Available both with a creamy white (ref. CLA.HSA.002) and an anthracite black (ref. CLA.HSA.005) dial, the new DeWitt Classic Jumping Hour brings you that familiar exterior with a couple of off-centered dials for minutes and seconds and a small jumping hour aperture.
However, while most timekeepers of this kind feature a vertical sub-dials alignment, DeWitt opted for a horizontal one and then decorated the final product with their signature art-deco styling.
The good thing about DeWitt is consistency. While their language constantly evolves and watches don’t look like Dolly the sheep, it will only take you just a passing glance to tell one of their watches from any other time measuring device selling under this brand name. You don’t even need to see their logo on the dial: the family resemblance is just there and there is no way you can overlook it.
The first thing that you notice is, of course, their signature sunray motif on the dial that gives it that light, lively appearance. Turn the watch around in your hands and you will also see the signature fluted case that has finally become subtle enough to satisfy even the most demanding customers.
The three sub-dials are placed on the horizontal axis with the minute indicator overlapping with the jumping hour display on the left and a small seconds sub-dial on the right. To further emphasize the lack of vertical symmetry, DeWitt’s designers left the usual “Swiss Made” inscription in its place at 6 o’clock but moved the logo slightly to the right.
The Swiss watchmaker doesn’t specify, which movement they use to power this beautiful device, but I have a feeling that it is one of those ETA 2892A2-based Dubois Depraz 14400 calibers that second-tier manufacturers (starting from Baume & Mercier with their Classima Jumping Hour and going all the way up to Perrelet) love so much.
Of course, given the price of the material that the Classic Jumping Hour is fashioned from (it is 18-karat rose gold if you haven’t noticed) and the size of it (at 40 millimeters in diameter and almost 11 millimeters thick it is a rather chunky piece of the precious metal), the watch will inevitably be expensive, perhaps, prohibitively so. Still, the DeWitt Classic Jumping Hour is a gorgeous piece of watchmaking art. If you can afford one, you should definitely take a look at this ticking beauty.
See also: Bell & Ross WW1 Argentium Hand-Wound
Photos: DeWitt
WWR verdict:
Originality 5/5
Build quality: 5/5
Usability: 5/5
Legibility: 5/5
Value for money: 5/5
DeWitt Classic Jumping Hour in Rose Gold (Refs. CLA.HSA.002 & CLA.HSA.005) specification
Price: CHF 26,000
Movement: Automatic, Glucydur balance, Swiss Made
Number of jewels: 21
Movement frequency: 28,800 vph
Power reserve: 42 hours
Functions: Jumping hours, minutes, seconds
Case: 18-karat rose gold
Shape: Round
Size: 40.00 mm
Case height: 10.60 mm
Dial: White (CLA.HSA.002) / Black (CLA.HSA.005)
Numerals: Arabic
Hands: Black
Water resistance: 30 meters
Strap: Black leather strap with rose gold pin buckle
Crystal: Sapphire
Back: Sapphire