Introducing: The Third-Generation Studio Underd0g 01Series — A New And Improved Breed
Do you want to use a Seagull ST-1901 movement in your new watch? Sure, that’s no problem, but you’ll need to order a minimum of 10,000 units. That’s something you want to hear as a small brand when asking the Chinese movement manufacturer about possibly supplying you with calibers. But instead of looking for possible alternative movements, Studio Underd0g negotiated with Seagull, and the outcome is most surprising. The young and fun British brand signed an exclusive contract with Seagull, allowing it to offer a bespoke version of this hand-wound column-wheel chronograph movement. This exclusive ST-1901B features an all-black mainplate that frames the bridges, the wheels, and the balance most strikingly. As the cherry on the cake, the movement inside the third-generation Studio Underd0g 01Series now also features a silver swan-neck regulator for more precise regulation.
When Studio Underd0g started working with Seagull in 2021, ordering 300 movements from the company was no problem. But the market has changed. Many upcoming microbrands started using the Chinese ST-1901 caliber. As you probably know, it might be affordable, but it’s not simple. The ST-1901 started as a Swiss Venus caliber 175 before the Chinese Air Force bought the tooling and technical drawings in the early 1960s. Creating a complicated construction on a budget doesn’t do wonders for reliability. As a result, many ST-1901 movements suffered from all kinds of issues. Seagull is now trying to uplift its movement game by raising the quality. That means investing in different aspects of production, which the company can finance by, for example, significantly raising its minimum order quantity. That’s exactly what Seagull has gone on to do, with the minimum order quantity now set at 10,000 units per order.
A commitment to the future of Studio Underd0g
When Studio Underd0g started working with Seagull back in 2021, the brand was able to able to place an initial order of 300 pieces without issue, despite that being quite the financial outlay for a newly established brand. Over the years, as the demand for its watches grew, so did the size of the corresponding movement orders. However, as you can imagine, the minimum order quantity increase to 10,000 pieces was quite a shock and is certainly a stretch for a brand still in its relative infancy, like Studio Underd0g. Nevertheless, Richard Benc felt it was an important step, saying, “It proves we’re making the tough decisions now to make sure we’re still around in decades to come (that’s the plan anyways…). Essentially, we’re investing in ourselves for the long run!”
The third-generation Studio Underd0g 01Series comes with a bespoke Seagull movement
Rather than looking for a different movement supplier, Studio Underd0g struck a deal with Seagull. The outcome is a bespoke version of the ST-1901 that follows the “less is more” approach. The changes made to the movement are not simply cosmetic. The most important change is the updated technical quality, such as the silver swan-neck regulator. In a way, this also does more justice to the original Venus movement than a Seagull movement has ever done before. Please remember that the ST-1901 is a column-wheel chronograph with five hands, and for it to work properly for a long time, it requires the right materials treated in the right way and carefully assembled and cased. All too often, there were flaws in the production process, so the reputation of the ST-1901 wasn’t the best. The ST-1901B should be a game changer.
Regulated, reviewed, and assembled in Great Britain
All ST-1901B movements will be regulated in Great Britain to -10/+15 seconds per day. That is a major improvement from the previous daily accuracy specs of -15/+35 seconds. In addition to the regulation, Horologium will inspect each watch before shipping. The process includes demagnetization when necessary and an accuracy/rate review in three positions. This will result in a report card for each watch that documents the performance and details of which Horologium team member assembled your watch. The decision to assemble watches in the UK allows Studio Underd0g to have better control and ownership of the process. The Studio Underd0g watches might look frivolous, but the way they’re built is the opposite.
The same is true of the number of watches Studio Underd0g assembles in Great Britain. The brand now has an assembly capacity of over 1,000 watches per month, and the team at Horologium is now 18 strong, with nine people dedicated to the assembly of Studio Underd0g watches. For your consideration, when the brand started working with Horologium, it was a two-person company. In other words, Studio Underd0g is now a major player in the British watch scene/industry.
Go0fy Panda (01GPB)
Different on the inside, different on the outside
In addition to the movement upgrade, the third generation of the 01Series shows some incremental but important improvements. The mid-case has been slimmed down by 0.7mm, making the 38.5mm by 44.5mm 01Series even more wearable at 12.9mm thick, including the crystal. The crown is new as well. It grew in size and now offers an improved grip, making winding the new movement a (more) pleasant experience. The dial also shows a cosmetic change. It reads “Assembled in Great Britain” marking something few British brands can boast. The enlarged sapphire crystal on the back provides a better view of the bespoke movement with its contrasting black mainplate and refined swan-neck regulator.
The 01Series (Gen 3) will be available for pre-order via the Studio Underd0g website on November 19th for nine hours. Each third-generation model has a price of £550 / €590 / US$650, which is £55 / €50 / US$50 higher than its second-generation 01Series counterpart.
What do you think of the improvements? Are they worth the slight price increase? Let us know in the comments.
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