The horological world has always had room for rule-breakers, but few watches have managed to completely redefine what a timepiece can actually be. When Amida shocked Basel Fair attendees in 1976 with the original retro-futuristic Digitrend — a mechanical marvel that displayed time through a prismatic crystal on the side of the watch — they were creating something unprecedented that transcended the funky ‘70s watchmaking trends.
After disappearing during the quartz crisis in 1979, Amida made its triumphant return just last year with a faithful revival of the Digitrend that reminded everyone why this design was so special all those years ago. Now, barely a year after that successful comeback, Amida is pushing the envelope even further with the Digitrend Open Sapphire that offers a glimpse at the mechanical poetry inside.
Targa Top Philosophy
The most striking change to the Digitrend formula is right there in the name. Where the standard models feature brushed steel tops, the Open Sapphire swaps roughly two-thirds of that metal for custom sapphire crystal, a complex compound-curved piece of optical-grade sapphire that takes over 20 hours to shape and polish to perfection. This transforms the already-unconventional watch into something even more audacious but also brings the automotive influence to the forefront.
Amida specifically references Porsche 911 Targa tops and classic Corvette glass window designs for its inspiration, which is pretty obvious right away. The sweeping sapphire window creates an entirely new relationship between you and the movement inside.
Peeking Behind the Case
When you take a closer look through that sapphire window, you can actually watch the reversed numerals on the hour and minute discs before they get flipped through the prismatic display on the side. The bright orange digits, printed backwards on their horizontal discs, become readable through Amida’s patented Light Reflecting Display system, which is the same ingenious setup that made the original so unique.
For the task, the sapphire integration required Amida to completely reimagine the case construction while maintaining the Digitrend’s ethos. Keeping a 50m of water resistance, the 39.6mm stainless steel case is a bit wider (up from 36mm), but just as long at 39mm, despite the substantial 15.6mm thickness (also the same as the standard Digitrend but 1mm thicker than the 1976 version). But let’s be honest, no one is picking up this horological masterpiece for how comfortable it is.
Underneath all that sapphire sits the Soprod Newton P092 automatic movement, enhanced with Amida’s in-house nine-component jumping hours module. With 44 hours of power reserve, the 4Hz movement finishing gets the full Swiss treatment with Côtes de Genève, anglage, and perlage, all of which you can now see through both the top crystal and the caseback window. There’s even a decorative bridge shaped like Amida’s stylized “A” logo.
The watchmaker completes the package with a charcoal Alcantara strap featuring orange calfskin lining, tying together the automotive theme of the Digitrenc.
Spec Sheet
Model: Digitrend Open Sapphire
Case Material: 316L stainless steel with open sapphire crystal top
Case Size: 39.6mm
Lug-to-Lug: 39mm
Case Thickness: 15.6mm
Movement: Soprod Newton P092 with in-house jump-hour module
Power Reserve: 44 hours
Water Resistance: 50m
Strap: Charcoal Alcantara with orange calfskin lining
Limited Edition?: Yes, 150
Pricing & Availability
Limited to just 150 pieces and priced at CHF 4,850 (~$5,300), the Digitrend Open Sapphire is a significant step up from last year’s revival model’s CHF 2,900 (~$3,542) price point. Sales begin June 19 at 4:00 PM CET, with the first batch of 50 pieces available immediately.
Recap
Amida Digitrend Open Sapphire Watch
A year after resurrecting its iconic ’70s watch, Amida has debuted an open-worked sapphire version that lets you see the mechanics inside and furthers the automotive influence.
