In reviewing the Uniform Wares 351 Series 351/RG-01 watch, I am reminded by just how deep my saturation in the world of watches really is. There are multiple layers to reviewing or even just appreciating a watch, and only by stepping out of my own shoes can I even attempt to take them all into consideration. What I mean is that I have acquired a totally different eye when it comes to watch design, and my perspective when judging new products is quite different than that of most people. Of course, none of that offers much assistance in determining whether or not I like the Uniform Wares 351 Series 351/RG-01, but it is my way of saying that I don’t approach all watch reviews in the same way.

In an office in London, the chaps who started Uniform Wares are dealing with the growth of a company that they didn’t intend on being only about watches. For the last few years, they’ve seen their simple, sterile-dialed timepieces grow in popularity, and have even recently begun to move their watch production to Switzerland, away from Asia. Then again, with quartz movements and a lack of branding, Uniform Wares watches aren’t the typical types of items most timepiece enthusiasts seek out. So what is this brand all about?

Sterile dials are an interesting thing, and while they aren’t totally absent from the world of production watches, they aren’t highly common. By sterile, I am talking about dials the lack branding, and sometimes any words at all. Something you’ll find on all Uniform Wares watches (at least for now) is no branding at all on the dials. This offers an interesting, elegant look, and a forced focus on the pure design of the dial and case, without the interference of branding elements. For Uniform Wares, a lack of branding in their branding.

There is also a certain lack of uniformity to being “Uniform.” Take, for instance, the Uniform Wares 351 Series of watches. The collection has three models, and none of them look the same or even have the same movement. In fact, the only things uniform about the 351 Series watches is the diameter of the case and the price of the pieces. So when we indicate this watch as being within the 351 Series, what you need to know is that it is the 351/RG-01 watch.

To understand the design of the Uniform Wares 351 Series 351/RG-01, you need to understand how the designers at Uniform Wares are inspired. For the most part, they look at classic timepieces and clocks, and extract elements from them. They use these elements to create new designs, very much like a fashion designer might borrow existing elements to create a new outfit. Having said that, most people looking at the simple and polished execution of most Uniform Wares watches would not understand that. In fact, for many people these are “slick-looking classic watches with a modern twist.”

There is also a “design” twist to the watches meant to appeal to those who are keenly interested in that world (of “design”). Oh yes, the design world, a place I personally know well but when I am there I feel like a foreigner. Slotted neatly between the architecture world and the fashion world, the design world is mostly interested in function items or industrial design, and how society goes about coming up with it or dealing with it. I find that people who are obsessed with design often battle a core internal struggle, and that is the fight for “form or function?!”

The fight is about choosing what items to help populate their lives. Do they choose items which emphasize “form,” offering aesthetic appearances but perhaps less than optimal utility or ergonomics, or do they choose “function?” On this side of the fence everything is about cold, hard efficient utility. This works, but might not be particularly pretty in the process. Of course, the holy grail for design lovers are discovering those things that do both things well. There are many examples of those in the watch world.

What I appreciate about Uniform Wares is that they are almost solely inspired by those timepieces that have proven themselves as functionally masterful over time. In fact, the basic structure of any Uniform Wares watch is to create a nice dial, marry it to an appropriate case, and then choose appropriate colors and materials to tie it all together. I think that basic formula is what helps their timepieces all feel so well composed, even though there is a lack of cohesive aesthetic DNA between the various models.

What I like about the Uniform Wares 351 Series 351/RG-01 is that it begins with a dial that is very much a modern distillation of a classic pocket watch dial from the 19th or early 20th century. The ebony brass dial is just slightly brown and bears applied rose gold colored baton hour markers. Uniform Wares was clever enough not to place a polished finish on any of the hands or markers, as that type of reflectivity kills legibility. The dial is very clean and devoid of texture, until you get to the subsidiary seconds dial, which has more markers and some circular texturing. A sloped flange ring with minute markers adds a curiously sporty tone to an otherwise simple, traditional dial design. What I am left loving the most is the symmetry, legibility, and totally unexpected avant-garde way the elements of the dial are put together in a manner that makes them feel curiously harmonious.

While the dial is brass, the hands are aluminum, and the Uniform Wares 351 Series 351/RG-01 case is in steel. The steel case has a rose gold-colored PVD coating, which helps give the watch much more of a dressy look to it. I am actually curious if the watch would look as pleasant as it does if it were in brushed natural steel, as opposed to the gold tone. Note that the crown is actually black – a very clever design trick that de-emphasizes the crown overall and gives the case a cleaner look.

On the wrist, the Uniform Wares 351 Series 351/RG-01 case is modestly sized at 39mm wide and just 8.95mm thick. It does feel a bit taller given the widely domed sapphire crystal over the dial. The crystal is quite nice, but the lack of significant anti-reflective coating does negatively effect reading the dial a bit. Then again, there is a positive design benefit from having some light glare off the dial (at least from the perspective of the people seeing the watch on your wrist) as it helps give the watch a slightly more “yesterday” vibe.

While I believe some mechanical Uniform Wares watches are on the horizon, currently each of their watches contain Swiss quartz movements. Inside the Uniform Wares 351 Series 351/RG-01, for example, is a Ronda caliber 1004 quartz movement. It would be nice to have this watch be mechanical, but I don’t think that is going to happen too soon, and it would have a major impact on the brand’s pricing. More important is the biggest question of what Uniform Wares’ customers want. Like I said, as a watch brand, Uniform Wares does really well with the design and fashion community, but there is a lot to enjoy for watch lovers who enjoy their designs. In a sense, these are high-end quartz watches, given the overall nice quality of the cases and the refined looks.

Going back to my original thoughts at the opening of this review – I think looking at the Uniform Wares 351 Series as a traditional “watch guy” might result is seeing pleasant, albeit slightly underwhelming design. From the perspective of a design lover, the simplicity and elegance of Uniform Wares watches might be like a breath of fresh air. As it is, the pricing of the watches means that they are more than what most mainstream consumers want to spend, but less than what most mechanical watch lovers spend – putting the brand is a strange market position. Having said that, Uniform Wares is doing well, so my price concerns might be too conservative.

I am very happy that a brand like Uniform Wares exists and I find their timepieces easy to recommend to many people. Would they do better at lower price points or at higher ones with mechanical movements? Maybe, but I think that would interfere with their core mission of simplicity and style. Price for the Uniform Wares 351 Series 351/RG-01 is £530 (about $850) where VAT is collected. Price otherwise is £441.67  (about $710). uniformwares.com

Necessary Data
>Brand: Uniform Wares
>Model: 351 Series 351/RG-01
>Price: £530 (about $850) with VAT
>Size: 39mm
>Would reviewer personally wear it: Sometimes
>Friend we’d recommend it to first:  Design lover fascinated by a simple timepiece which has been curated by obsessive designers and priced under $1,000.
>Best characteristic of watch:  Hodgepodge of design elements remarkably comes together for something very attractive and eye catching.
>Worst characteristic of watch: Too much glare on sapphire crystal. Thicker PVD coating on steel case might slightly enhance look. Confusing price segment.