Known for his incredible dials and signature handset, Alexander Shorokhoff is no stranger to dazzling designs that deliver with every further glance. The Moscow-born watch designer has called Germany his home for more than 30 years, and it’s there that his eponymous brand is headquartered, in the town of Alzenau in Bavaria. Despite the manufacture’s quaint setting, its watches are known less for tranquility and more for their flair, often featuring swirling forms and vivid colors. Even when Shorokhoff is restrained, his watches remain far more exciting than most others, and that’s precisely the case with the Alexander Shorokhoff Lucky 8.

Alexander Shorokhoff’s exuberantly expressive designs have always stood out from other brands, incorporating exciting, almost-mosaic patterns that bring his watches to life. The Alexander Shorokhoff Lucky 8 collection is another example of how Shorokhoff repeatedly proves that watches can be fun and luxurious. The Lucky 8 is available in untreated stainless steel, as seen here, as well as rose gold PVD or black PVD. The 43.5mm case features a classic design, with a polished convex bezel and top, with crisp brushing running along the side. At 11.5mm tall, it’s well-proportioned with a size that allows for its engaging display but also for a comfortable wear on most wrists.

The sapphire crystal ensures exceptional legibility, while the knurled crown is perfectly sized and easy to operate, featuring an engraved end with the name and logo of the brand. Expectedly, the watch is rated to 50m of water resistance — certainly sufficient for such an artistic timepiece. The watch is completed with a 22mm black genuine ostrich leather strap with contrast stitching that is coordinated with the dial’s bright pops of color.

You’ll be hard-pressed to give much attention to the case and strap, though, as the open dial will certainly draw your eyes immediately. The bold red hands — the watch is also available with yellow accents — are done in Shorokhoff’s signature design, with additional black lining added for effect. The seconds hand hasn’t escaped Shorokhoff’s keen eye for practicality: it receives a red coat for the portion that traces over the black dial, providing contrast and yet another pop of red. But the accenting doesn’t stop there. While the black dial ring is appointed with applied, silver-plated numerals and batons marking the dates, it also has an hour and minute track with a rose gold PVD logo at 12 o’clock. The namesake Lucky 8 — the number is attributed to luck and good fortune in Chinese culture — is highlighted in red, as is the question mark at the top of the dial and the special marker at the 21, which echoes the hour hand. The date display is specially made for this watch, with a custom wheel in silver and red, the latter indicating the date through the cutouts in the dial, and completing each red marker as they align. A far cry from some of the more flamboyantly colored watches offered by the brand, the Alexander Shorokhoff Lucky 8 has something perhaps more enticing to share through its huge central aperture.

It’s through that ringed aperture that the hand-wound Poljot 2416 is on display. Also visible through the sapphire caseback crystal, the stainless steel movement — executed in rose gold on the models with yellow hands — has been fully decorated with ornate filigree and engravings, with hand-blued screws providing further allure. The Poljot 2416, which runs at 18,800 vph with a power reserve of 42 hours, was in production for almost 40 years before being discontinued some 20 years ago. Alexander Shorokhoff has completely refurbished and regulated each piece, including the in-house decoration.

The Lucky 8 shows a more sedate side of Alexander Shorokhoff, but it’s still an Alexander Shorokhoff, making it far more electric than most watches from other brands. With its pops of red, unique handset, filigreed movement, and novel date display, the watch delivers much of the charm for which Shorokhoff is revered. While it may evoke games a game of poker or a spin of the roulette wheel, it’s not by chance or luck that the Lucky 8 delivers as such an incredible timepiece. The Lucky 8 and other Alexander Shorokhoff timepieces are available online and in person at Grenon’s of Newport, along with other retailers. The Alexander Shorokhoff Lucky is limited to just 50 pieces and is priced at $2,400 USD. For more information, please visit the Alexander Shorokhoff website.