MICRO MONDAYS: The GANE Type D is deceptively simple yet utterly distinctive

Fergus Nash

Designing a new watch from the ground up is always going to be a difficult task, given that there’s over a century’s worth of designs with which to compete. One way of approaching this challenge is to draw inspiration from an external source, whether that’s from nature, history, industry, or whatever really. For Ray Pee, these inspiring elements come from all sorts of different places. Clocks, Japan and his homeland of Malaysia, all contribute to the imaginative process behind the design of the GANE Type D — Ray’s second release that’s named for the second note of the C Major scale.

The case

Although dial innovation is flourishing in the world of Kickstarted microbrands, it’s quite rare to see cases that bring new concepts to the table while remaining easily palatable. The name GANE is a phonetic adaptation of the Japanese word “Hagane” meaning steel. With brushed steel as a subtextual theme, the intrinsic appearance of the GANE Type D’s case is influenced by wall clocks. The thick and flat bezel mimics a wall clock nicely in ways that a soft, curvy bezel can’t, giving the dial a solid frame that doesn’t take up too much space physically or visually.

As far as dimensions go, the GANE Type D doesn’t disappoint. The 38mm circular clock-case has some rather elegant lugs extending from it, giving a total length of 46mm that’s very wrist-friendly. Thanks to the bezel, there’s still plenty of dial visible even at this smaller size. The thickness of 11.5mm is nice and slender considering the automatic movement and display caseback, however you probably won’t take it swimming given it only brings 50m of water resistance.

The dial

The dial of the GANE Type D is deceptively simple, combining just a few elements in an incredibly pleasing way. The main surface is given a coarse horizontal grain to evoke a linen style, and a second plate below in a sandwich construction provides negative depth for the hour markers. Between these two elements, three colour schemes have been devised to represent different aspects of Malaysia’s culture and destinations. The first is called Ember, after the fire-walking tradition typical in Penang annual festivals. The lower disc is red to symbolise the glowing coals, while the grey top disc is meant to suggest the burnt-out charcoal.

The second variant of the GANE Type D is the Limestone in a much lighter shade of grey for the dial and a darker one for the hour markers, highlighting the natural limestone caves that are common in the Northern mountains of Malaysia, such as the Batu Caves. The third is named the Twilight after the beautiful region of the Cameron Highlands. The undulating hills and mountains are covered in rose bushes and strawberry farms as well as Indigenous villages, and the blue linen dial aims to signify the sky at dusk.

The movement

The GANE Type D is powered by a Miyota 90S5, which is a brilliant Japanese workhorse for budget-focused watches. This automatic calibre is part of Miyota’s premium range, which means it has a higher beat rate of 28,800 vibrations per hour over its 42-hour power reserve. It’s also quieter than some of their other movements, meaning that you won’t be distracted by any rotor noise caused by your wrist’s movement. The accuracy is within -10/+30 seconds per day, but the general consensus usually hovers around the +10 seconds/day mark.

The GANE Type D pricing and availability:

The GANE Type D will be launched on Kickstarter here on November 1 and will initially be available at 45% off the retail price as an early bird special. Price: $299 USD ($535 USD retail price)

Brand	GANE
Model	Type D
Case Dimensions	38mm x 11.5mm x 46mm
Case Material	Stainless Steel
Water Resistance	50 Metres
Crystal(s)	Sapphire
Dial	Grey / White / Blue
Lug Width	20mm
Strap	Leather
Movement	Miyota 90S5
Power Reserve	42 hours
Availability	Available on Kickstarter from November 1
Price	$299 USD (Early Bird) / $535 USD (retail price)