“
I WANT TO MAKE
A WATCH THAT
MORE THAN TWO
GUYS IN DUBAI
CAN AFFORD.
”
Sketching on Glass
That said, the Tread 1’s micro-motor powered, belt-driven and technically
amazing wrist wear catered to a very limited audience, and at over $18,000
retail it was as rare as it was ground breaking.
A few years down the road and in a prescient moment of
clarity, Wilbur declared at one point “I want to make a watch that more than
two guys in Dubai can afford.”
After several other design projects, Wilbur has now developed the first
release of his eponymous Wilbur watch collection.
Shedding the cocoon of co-branding, Jason Wilbur has let his creative
juices run wild and has taken the modular steel frame only hinted at in the
Tread 1 and Tread 2 designs to new heights.
Seasoned with the lessons learned from previous experiences in the
industry, the new Wilbur 2020 Automatic Launch Edition embodies a stun-
ning scaffold of trestle-like design paired with construction and compo-
nents that place it squarely at the opposite end of the spectrum from the
next $600 Chinese-built copy of a Tudor Pelagos.
The expected $2,500 - $2,700 price range, when they become available
102 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | SPRING 2020
this summer, is definitely fair and justified by the complex construction and
CNC machining without and within.
Launching with three references, each limited to 250 pieces, the nine-piece
modular case measures at a robust 44mm by 46mm by 16mm and is CNC
machined and hand finished in 316L steel. Inside beats the workhorse Seiko
NH35 automatic winding mechanical movement with a customized rotor.
Sporting one of the more complex cases currently being made in watch-
making, the Wilbur is built to tight tolerances and even with the 9 piece
case is made water resistant to 10atm. Custom beveled sapphire crystals
ensconce the patent-pending suspended dial structure with a glass chapter
ring surrounding the dial.
Bolts replace spring bars and hold your choice of a silicone or ballistic
nylon strap securely in place as well as securing the steel clasp, while an over-
size and over-engineered crown is protected by a machined girder of steel.
When you’ve sated your appetite for homage types and are ready for a
breath of horological fresh air, Jason Wilbur may have just what you’re look-
ing for. More info: www.wilburco.com.