In my wildest dreams, I entertained the idea of creating my own watch brand. How typical of a watch enthusiast is that? I thought, for a brief moment, that I could bring something different to the watch community. You know, my own vision for horology which would be groundbreaking and, perhaps, “disrupt” the industry (just kidding!) But then I remind myself how fortunate I am to be in the position I am in today, that of someone who reviews models from numerous independent brands and who gets to know the founders—who often happen to be the designers. Listening to their stories and learning about the process of creating a watch instantly calms my initial excitement down. Making a watch is a long and tedious process, especially for those who want to create something different.
Different, indeed. There are too many brands that make too many models that too often look like something else. Whether it be an homage to a popular model or creating what first appears to be a new concept and which, upon closer inspection, turns out to be a clever mash-up of classical watch design elements. But this is not what we have here today my friends. Today we are taking a look at what I could easily describe as being an original everyday watch from the Australian brand Second Hour. The model we are looking at is called the Mandala Burst and this is a new version which comes in two colours: Burnt Orange and Green (The brand updated the design of the previous version, something we won’t get into here.)
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As stipulated above, the Mandala Burst is an actual everyday watch. I make this statement based on the functions the watch comes with and its overall design and dimensions. From a dimension standpoint, the Mandala Burst comes with a case 40mm in diameter, 46mm lug-to-lug, 10.5mm in thickness, and with a 20mm lug width. These dimensions are reasonable and the Mandala will fit most wrist sizes. It does feel comfortable on my 6.25”/16cm French wrist given its modest thickness and, as we will see below, its ergonomic case design. Though it is not deprived of decent water resistance (100 meters) thanks to a screw-down crown and case-back. Speaking of the case-back, it is of the see-through type and made of sapphire.
Inside the Mandala we find a regulated Miyota 9015 caliber which beats at 28,800 BPH and comes with 42 hours of power reserve. Second Hour regulates the movements so that they run at -/+ 9 seconds per day which is pretty decent. Being an everyday watch, the Mandala Burst comes with a flat piece of sapphire crystal on top, generous applications of BGW9 lume, as well as a surface hardening on the case. The latter brings the case scratch resistance to 800HV on the Vickers’ Hardening scale, up from 170HV for naked steel. And if you were so lucky as to take your Mandala Burst on daring adventures, know that you will always be able to easily tell the time thanks to the diamond-cut hands (The finish makes the hands shine bright!)
SPECS
| Case | 316L Stainless Steel 40mm Diameter 46mm Lug to Lug 10.5mm Thick 20mm Lug Width Screw Down Case Back & Crown 100m Water Resistance |
| Dial & Crystal | Flat Sapphire Crystal Guilloché Dial Date @ 6 Applied Markers Custom Handset BGW9 Super-LumiNova |
| Movement | Regulated Miyota 9015 24 Jewels 28 800bph 42-Hour Power Reserve |
| Strap | Stainless Steel Bracelet |
Second Hour Mandala Burst
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Of Interest
If there was only one thing you should know about the Mandala Burst is this: you probably haven’t seen anything quite like it before. The star of the show—as we watch journalists like to say—is the dial. I mean look at this gorgeous guilloché pattern that even comes with a dégradé finish. The two available colors, Burnt Orange and Green, shine bright at the centre of the dials and turn black at the edges. The guilloché pattern looks refined and I like that it continues beyond the applied hour markers (It actually reaches the edges of the sloped rehaut on which is printed the fully-graduated minute track.) This treatment not only looks beautiful (at least it does to me) but it also makes the dial easy to read. The hour markers pop from the almost black edges created by the dégradé.
Furthermore, Second Hour must have spent countless hours obsessing over the tiniest of details of the dial. From the perfectly polished applied markers which are made larger at the four, eight, and twelve, to the color-matched date (they matched the color of the numerals to that of the dial, not the date wheel) to the high-polished triangular hour and minute hands complete with split ends. I also like that the larger hour markers are recessed within the rehaut because they were just so damn big. Looking further from the dial I would point at the grippy crown and the color-matched ring at its center.
Lastly, let’s talk about the case design and finish. I particularly appreciate the case ergonomic dimensions that make the Mandala Burst comfortable to wear all day long. The mid-case is thin and comes with a satin brushed finish and high-polished chamfers which create interesting light plays. The fixed bezel also comes with a fine alternation of finishes and so does the bracelet. The bracelet truly is outstanding. And I apologize (or not really) for showing so much enthusiasm about it. I just love how the narrow, elongated links look and feel to the touch, and how they match the unique dial design.
The Mandala Burst is a complete and interesting package which can be obtained for a reasonable amount of cash.
Quibbles
After spending a couple of weeks with both color variants, I cannot find fault with this model. It is better finished than many other watches I’ve reviewed, and the fact that it looks different and original counters any gripes I could have with the intensity of the dial treatment. In other words, I wouldn’t have bought a Mandala Burst by just looking at the pictures because generally I don’t care for guilloche dials, but I would definitely do so now after seeing the Mandala in the metal.
Final Thoughts
Alright, how much does it cost then? Well, it retails for $850 AUD which is the equivalent of roughly $560 USD. Need I remind you of the specs you get for that price? Although this is highly subjective, I would be hard pressed to find another watch at this price that comes with this level of originality. I don’t claim to know every single watch that exists, but as of the time of writing this article, I simply cannot think of an equivalent in the micro/independent watch world. If you do, please let me know in the comments below.
The Second Hour Mandala Burst in Burnt Orange and Green will be available on the brand’s website starting June 16, 2023.
Vincent Deschamps is a museum professional, originally from France, with more than 10 years experience as a researcher, producing visitor experiences for national and international organizations. He is also the founder of mainspring.watch. You can follow Vincent on Instagram.
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