Proudly presenting my very first but certainly not last collaboration, The Horophile x DIETRICH OT-H watch.

My DIETRICH Love Affair
If you’ve been following me on Instagram for a while now, you’ll know that I’ve been an avid fan and supporter of the DIETRICH brand ever since I had a chance run-in with Emmanuel Dietrich at Baselworld two years ago. The handful of pieces I’ve owned since get as much wrist time as the rest of my humble collection. It seems like no matter what I’m wearing during the day, I come home and find myself removing it and strapping on a Dietrich OT. And mind you, I do everything with my watches except hopping in the shower. It’s a fun watch that’s easy to wear, effortless to dress up or down (especially with its shockingly simple strap change system) and full of little details that absorb you into its miniature landscape.

What attracted me to Dietrich (you can find my review of the original OT prototype here) was the atypical yet holistic design that was unlike anything else I had ever seen in the world of watchmaking. It’s a love or hate kind of aesthetic, but one that is singular. Sure, it’s not a Swiss-made movement or watch, but at this price-point you really can’t ask for more in terms of overall quality and attention to detail; especially for such an original design where just about every part except the movement and screws exists nowhere else. And hey, it’s still mechanical!

The Organic Approach
We say this far too often, but a Dietrich timepiece is one that has to be seen in person to be understood and appreciated. More than just seen, it has to be felt. with a kind of tactile appeal void of any sharp angles. You could tell that Emmanuel Dietrich, a designer whose background extends far beyond just watchmaking and includes furniture and interiors as well as jewellery, intended on creating a watch that was effortlessly wearable, above all else. I don’t mean that it just fits well, but that it follows the contours of the wrist in a sensual, second-nature sort of way that few watches come close to recreating.

Purple Obsession
There’s something you have to know about me: I love purple. From as far back as I remember, purple has always been my favorite color. I still have no idea why, but I find a certain kind of harmony in purple. It’s neither overly masculine nor feminine; neither warm nor cold. It isn’t immediately associated with any nation, movement or religion. It’s a moody color, capable of evoking just about every emotion. And yet, I can probably count on one hand the number of men’s high-end watches that came with purple dials or elements, and frankly I think it’s a shame. I aim to change that, starting with the OT-H.

Like many of the finer things in life, purple is best enjoyed in moderation. For the OT-H, I thought it would be interesting to use the Dietrich OT-4 as a base canvas of sorts, as I absolutely love the combination of a dark grey PVD case with the forged carbon and steel bezel. To bring out the depth of the multi-level dial and some of its unorthodox elements, I decided on a gradient dial that goes from charcoal on the outer element to dark grey then silver. The other applied elements are black, while the hands and seconds are in a contrasting brushed silver tone with just a touch of purple thoughout.

And just because a watch is priced relatively reasonably doesn’t mean it can’t be exclusive. It literally took me months to make up my mind on how many pieces I would limit the OT-H to, and ultimately I decided to keep it at 10 examples. If I need more than two hands two count the number of pieces out there then it’s just not that limited, is it?

And to avoid any disappointment and numerological superstition, I decided not to make it a numbered series, instead just stating on the back that each watch is “One of 10” pieces.

Of course I had to fit the rabbit in there somewhere, and I think you’ll agree that the less prominent the better. So I put somewhere you’ll only see when changing straps…

Oh, and if you’re a sucker for lume like me, you’re probably wondering about the purple hands and markers. Yes, they do glow in the dark, though admittedly not as brightly as natural Super-Luminova without a top layer of colored pigments. In the dark, the purple glows a soft sky blue color. The first photo below shows the watch in daylight, the second one is in the dark under UV light, and the third with only ambient light and the lume “charged”.

Specifications:

DIETRICH “OT-H”, limited to 10 pieces.

Case materials: 316L stainless steel, micro-blasted and coated with grey PVD. Case dimensions: Bezel in forged carbon on brushed steel, fixed with black hex screws.
Case dimensions: 46mm in width ,48mm in length and 13.7mm in height.
Crystal: Custom cut Sapphire glass with anti-glare coating on top and purple photo-luminescent markers on the underside.
Dial: gradient dark grey to silver 4-layer dial with purple accents and markers.
Hands: satin brushed silver-tone with purple pigments over blue emission Super-Luminova.
Movement: Modified automatic mechanical Miyota 82-S-7 movement with an open view on the escapement dial side.
Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds and 24 hours indicator
Strap: dark grey Nubuck strap with purple stitching and grey PVD steel buckle.
Water Resistance: up to 50 meters / 5 ATM
Warranty: 2 years

Price: CHF 1’890 (Swiss Francs), including registered priority shipping using the Swiss postal service. (Price indicated without VAT, import and other taxes).

Payment by Paypal or wire transfer only.

To get yours or for more information, please use the contact form.

UPDATE: all ten pieces of the OT-H are now sold out.
Thank you for everyone who made our first collaboration a success and for supporting my passion for purple. Can’t wait to show you the next collaboration projects we’ve got coming!