The Electricianz was born out of the SevenFriday watch craze (literally a co-founder split off to form this brand) and represents an interesting niche in the enthusiast timepiece space that is difficult to define. SevenFriday introduced the idea that a designer timepiece could be wildly designed and novel, with a youthful playfulness and fantasy element to it. These types of watches are not cheap because they are not mass-produced, but they’re also hardly high-luxury priced. More so, these don’t use traditional materials, themes, or shapes, and try to invent interesting, often futuristic directions that invoke the imagination more so than classicism. These inspired watches are supposed to be more fun and fashionable than serious or instrumental, and require both the right type of playful personality and mood to enjoy. This concept can be so difficult to get right, that in this instance The Electricianz has collaborated with Geneva-based Label Noir to introduce this latest “MecaLine” of watches from the quirky brand.

The MecaLine is (to my understanding) the first watch from The Electricianz that uses a mechanical movement combined with an electronic LED-based light system. Until now, all The Electricianz watches I have reviewed are based around quartz movements, and now the company takes a new step by trying to see how audiences will respond to a hybrid approach. In essence, the case contains both a standard Miyota 82S0 3Hz automatic mechanical movement, as well as a battery-based light system which is operated via the additional pusher located at the 2 o’clock position on the case. The blue light is fun to play with, and allows you to read the time in the dark. The Electricianz’s light system uses five LED lights and two batteries, which can be see through the dial if you know what you are looking at under the decorative bridges.

Most Label Noir collaboration watches have this black and blue color theme – which in this instance is paired with “0” and “1” (binary code) numerals as decoration on both the crystal and the strap. It makes for an interesting and fun style that helps users understand the “cyber culture” that such a watch design is meant to appeal to. The case is 46mm wide (the inner case is steel) with a lugless design that ends up being really comfortable on the wrist. The case is made from a carbon composite material, which is probably created using an injection molding technique. The result is not exactly luxurious, but a decent black textured surface that is lightweight and represents yet another manufacturing approach to creating a wristwatch case. The case is further water resistant to 50 meters and has a K1 mineral crystal over the face. I would have preferred sapphire, but given the special shape and printing on the crystal, having that material for the crystal component would have probably increased the price of the watch by an appreciable margin.

As far as novelty-style collector watches go, those produced by The Electricianz are far better than most because of their ergonomic construction and ability to meet the needs of people wanting legibility and a degree of refinement in the design. This The Electricianz x Label Noir Edition timepiece is full of whimsy and playfulness, but it also serves its job of a timepiece relatively well, offering a legible dial and comfortable wearing experience. That said, anyone who is accustomed to vintage-style tool watches or more classically-inspired timepieces will probably not be able to understand how to incorporate something like this The Electricianz x Label Noir Edition MecaLine watch into their lifestyles, and that is totally OK as well.

The strap attached to the case is an Alcantara-like suede material that feels nice against the skin and is a more welcome material than, say, rubber or something else that would have felt cheaper. The interesting and unique design of this watch is fun, provided you can appreciate what The Electricianz and Label Noir were going for. Price for The Electricianz x Label Noir Edition watch is $575 USD. For more information, please visit The Electricianz website.