by Tyler Frederick
Golden Hour
Christmas and the holidays are my favourite time of the year. It’s an opportunity to look back through that year, reflecting on the accomplishments, the new friends, and the memories made with old ones. During my time of reflection, I connected with the Japanese brand Outline and made new friends. I managed to get my hands on their Series I Chronograph—an homage to the Paul Newman Daytona. While I’m very familiar with chronographs, Paul Newman, and the legacy of the Daytona, the Series I that was sent to me was unfamiliar territory, as it’s done in gold. I’ve never seen myself as a gold person, but the longer I’ve had this on my wrist, the more I realize I may have been converted.
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Key Features of the Outline Watch Series I
Daytona in Gold
As a lover of “traditional” tool watches, I’ve always preferred stainless steel or titanium–even when it comes to a dress watch. The idea of a gold watch was not only uncomfortable but also didn’t suit my overall preference, as I deemed it too flashy and not representative of who I am or what I wanted to signal when wearing a watch. The Outline Series I was a shock for me, as it was the first time I saw a gold watch and felt intrigue. I was scrolling Instagram, minding my own business, when I came across this beautiful gold chronograph with a lemon-coloured dial, and I was captivated not only by the colour but also by the distinct nod to the Paul Newman Daytona, which is a watch I have such a deep love for. An all-gold homage to the Paul Newman Daytona; the recipe for something I might possibly love. Spoiler: I did.
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Play it loud
When I tell you this watch is loud, I mean that in the best way. I’ve never been the type to wear something so ostentatious, and I’ve always preferred to keep things more subtle. But when I have the Series I on my wrist, I can’t help but smile. While gold has been intimidating in the past, there’s such a warmth in the tone of gold that’s inviting and makes it so approachable. It’s fitting for the time of year because it offers this sense of cozy cordiality and belonging; it’s a loud watch, but it’s not a screaming “look at me.” It’s a warm laugh, a hug from a friend; it’s a place that feels familiar. It’s a watch I could see my grandparents wearing back in the day, and I mean that in the best way, too.
My grandfather on my mom’s side was a motorcycle racer, and my grandfather on my dad’s side built race cars. I can almost smell their shops when I put this watch on: the scent of fuel, tires, fumes from the grinder as bodywork has been shaped, and the aroma of a beer after a hard day’s work. I realized as I’m writing this that the watch is a reminder of the two men who brought me down the beautiful path of motorsport, which led me to watches and sharing my thoughts; that’s beyond cool.
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The Nitty Gritty
Not only does it look great, the Outline Series I is within my “perfect size” range. I’m a big fan of watches that are 38mm or close to it, and the watch measures 37.8mm with a 48mm lug-to-lug and a case thickness of 11.9mm (13.9mm including the domed acrylic crystal). It’s a comfortable wearing experience across the board, and the watch sits relatively flat on the wrist. It feels balanced, and the Italian leather strap that comes with it adds a level of comfort. Although I do wish I could have tried the bracelet version, which looks beyond sexy, so does the leather; I’m happy either way.
Now that the specs and wearability are out of the way, I want to turn back to the design—the creamy yellow dial, to be specific. While many homage chronographs lean more towards an off-white dial, the implementation of yellow was such a good choice and contrasts beautifully against the black and gold colour scheme. It adds a sense of lightness and really sets the dial apart from the rest of the watch while still allowing it to be cohesive and blend perfectly with the rest of the aesthetic. Cream white would have created too much separation, but the choice of lemon yellow, as Outline calls it, was a great one and adds a bit of zest to the design. Yes, I just made a lemon joke.
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SPECS
| Case | 316L Stainless Steel /w Gold PVD 37.8mm Diameter 48mm Lug to Lug 11.9mm Thick 20mm Lug Width 50m Water Resistance |
| Dial & Crystal | Domed Acrylic Crystal Yellow Sandwich Dial Dauphine Hands Tachymetre Scale Luminous Markers |
| Movement | Seiko VK64 Meca-quartz 32,768 Hz 3-Year Battery Life |
| Strap | Italian Vintage-Styled Leather |
Outline Series I Chronograph
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Quibbles
I love the Series I, and it has brought a lot of happiness as well as conversation since I’ve had it on my wrist, but there are some small things to consider. The water resistance of 50m is a big one for me, especially considering the watch has a screw-down crown, pushers, and case back. Seeing this upped to 100m would be fantastic and would make me feel better about wearing this daily. Fifty meters is perfect for everyday use, but there’s something about 100m that feels safer for getting wet and makes it a watch that can be used for daily wear–come what may. While I understand that an acrylic crystal stays in the lane of vintage design, sapphire would also be a welcome change.
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Final Thoughts
The Outline Series I is a watch I’ve enjoyed that suddenly brought me down memory lane in a very unexpected way. It brought me back to the men who introduced me to motorsport and to a time when all that mattered was going fast, being the fastest, and doing the things that mattered to make life more enjoyable. It’s a watch that looks fantastic, feels great on the wrist and while it’s a bit dressy, I have enjoyed it as a daily wear. Dress it up, dress it down, it’s definitely a watch that can do it all, and retails for $465 CAD ($340 USD).
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Pricing & Availability
Outline Watch is a brand from Japan and information about all the watches they create can be found on their website. This was a limited release for the Watch Life News Online Shop, and can be purchased there.
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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.
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