Over the past couple of years, we’ve seen a preponderance of brutalist design in the world of gear, tech, and watchmaking. 2024 marked the inaugural piece from indie watchmaker Toledano & Chan with the B/1, an asymmetrical dress watch with a blue lapis dial and peculiar hand shapes. Now, the brand has followed that up with a pseudo-sequel, the B/1.2. This isn’t a brand-new watch but makes enough revisions to warrant your attention.
Toledano & Chan B/1.2 Basics
At first glance, it might appear that Toledano & Chan — a brand founded by conceptual artist Phil Toledano and watch designer Alfred Chan — has simply tossed a new dial color onto its previous model and called it a day. However, there’s much more to it than that.
To justify the $1,700 increase in price from the now-sold-out first edition, the watchmaker has added a beautiful Tahitian mother-of-pearl dial to the timepiece, offering spectacular views from various angles. But the aesthetic doesn’t just stop there; rather than the flat sapphire crystal from the first edition, the B/1.2 makes the glass angular to amplify the varying effect of the dial material while also giving it depth and nuance — an obvious inspiration from Andrew Grima’s forward-thinking work with Omega in the ‘60s and ‘70s.
Housed once again in the 33.5mm stainless steel case, the B/1.2 is still powered by the Sellita SW100 automatic movement for a basic hour-and-minute function. It also still eschews indices on the dial and retains the same handset design, with angular shapes to emulate the case.
You may also notice that, like the B/1, the B/1.2 features a left-sided crown placement, making this a great choice for those who wear their watches on the right wrist. While it looks very much the same, Toledano & Chan have said that the integrated bracelet and clasp have been re-engineered for this release as well.
Complementing without Contrast
Brutalist design can be rather industrial by nature, with its coldness often turning off those who prefer the more playful aesthetics of modernism that was popular around the same time during the mid-20th century. However, the mother-of-pearl dial allows there to be splashes of color without compromising the tenets of the concrete-evoking case. The blue dial version of the B/1 favored a sort of contrast as well but the gray/green iridescent hues of the pearl actually complements the case design and color.
Spec Sheet
Case Size: 33.5mm
Case Thickness: 9.1mm to 10.4mm
Case Material: Stainless steel
Water Resistance: 50m
Movement: Selllita SW100 automatic
Band: Integrated steel bracelet
Limited Edition?: Yes, unspecified
Pricing & Availability
It’s unclear what the edition size will be of the B/1.2 but the B/1 released about 175 examples before selling out. Priced at $5,700 (up from $4,000), the B/1.2 will drop in March so be on the lookout on Toledano & Chan’s website.
Recap
Toledano & Chan B/1.2
Toledano & Chan follows up its brutalist B/1 with the B/1.2, giving it a new mother-of-pearl dial and an angular sapphire crystal to enhance the iridescent effect.
