Birthed like an alien from the depths of space, these watches are far from the ordinary. New York’s Alabaster Industries watches are for the hype men, fashion girlies and fantasy folks with a passion for high level craftsmanship. The brand was founded by a brother duo of Jack and Robin Alexander whose avant-garde, fresh perspective is delivering a new direction in the luxury horological world.
Jack’s experience includes designing leather goods at Louis Vuitton in Paris, and Robin comes from film and TV in LA. There is a cinematic and highly fashion forward quality to the pair’s output. The new Ecliptic Collection released yesterday, Thursday 28 March, inspired by geology and outer space. It gives you time to grab the perfect accessory in preparation for the highly anticipated (among the astrologers) total solar eclipse happening 8 April across Texas to Maine and through part of Mexico. It will be a magical moment of astral alignment to take in the awe of science. Alabaster Industries also balance science with magic as their finely tuned mechanics collide with creative encasements. Gazing at the designs, each second stands out like a singular hair on goose-bumped skin. Sensation and impulse meet practicality across the brand’s offering.
This collection adopts new stones for the brand who have expertly crafted the clock face with rhodolite garnet, peridot, and citrine. These faces are also pad printed with graphics that pay homage to the data plate, so there’s a utilitarian element to the otherwise whimsical design. Industrial meets natural too, with the variation in each unique stone. Japanese mechanics keep these watches moving to the perfect beat and New York renegade fashion maintains the designs in the centre of what’s cool.
Crafted in water-resistant stainless steel with a sapphire crystal and adorned with a solid silver cage, bracelet, and deployment clasp Alabaster Industries’ designs go the extra mile on quality. On the concept the designers shared, “In this collection it was important to develop the feeling of connection between biology, industry, and artifact. Ancient archaeological relics may appear crude to a modern viewer, but they are representative of a cutting edge long past. In both the data plate stone dials and the faceted gem set models, there is a tension between rough and unpredictable textures of natural wear and decay and precision machined, marked, and finished surfaces.” The primal beauty of the rocks and silver marries perfectly with the innovative molten-rock effect of the case. Balancing modern shapes with traditional craftsmanship Alabaster Industries are the moment.
