A
American Brands
Visitor Watch Company
This year’s models from Indiana-based Visitor Watch Company, which
sold all of its initial watch offerings earlier this year, continue the firm’s
focus on ‘unexpected’ designs with automatic movements. Visitor
founder Phil Rodenbeck, who started his company just three years
ago, is an engineer with a talent for contemporary, detail-driven watch
design. Pre-orders can now be made at www.visitorwatchco.com.
Here are several compelling choices.
Visitor’s Vale Park Officer (at right) is a 39.5mm model with
a rarely seen flip-open case back that operates using a catch-lip
mechanism that nests into the screw-down crown. With the back open,
the custom rotor on the Miyota 9015 is visible through a sapphire
exhibition crystal. This rotor is made of two pieces: an embossed,
gold-toned Visitor emblem and the base 9015 rotor with cutouts. The
Vale Park comes on a “wingtip” leather strap (other straps may also be
offered). Price: Approximately $800 if pre-ordered.
The Duneshore Shallows Blacksand is a new version of Visitor’s
first model, and both are now available with a matte DLC finish and
black dial option. A 100-meter increase in Duneshore Shallows water
64 | AboutTime Magazine
resistance over the regular Duneshore was achieved with a solid back,
a 1mm increase to the wall thickness of the central case, an additional
seal in the screw-down crown, and a 3mm-thick sapphire crystal. These
changes, along with the addition of a rotating bezel, mean nearly every
component of the Duneshore Shallows is unique from the Duneshore.
The Duneshore Shallows will be offered on the new Duneshore bracelet, as well as on a new rubber strap. The now solid, curved caseback
of the watch features an embossed sea lion with an iconic knocker
held in its mouth. Dimensions are unchanged from the 44mm x 42mm
Duneshore except for thickness, which has increased to 14mm at the
valley of the curved caseback and 15.5 mm at the crest. The unidirectional, 120-click bezel is currently 41.5 mm in diameter. Pre-order price
is $750.
The Linden (not pictured here) is the brand’s second installment
in its writing-instrument-inspired Calligraph collection. You’ll find the
same dial here as on the Visitor Duneshore, but here it is set into a new
39mm case. The case offers three-piece construction with multiple
chamfers, brushed and polished finishing, pierced lugs, and front and
rear sapphire crystals. Inside is a Miyota 9015 with custom rotor and
black date disk with lume-printed numerals. Price: $550 if pre-ordered.