CHEAP BASTARD: Put a bird on it with the August Berg
David SmiedtIf you don’t know the brilliant satire sitcom Portlandia that ran from 2011 to 2018 and was the brainchild of SNL alum Fred Armisen, you should. If you do, the headline above should be immediately recognisable. It’s an imperative Danish watchmaker Magnus Joergensen of August Berg has taken to heart. In a collab with heritage British artist William “Topsy” Morris – or more specifically his estate – he has created a timepiece we just can’t look away from.
The August Berg x Morris & Co Strawberry Thief watch will set you back around $330 and the bottom half of the dial features a beautifully illustrated thrush set against a midnight blue background. It’s at this point that a less mature correspondent might make a thrush on your wrist joke.
A watch for those who favour a beak over a face and are perhaps rather bored with function trumping form in the name of personality-free minimalism, it comes in 30mm and 38 varieties. The case is made of surgical-grade stainless steel in a rose-gold finish which further offsets the motif’s colour scheme. It is punctuated by hands in a matching shade and barely discernible hour markers at 12, 3, 6 and 9. All of which sits under anti-reflective, scratch-resistant domed sapphire crystal with a case depth of 7mm.
The signature Perlon straps are made of woven nylon and can be easily interchanged if you prefer a contrasting look over a complementary one.
Under the hood is a Japanese quartz movement with the 30mm variety boasting water resistance of 3ATM and the 38mm 5ATM. Splash-proof sure but probably best not to go swimming in it.
It should also be pointed out that there are several other colour schemes available including an olive face with matching strap and a dusky pink with a grey strap all in a rose-gold coloured casing.
This isn’t a timepiece for everybody and that is precisely the point when it comes to art. If you still need a nudge, consider this: for every watch sold, August Berg partners with the Human Practise Foundation to provide six months of quality education to a child in Asia or Africa. When they hit the 20,000 mark, they build an entire school. And there are not many manufacturers who could boast that.