Toledano & Chan b/1.2 Updates Brutalist Design with New Glass and Pearl Dial

One of the most sensational watch launches of 2024 was the Toledano & Chan b/1, the debut timepiece from a new microbrand. If you want to learn more about the minds behind the brand, check out our talk with Phillip Toledano. The b/1 stunned collectors with its perfect blend of brutalist minimalism and epitomised the growing interest in neo-retro design. Now, for the tricky second album they’ve launched the Toledano & Chan b/1.2.

Upon first glance it might look like a case of second verse, same as the first. Afterall, it shares the same overall case shape and size, measuring 33.5mm in width with a thickness of between 10.4mm – 9.1mm due to the angled surface of the case. It’s captivating in all its brushed steel glory with a seamlessly integrated bracelet. However, look closer and there are a few significant differences between the b/1.2 and its predecessor.

While the dial is obviously new, it’s now produced in Mother-of-Pearl, we’re going to start by talking about the updated sapphire crystal. The original b/1 had a very conventional, flat sapphire crystal. Other than the fact that it had to adhere to the slightly trapezoid shape of the dial and is on a slope due to the facets of the case, it was mostly unremarkable. Not so the new one. Here the sapphire crystal protrudes upward from the case, creating a counter angle to the slope of the case that means the top surface of the crystal sits flat.

We’ve seen plenty of shaped sapphire crystal before – Audemars Piguet showcased a similar facetted design with the [RE]Master02 last year. Or from the 1950s the Vacheron Constantin Ref. 4591. There are also watches that have their entire cases made from the hardwearing, scratchproof material, such as the Artya Purity. What I think really makes the b/1.2’s use of facetted sapphire stand out is how it plays on the themes of the existing brutalist design of the watch.

Go to any famous Brutalist building in London like the Barbican or National Theatre (so when I say any Brutalist building I really mean Brutalist theatre) and you’ll see that the main materials on display are concrete, steel and glass. Glass is immensely important to Brutalist architecture. It’s how you create light and how you create negative space around which the rest of the building seems to brood – think of those large, open atriums. And the sapphire crystal of the b/1.2 serves the same function, like a vaunted skylight in the distant ceiling. But here the perspective is flipped, we are not inside the architecture looking out, but outside looking in.

That shift in perspective is why the dial in turn is so important, because it becomes the subject of our gaze. The original b/1 had a very nice lapis lazuli dial, which with its rich colour helped to ground the solidity of the watch. Here though, with the added themes of light and airiness that complement the brutalist design, the dial had to have an airy, ephemeral quality to match. And so the choice of Mother-of-Pearl is inspired. The gentle iridescence shines and shimmers and the pale tones of silver-white mixed with subtle greys, greens and blues is like an exaggeration of light passing through glass. You almost expect that, like a prism, a rainbow should emerge somewhere.

I admit that I’m probably going overboard with the artistic interpretation of the design but it is really nice. It also builds on Toledano & Chan’s repertoire of natural material dials, which has been a growing trend in recent months. Below that dial is the Sellita SW100 automatic movement. It’s a staple of many microbrands and even major names in the industry due to its excellent value and wide availability. The Toledano & Chan edition has a power reserve of 42-hours, meaning it’s the upgraded version released a few years ago compared to the older 38-hour versions some brands are clinging to.

The Toledano & Chan b/1.2 will be available to buy in March at $5,700 (approx. £4,600). That very similar to the original model but a touch more expensive due to the additional production of the facetted glass, which makes a lot of sense. It’s not exactly accessible though – not that prices like this stopped the original selling out almost immediately. At such a substantial price it’s also a sign that brands are taking Chinese watch manufacturing more seriously, as the watch is produced in China.

More details at Toledano & Chan.

​Oracle Time 

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