Following the success of the Arvet, which I reviewed in the past – both the prototype and the production version – Pierre Stromback, the man behind Alato, is back with another great design.
When he shared the first renders of this new watch with me, he was excited about it far more than he usually is about working on a new design.
Was he right to be? Well, let’s dive into it!
What’s in the name
The word “Ögonsten” is the Swedish equivalent of the English idiom “the apple of my eye.” Meaning, something or someone that holds a special place in your heart, above anything or anyone else.
That’s very consistent with Pierre’s philosophy behind Alato – these watches are meant to be keepers. Not something you’ll buy, wear for a while, and flip.
The inspiration
“Ögon” is Swedish for eyes, and the watch indeed draws heavily from various features of the human eye. And indeed, if you look at it, it definitely draws heavily from the iris.
The gradient fume dial mirrors the pattern of color shifts, and the finely fluted bezel is reminiscent of the iris’s striations.
Concerning the case, the inspiration is – like with the Arvet – from the world of watches, but more on that later.
The case and movement
While at first glance it seems to be a round case with a fairly broad stance of the lugs, it’s also what I’d call a semi-cushion case. Namely, there’s a raised area on the top surface, below the bezel, that gives it that cushion-esque look.
In that respect, if not for the circular bezel, the case would remind me slightly of the Rolex ref. 3139 (available as Army, Speedking…).
All in all, it makes me think of the 1970s “cushion revival” era in watch design. That was so not my favorite era, but I think that Pierre’s take on it is pretty damn good-looking.
The actual inspiration for the case was the 1990s Rolex Cellini “Cestello,” ref. 5330. The resemblance to the 3139 was purely coincidental, but since I’m familiar with the reference and like the way it looks, it’s a pleasantly surprising coincidence.
The crown, atypical for dress watches, is screw-down, which contributes to the Ögonsten’s 100m WR rating. While that might seem excessive in a dress watch, it also provides a safety margin that dress watches hardly ever offer.
As for its design, its “onion” shape goes really well with the Ögonsten as a whole. It matches the organic inspiration behind the whole watch, and it makes me think more of the 1910s to 1930s heyday of the cushion case than the 1970s cushion revival.
Then there’s the case back. It features an engraved image of the movement that powers the Ögonsten – the Swiss Ronda 6004.D.
Initially, a display back over the movement was a consideration; however, Pierre’s choice to engrave the movement’s image on the back is probably for the better.
First and foremost, it doesn’t increase thickness like a display back would. Second… Yeah, quartz movements can look good, and the Ronda 6004.D is one such movement. However, there isn’t anything about a quartz that’d be nearly as appealing to look at as a rotor in motion or the balance wheel.
Oh, and Pierre being Pierre, he added a subtle reference to his homeland – if you look closely at the engraving of the movement, you’ll find a subtle outline of Sweden hiding in plain sight.
The fact that it’s quartz has several benefits. For one, the watch is thinner and lighter. Second – it’s a grab-and-go watch. Have a dress-watch-worthy occasion but wonder what to wear? The Ögonsten is there, always ready to go, and up to the task. And, last – but not least – it’s more budget-friendly.
When it comes to the case finishing – the Arvet was good. Pretty damn good. This, however, is much better.
The design complexity is similar, but the Ögonsten has sharper edges, finer brushing, and that stunning bezel. Like in the Arvet, all that beautiful finishing is protected by a clear coat of PVD that’s harder than the steel itself, so that the looks of the watch will last way longer.
The dial and hands
Compared to the Arvet, the Ögonsten’s dial might seem simple. However, that doesn’t mean that they’re simpler.
The fume/gradient pattern is gorgeous, about as gorgeous as I’ve seen on the Certina DS-1 Big Date. It has the sunray pattern, which – as that pattern was intended to be – catches the light, providing that very pleasing radiance to the dial.
Interestingly, the dial seems to be both satin and matte at the same time. As a result, the hands and indexes don’t disappear into it. This provides very decent legibility, which isn’t easy to come by in non-lumed dress watches.
The recessed seconds subdial, meanwhile, adds depth to the dial. It’s also what makes the whole thing really pop.
The rough texture, with a metallic sheen and ice-blue color, really elevates how you perceive the rest of the watch. For what it’s worth, the „-sten” in Ögonsten means “rock/stone,” hence Pierre’s choice to use a texture reminiscent of a stone’s surface.
Also, the stuttering motion of the seconds hand of a quartz movement is definitely mitigated by reducing it to a sub-second.
Speaking of small details, the hands and indexes are an excellent exercise in why they matter so much.
The hands are a fairly straightforward alpha set – it’s the finishing that elevates them to a whole other level. It’s sharp. Very sharp. Super-fine brushing with an almost matte quality, plus two facets separated by a razor-sharp ridge, make them eye candy.
Also, thanks to that, the hands don’t seem to “disappear” into the dial at any angle, contributing greatly to the Ögonsten’s legibility and practicality.
If you look at the center of the hands, you’ll find a feature that Pierre wanted in this design from the start – a tiny, brushed cap that masks the pinion.
Normally, this feature is rarely found outside high-end brands. Combined with how sharp the Ögonsten already is, this genuinely makes it look a few tiers above its actual positioning and price.
How does it wear?
The simplest answer: like a dress watch should. It’s slim and sleek, reasonably sized, and light thanks to the quartz movement.
At 38 mm in diameter (the bezel), 46 mm lug to lug, and 9.8 mm thick, I bet it’ll hit the sweet spot for many. Certainly is well within mine.
It’s not exactly the watch that’s so light you barely feel it. It also comes with a steel bracelet like the Arvet’s, which would make it even heavier.
However, it’s not as heavy and chunky as yer token GADA watch, let alone a tool watch.
Technically, the Ögonsten was designed to withstand more than dress watches ever have to – the crown is a screw-down one, and the case has a 100m WR rating. So, bottom line, it can be your daily wear without any worries.
The colourways
The Ögonsten is currently available in three versions: steel with a blue gradient dial, steel with a grey gradient dial, and rose gold-plated with a brown gradient dial.
Each version comes on an alligator-grain calf leather strap, but you can also order it with the optional H-link bracelet with a twin-trigger fold-over clasp with on-the-fly microadjustment.
The bracelet will cost you extra, though. It’s basically the same bracelet as in the Arvet, only with endlinks to fit the Ögonsten case.
Since I absolutely love the Arvet bracelet, I highly recommend ordering your Ögonsten with that option.
All in all…
The Ögonsten is an absolutely beautiful watch. Pierre once again has proved that he’s a very talented designer.
Just like with the Arvet, the inspirations weren’t obvious, which is exactly why the watches Pierre designs are eye-catching, but never the “in your face” kind of obvious.
I mean, if I hadn’t told you that the inspirations behind it are the human eye, some wordplay around a Swedish idiom, and the Rolex Cellini 5330, would you have guessed them all? I take the liberty to assume you wouldn’t have. In which case I couldn’t blame you; I wouldn’t have guessed them either.
And that’s what makes Alato watches great, and shows Pierre’s skills in design – the inspirations are just that, inspirations. They’re not ready-made cues copy-pasted into the form of a watch.
The Ögonsten is the kind of watch that you’d grab in a heartbeat, no matter if it’s for a day at the office or when in a rush to make it to a dressy event. And if you want to wear it on a seaside/lakeside weekend, you certainly can.
Personally, the only reason I wouldn’t buy it is that I currently have a very active job, pretty far from white-collar desk-diving, and the Ögonsten just wouldn’t get the wrist time it deserves.
However, if I had one of these cozy jobs – as Jim Croce sang, “sittin’ in an air-conditioned office in a swivel chair, talkin’ some trash to the secretaries” – and smart casual would be my daily style once again, I’d immediately pull the trigger on one.
Ah, well, maybe someday… But by then, they’d likely all be sold out. So, if you love the looks of the Ögonsten, you might want to grab one while you can!
Technical specs
- Diameter: 38mm
- Thickness: 9.8mm
- Lug-to-lug: 46mm
- Lug width: 20mm
- Water resistance: 100m
- Crown: screw-down
- Crystal: Sapphire with ARC on the underside
- Movement: Ronda 6004.D – quartz, 5 jewels, battery life: ca. 40 months, battery type: SR916SW
- Strap: alligator-grain calf leather with signed pin buckle
- Bracelet (optional): H-link, quick-release system, screw pins, twin-trigger clasp with on-the-fly microadjustment
- Pricing: 4490 SEK (steel on leather strap), 4796 SEK (rose gold PVD on leather strap). Optional bracelet: +1199 SEK (steel), +1699 SEK (rose gold PVD)
