INTRODUCING: The DWISS M3W Wandering Hour Limited Edition

Ricardo Sime

How should a watch brand celebrate its 10 year anniversary? In an industry where peers disappear left and right, something extraordinary should mark such a momentous occasion. Maybe a party letting the world know how great you are? Or securing a fantastic bit of product placement?  For DWISS, the best way to celebrate was to get back to the drawing board and create. That dedication led to the evolution of their M3 in the form of the DWISS M3W Wandering Hour Limited Edition.

The DWISS M3W starts its journey within a futuristic case similar to that of the M3. It features an octagonal bezel that has a brushed top and polished sides. This sits atop a 42mm, integrated case, that is faceted, with brushed surfaces and areas of polished trim. The sides of the case has angular cutouts that look great while having the added bonus of shaving off a few grams from this large piece of stainless steel. And while looking at the watch from this side profile, you’ll notice the first big difference between the M3W and the M3. Where the M3 was only 11.7mm thick, the M3W comes in at 14.7mm thick. This change in thickness is a result of what’s to come.

However, before the main event, there are other specifications that have remained the same. First, the crown remains screw down and continues to feature rubberized knurling. This ensures that 200 metres of water resistance is still present. From there, if you head to the back of the watch, you’ll also notice that the DWISS once again gave us a sapphire exhibition caseback. It is flanked by basic information on the watch, including the fact that it is part of a limited edition of 500 pieces.

So with those specs out of the way, let’s return to the front of the watch where the main attraction and reason for that extra thickness, sits.

The skeleton dial of the M3W features a mechanism rarely used for telling the time called the wandering hour. Built upon a modified Sellita SW-200 movement that beats at 28,800 bph and has 38 hours of power reserve, the mechanism only displays hours and minutes. Here’s how it works. The centre disc holds three discs labelled with the hours, 1-12. As it rotates, the numbers viewable on the outer edge mark the hour. This works with a minute track placed on the dial from ten to two (as seen on a normal watch). Sixty minutes of time elapse when travelling from one end of this track to another.

To explain this better, take a look at the image above. It reads 10:10 (since this is a time only watch, there is no way to tell if that is am or pm). The 10 marker on the disc will continue travelling clockwise and will pass 60. At which point 11 will reach 00 and the process starts all over again. You may then be asking, “will the watch only show 10, 11, or 12 o’clock times?” The answer would be no, as a mechanism exist on the lower portion of the dial that spins each disc, allowing the next set of numbers (1,2 and 3) to be displayed. If you find this all interesting, I highly suggests watching this video.

In addition to the grey wheel that dominates the dial, DWISS provides four different dial colours. There is a blue, a green, a white and a black dial. All have a matching coloured rubber strap with the option of getting an integrated steel bracelet to complete the look. Note, both the bracelet and rubber strap feature quick release spring bars. As for lume, the minute track and hour numerals all feature BGW9 SuperLuminova, which should make telling time in the dark a breeze.

Overall, the DWISS M3W presents us with an intriguing way to tell the time. Some may not find the thicker proposition it presents as appealing, but when you realize that this is a sports watch at heart, it’s easy to be swayed by the cool factor. It’s something many brands have captured in their models and something I believe DWISS is more successful in capturing here then on the previous M3. I can’t wait to see how they evolve from this.

DWISS M3W Collection Price and Availability:

The DWISS M3W will be $1990 USD on rubber strap and $2190 USD on bracelet. It will feature four different colourways, with a total of 500 pieces, regardless of colour, to be made. A first batch of 100 will be available in October. A second batch of 100 will be available in November. A final batch of 50 will be available in December with the remaining 250 available next year.

For more information, check the DWISS website here.