividly reflected in the B/1. Where the New York Brutalist building is realized in concrete, its timepiece counterpart is stainless steel. The asymmetric bezel and crystal, alongside similarly chiseled hour and minute hands, mirrors the sharp angular shape of the building’s distinctive windows. A vibrant blue lapis lazuli dial creates fashionable contrast that, while certainly not Brutalist in nature, adds dazzling depth to the design.
The watch is powered by a Swiss-made Sellita SW100 automatic movement, ensuring that its bold design is matched by reliable performance.
The B/1’s dimensions further reference its architectural inspiration. With a width of 33.5mm and a thickness varying between 9.10mm and 10.40mm, the watch features an angled case that plays with light and shadow, a vital visual element that Toledano credits to the Brutalist ethos. This celebration of form, function, and simplistic beauty cost the lucky few, who were able to snag one before it sold out, $4,000.
To shop the next drop launching at the beginning of 2025, visit toledanoandchan.com.
