Earthen introduces a trio of ceramic-cased watches that cost just US$899
Zach Blass- New watch brand Earthen Company launches a trio of ceramic watches, each priced at US$899.
- The brand plans to “democratise ceramic watches” as its specialty.
- Its first collection, The Summit Collection, is meant to be “the ultimate ski watch.”
At the end of June, Earthen Company caught the attention of watch nerds with its first Instagram post that boasted “a new era in ceramic” was on its way. Later posts would reveal the reason behind its name. “Earthen” is short for Earthenware, which relates directly to ceramic, and the brand stated it will specialise in using ceramic for all of its watches. Its further posts teased snow-covered mountains and skiing, which, with today’s unveiling of its first collection, the Summit Collection, all make sense now.
“We wanted to create the ultimate ski watch – one that’s water-resistant, legible, and built to last,” says Johnathan Chan, Co-founder of Earthen Company and The Horology Club. “Ceramic allows us to play with colours and finishing textures in a way steel can’t, while staying true to the proportions and details we love in vintage watches.” According to Chan, the overall mission of the brand is also to democratise higher-quality ceramic watches.
Speaking of proportions, all three ski-condition-inspired configurations – the Overcast, Whiteout, and Blue Bird – are packaged in 100-metre water-resistant ceramic cases. The caseback and crown, however, are made of steel, and the crowns used on the Summit Collection trio are intentionally oversized to ensure they are easy to grip even while wearing ski gloves.
It is very comfortably sized, measuring a Goldilocks 38mm in diameter and a slender 9.9mm thick. Richly brushed and polished surfaces can be found on the ceramic material, and the finishing appears very well done at a level that surpasses expectations, considering its below US$1,000 pricing.
Arguably, the most tame of the three is the “Overcast” configuration, which utilises a black ceramic case and a black dial. It is certainly the stealthiest option, and its usage of aged Super-LumiNova creates a vintage military watch feel for its dial. The aesthetic is quite derivative (but not in a bad way), with the dial very much evocative of IWC field watches, especially those produced for the Royal Air Force. Even Earthen’s mountain summit logo is reminiscent of the chevron printed on RAF dials. That being said, if legibility is the priority, then the clear and easy-to-read sterility of IWC military dials is certainly a fantastic source of inspiration.
The “Whiteout” definitely feels a bit Lake Tahoe meets RAF, if you’re picking up what I am putting down. The white ceramic case has a more marble-like appearance, with the lines of the brushing perhaps less visible than in the black ceramic case.
Out of the three configurations, the Blue Bird is certainly the one that sticks out from the pack. Firstly, it is a white dial while the other two have black dials, and secondly, it has a blue halo that appears on the perimeter of the sapphire crystal. It would seem it is less legible, with a grey colour for its logos, hour indexes, and minutes track. But it is not actually a white dial – it is a dial made of a disc of lume. Therefore, in darker settings, the Blue Bird dial definitely earns back some legibility points.
A Miyota movement offers cost-effective timekeeping, but we were certainly still shocked to hear these ceramic watches are priced at just US$899. Earthen is even including two interchangeable straps with each watch. The first is a sailcloth rubber strap, and the second is a nylon NATO strap. Both options suit the watch well, as both are known for being great options for watches to be worn during more strenuous activities like skiing.
I would not say The Summit Collection is the most innovative in its design cues, but I do think it is quite remarkable how Earthen Company can create ceramic watches like this and price them at US$899. With its mission being to democratise ceramic watches, for the first outing to be a bit of fan service for those who like more vintage sizing and RAF pilot’s watch cues is a strong start to its journey. As the brand further develops and expands, I will be very curious to see what its sequel projects will be.
Earthen Company Summit Collection pricing and availability
The Earthen Summit Collection is now available for purchase. Each configuration will be limited to 100 pieces in the first run, but they will be restocked once sold. Price: US$899
| Brand | Earthen Company |
| Model | The Summit Collection |
| Case Dimensions | 38mm (D) x 9.9mm (T) |
| Case Material | Black ceramic, steel caseback and crown (Overcast) White ceramic, steel caseback and crown (Whiteout, Blue Bird) |
| Water Resistance | 100 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front |
| Dial | Black dial, aged Super-LumiNova (Overcast) Black dial, white Super-LumiNova (Whiteout) Full lume dial, blue inner ring (Blue Bird) |
| Strap | Interchangeable sailcloth rubber, nylon NATO bundled straps |
| Movement | Miyota 9039, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 42 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds |
| Availability | Now |
| Price | US$899 |