Worden Watches Bubble Gum Review: Brutalist Design Meets Playful Colour

by Tyler Frederick

Naive enjoyment on your wrist

This article is going to head into a bit of a philosophical rabbit hole, and one that blossoms into nostalgia and all things happy (for the most part). As we get older, we tend to lose our sense of fun, we view colour differently, our imagination slowly dissipates, and the world turns into this vast monochrome landscape of work, responsibility and many other monotonies that stand in our way as we go through the day; this can also become our routine. I know that comes with getting older, but I’m a firm believer in keeping our inner child alive and thriving through the enjoyments that life has to offer—a big part of that for me is finding objects that make me smile, bring me back to a simpler time in my life, or surrounding myself with people who share such unique passions and see the world through a different lens in every aspect of our consciousness.

I recently checked out the Bubble Gum from Worden Watches and it captivated me and brought forward a sense of playfulness and innocence that I haven’t felt in a while—like a child discovering a toy or how something works.

^{Worden Watches Bubble Gum @horologyobsessed}

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Key Features of the Worden Watches Bubble Gum

Brutalist design

I spoke with Tyler Worden while at the Toronto Timepiece Show; I made a lot of new friends at the show, which is why they’ve been a trend in my most recent write-ups. While speaking with him, I was won over by his passion and love for not only his product but also for watches in general. Through the lens of Tyler’s industrial design background, the design of the watch makes sense, and the combination of a brutalist aesthetic paired with such bright colors made it a no-brainer to get one of these in for review.

^{Brutalist design @horologyobsessed}

Case

From discussion and having the watch hands-on, there is a definite nod to the EDC (everyday carry) community with the design of the case and its angular-cut slab of 316L stainless steel, providing a feel of durability and reliability. It definitely has a commanding wrist presence, measuring 34mm in diameter, 48.3mm lug-to-lug, and a case thickness of 11.2mm. It’s especially heavy considering it’s on a leather strap and implements a quartz movement, but we’ll touch on that in a bit. Brutalism is one of my favorite design “genres,” and the design of the
Bubble Gum is definitely reflective of that era due to its raw nature and its utilitarian design; talking about the case, of course.

^{Playful dial @horologyobsessed}

Dial

It brings a smile to my face to see such a raw design paired with such a fun, bubbly, and light-hearted dial as the Bubble Gum. The vibrant yet soft blue and pink accents, and the heart at 12 o’clock are very inviting and take away from the intensity and angular structure of the case. It’s a simple design that pops and is a clear example of the approach taken with these watches: to make something robust but also fun, and as the dial states at the bottom, “Made with love.”

SPECS

Case	Brushed 316L Stainless Steel 34mm Diameter 48.3mm Lug to Lug 11.2mm Thick 22mm Lug Width 30m Water Resistance
Dial & Crystal	Mineral Glass Enamel Dial Custom Baton Hands Luminous Markers
Movement	Seiko VH31L Japanese Quartz 2 Jewels +15/sec per month ~2 Years Battery Life
Strap	Purple Leather Alligator

Worden Watch Bubble Gum

Quibbles

As much as I’ve enjoyed my time with the Bubble Gum, and as playful as it is, there are lots of things going on that I need to address. While the watch does carry a robust, almost EDC-like design, there isn’t much going on in terms of water resistance; the specs describe “splashes only,” which signals to me that it’s around 30m or maybe 50m, but still—a water resistance rating of 100m is kind of standard, in my opinion.

With a watch of this stature, I’d like to see more robust and rugged specs. The watch implements the Seiko VH31L, a standard Seiko quartz movement, which also had a surprising amount of back play in the crown when trying to set the time.

There is also the Hesalite crystal. When brands, at a much lower price, can put in sapphire, I don’t see why other brands don’t do the same. While the watch does feature a real alligator strap and a unique design, I feel the $900 price tag is on the high end of the spectrum. Not to be harsh, I love to see something different and unique in the watch world, but with the amount of competition featuring sapphire crystal, higher water resistance, and mechanical movements at a lower price point, this is a tough one to wrap my head around.

^{Real alligator strap @horologyobsessed}

Final Thoughts

I love seeing watch brands doing something different, and I love it even more when they combine two different design “genres” in one package—particularly when they’re a local brand. This watch targets a different niche, and if you’re a lover of art and design and are looking for something unique on your wrist, then the Worden Watches Bubble Gum is for you.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my review! Happy Holidays, Happy New Year, and I’ll catch you in the next one!

Pricing & Availability

You can find the Bubble Gum on the Worden Watches website, retailing for $900 CAD.

About the author

Born into a family obsessed with motorsport, Tyler Frederick became enamoured with speed and beautiful cars at a young age. His love of Formula 1–and all things mechanical–eventually lead him to horology. You can follow him on Instagram.

Off The Cuff articles are full-length, hands-on reviews of the watch in question and represent the opinion of the author only. All photos are original, unless specified otherwise. If you would like to have your watch reviewed on this site, contact us here.