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This review is dedicated to the new Alexander Shorokhoff Shar. To say that this watch is unusual is to grossly underestimate the whole idea of this model. “Shar” in Russian means “Ball” and, well, case shape is exactly this. There is no cheating and watch comes as beautiful small thing which instantly catches your attention. I’ve got a chance to check the golden version, but apparently there will be other editions as well. Keep in mind that this is a production sample, so all features are final and nothing will change in the piece you will order from the official web.
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Get this watch on Alexander Shorokhoff website.
Here you can read about another watch from the same manufacturer.
Dial
I would say this part is the one which got me thinking a lot and trying to understand it better. Take a careful look at what we get here. First of all it is not a large space, so there are not that many details inside. Nevertheless, whole surface comes with engraving of flowers and leaves. It looks quite impressive, especially if we keep size of this artwork. Moreover, it is good to see none of unnecessary writings here. This is more of an art statement, where the only thing related to timepiece manufacturer is the traditional logo at 12″ mark.
Additional items come in form of two indices which are made in dark silver color. I guess the shade was chosen intentionally in order not to take attention from the dial and engraving on it. Yes, there is also a date window, and that’s where it gets tricky for me. It somehow works here! Yes, it could be a bit more sophisticated, with beveled edges and magnifying section, but even this type looks fine. Well, as long as you don’t mind white dot in the lower section.
Handset is classic here and includes three parts. Hours and minutes hands are relatively large, while seconds hand comes in form of thin bar. All three are finished in silver color, what helps to track them on the dial. Nevertheless, legibility overall stays at “tricky” level, and we will talk about that later. Of course, there are no luminous inserts or any other practical things because you don’t need them in this kind of watch. 😉
As you can guess, Shar features round sapphire glass on the top. It is surprisingly clear and doesn’t add any distortion. There is one small note to this though – you should be ready for various reflections on it. It is just different experience from what we usually get with “plain” element.
Case
I am used to say that dial is the main actor in the watch design when we talk about different timepieces. Well, not in this case. Alexander Shorokhoff Shar comes with truly unusual case, and I would say it is one of the main components here. Golden ball-like case is hard to miss, and I would bet it will be a subject of various conversations. Whole parts comes in gold-colored steel with mirror polishing which catches all of the reflections and distorts them thanks to shape. It looks unusual and even after several days it is still something not that typical to have on the wrist.
Interesting thing here is that crown is also a small ball-shaped part. This makes whole design look really interesting as case is smooth and crown is not. There are large ribs which will help you with handling this part. Of course, it is a bit tricky for man’s hand, but it is not a man’s watch, right?
Caseback cover is not transparent here. I would call it a missed opportunity, as clear part could give an interesting insight into the movement. Who knows, maybe such design was required in order to keep whole design rigid and resistant to bending or warping.
Don’t search for lugs here – strap is attached…on two balls, one for each side. Yes, there are four of balls in one watch in total, and somehow all of them look in place here. Alignment is made in such way that watch won’t be pressing on your wrist that much. Yes, you won’t be able to avoid “one point pressure” effect due to case shape and there is nothing else you can do about it. Now we can talk about the caliber hidden inside.
Movement
Frankly speaking, I was expecting quartz movement in such a tiny watch. A lot of luxury brands choose such calibers in order to make whole design compact and sturdy. That’s why I was really surprised to see the actual automatic movement with reasonable power reserve. Yes, there is no mistake, and you get AUTOMATIC, not manual winding caliber 2671.AS. As for the power reserve, it is safe to expect around 40 hours of work, what is very good for such a tiny timepiece.
Considering all the facts mentioned above, it is even more interesting why Alexander Shorokhoff decided not to use clear caseback here. Who knows, maybe we will see such thing in the future editions of this model.
Strap
Alexander Shorokhoff Shar comes with crocodile leather strap in brown color. Metal buckle is finished in the same color as the watch case here. Strap is quite flexible, so it is easy to wear. In my opinion this thing is quite important with such unusual case shape. Length is just right for women’s wrist, you can see it also in the video-review.
Attachment system is made with help of screws from both sides, so you will have to be extra careful if you would like to exchange strap. Moreover, it could be nice to get at least one more additional smooth leather strap in the package. In my opinion this is something what would look neat for this price. 🙂
In Use
First of all let me tell you that all wristshots and overall experience were tracked with help of my wife. You can check photos here and also the live action in video.
In my opinion size of this watch is what actually contributes to the overall idea. If it was a bit bigger, whole composition won’t work and design would just look weird. I am not sure how many versions existed during development stage, but what we get here is just the right one. You can see on the photos that it doesn’t look big and sits right on thin wrist. Nevertheless, it is very thick watch, so don’t even dream about hiding it under your sleeve. No, it should be worn proud, so that everyone can see what unusual thing you have on your wrist.
What I am still not sure is the overall legibility. While whole dial looks like a work of art and truly beautiful, it is definitely not something for ease of time-tracking. There are no additional indices, no digits, so don’t even think about checking the time here. Well, you can guess it approximately, but this is not the main purpose of the watch.
Polished case finish is also something requiring due care. Moreover, strap lugs are also mirror-like parts, so you will have to protect Shar at all costs. I am not considering this as disadvantage, because such features are must-have for luxury watch. This is not some tool for everyday use, so it is more of small reminder about the external finish here.
Here we come to the main point with overall perception of this watch. Initially I was evaluating Shar as a classic watch, but the whole point here is that this is more of a style statement. This is not just a boring timepiece, and therefore you should be ready to live with all related shortcomings. As I said above, this watch is definitely not the best choice for everyday use, but it might be a great pick for a night out. I like that whole idea takes the classic concept and literally puts into quite unusual form.
Alexander Shorokhoff Shar – Price and Availability
Here we come to another surprising thing about this new watch – price tag will feature 1830 EUR price on it. Keep in mind that watch comes out as Limited Edition with only 30 pieces produced. In my opinion it is quite reasonable amount for a very unusual watch. Note that in article here you see a “dark gold” version, but there is also a light-colored watch available. I also noticed silver-colored Shar as well, so there are a lot of options right on the start.
To be fair, I can’t even think of possible rivals in this price. Yes, there are some unusual dials and case finishes, but not the whole watch. This thing makes Alexander Shorokhoff Shar special in its own sense. Such watch will definitely become a “conversation piece” and you will get a lot of questions about it. The only thing to remember is that this is more of a fine jewellery with additional functionality. As long as you don’t consider it as a “tool”, you should be fine and such a purchase will leave you happy. 🙂
