Atowak MANTA-X Redefines Wandering Hours Displays

Wandering Hour displays are some of the most distinctive in the market, totally changing how we read the time by doing away with the normal static hour scale and central hands concept. Instead, they place the hour markers on rotating wheels that pass along the length of a static minute scale to indicate the current time. For their latest launch, the MANTA-X, Atowak have pushed the boundaries of the wandering hours display in new directions.

Focussing immediately on the wandering hours display, it introduces the world’s first ever 180° Hexa-Prism system. What that means is the hours are shown on two six-sided prisms on opposite sides of a 180° axis. The majority of wandering hours use a tetra system as opposed to this new hexa, meaning they have three wheels (or prisms) each with four hour markers on them – as seen in the Audemars Piguet Starwheel and Urwerk UR-100V.

The second innovation presented in the Atowak MANTA-X is not a visual one. It’s the new involute gear system used to rotate the hour prisms. An involute gear is one with rounded teeth that ensure a smooth and consistent motion, allowing for greater precision in their movement. In this case It allows for a controlled rotation of 60° for the hexa-prisms at the end of each hour, instead of the 90° rotation from alternative gearing systems used in tetra models.

A third innovation is the world-first ‘Tidal Gravitas’ minute scale. What that means is the minute scale is also comprised of rotating prisms that rotate alongside the hour marker so that only the current minutes are displayed. The term ‘Tidal Gravitas’ refers to a particularly strong tidal swell coinciding with a storm or other phenomenon, which finds itself expressed through the rotating wave of the minute scale. The aquatic references are also why the watch is called the MANTA-X, inspired by the steady flow and movement of a manta ray underwater.

You can also see elements of a manta’s physicality in the sweeping shape of the titanium case. It has a hexagonal centre with swooping sides leading down to the lugs, which is reminiscent of the body of the fish and its pectoral fins (that’s their wings to you or me). It makes for a bold design with dramatic proportions. It measures 42mm x 49.5mm with a thickness of 13mm. The wandering hours display is protected by a domed sapphire glass.

Despite the innovative display, the movement inside is actually one we should all be familiar with. It’s the Sellita SW200 with Atowak’s wandering hours module, giving it a power reserve of 38-hours and an accuracy of +/-13 seconds per day. Considering the extra energy it takes to operate a wandering hours display compared to a conventional one, those are still respectable specifications. Plus, a Sellita base helps maintain Atowak’s signature accessible take on haute horology complications.

The Atowak MANTA-X is priced at $3,800 (approx. £2,880). For a horological leviathan with limited production, that’s a surprisingly appealing price. If you’ve ever been captured by the itch for interesting and unusual timepieces with non-traditional displays but your budget doesn’t stretch to the likes of AP or Urwerk, Atowak have got you covered.

More details at Atowak.

​Oracle Time 

Read More