by Vincent Deschamps
Essentialism
In some instances minimalist design is perceived as being the absence of things. It isn’t “less is more” but “nothing is better” which can come across as being reductive in many instances. Yet some folks define minimalism as being essentialism—in other words, only what is essential is visible and what is absolutely necessary is present. From a visual art perspective, a minimalist painting could be a dot on an empty canvas; from an interior design perspective, minimalism could be to only have one plant in a space; from an horological perspective, a minimalist watch could only have one hand and no markers of any sorts. In the end, what minimalism is can be something different for each person but I understand it as being as follows: simple and effective designs where form follows function, where the essential triumphs over the superfluous, and where objects fulfill a single purpose. What on Genta’s name does any of this have to do with the Mudita Radiant you ask?
Excellent question. Looking at Poland-based Mudita’s catalog of everyday objects a thought probably immediately popped in your mind: this company is about minimalism. In some ways, it is. In others, I believe it is more about essentialism than anything else as Mudita designs simple-looking products which fulfill a particular purpose: a phone that only texts and calls; an alarm clock which only displays the time; watches with three hands and no complications. Like the Radiant, a deceptively simple-looking field watch which looks more at home in safe urban environments rather than in adrenaline-inducing wild adventures. Though it is built to look the part working in the city it can easily handle an ascent of Mount Everest. Indeed, the Radiant isn’t a watch we should judge on its appearance alone because the latter is absolutely deceptive: this is a “proper” field watch which presents excellent value and which excels in concealing its true nature. As we’re about to see.
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Key Features of the Mudita Radiant
Dimensions
The first point of interest regarding the Mudita Radiant is that it comes in three sizes and multiple colors for a total of no less than nine versions. Cases measuring 32, 37, or 40mm in diameters, and dials in Natural White with either a pebble-gray or natural white strap, Sand Beige, Moss Green, Baltic Blue, and Charcoal Black with matching two-piece canvas straps. On the black, green, and blue variants the hands and markers are made of brushed steel whilst in the beige and white versions they are made of black-coated steel. (I think because the brand doesn’t specify the nature of the black matter.) In terms of dimensions, the smaller version measures 32mm in diameter, 39mm lug-to-lug, 10mm thick and comes with an 18mm lug width; the medium variant measures 37mm in diameter, 45mm lug-to-lug, 10.3mm thick, and comes with a 20mm lug width; the larger (but not so large) variant measures 40mm in diameter, 48mm lug-to-lug, 10.5mm thick, and also comes with a 20mm lug width.
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Details
Being who I am, I opted to review the mid-sized 37mm Radiant in Charcoal Black which fits my 6.50”/16.5cm wrist like a glove. The genuine simplicity of the dial and the thinness of the fixed bezel means the 37mm wears, visually, a bit larger than its dimensions might suggest erring into the 39mm domain in my point of view. Which is as far as I ideally like to go with field watches. These great dimensions are accompanied by a sapphire crystal with inner anti-reflective coating, a screw-down case-back and a XXmm push/pull crown for 100 meters of water resistance, good applications of BGW9 SuperLuminova on the hour and minute hands and applied circular elements flanking the applied hour markers. What surprised me is the fact that Mudita equipped the Radiant with a Sellita SW200 Élaboré which ticks at 4Hz, comes with 41 hours of power reserve, and is regulated in three positions to run between ±7 and ±20 seconds per day which is quite good. All of this for $699 USD which is also quite good.
Of Interest
Beyond its specifications, what is of interest here is the design of the Radiant and what it actually is, however subjective what follows might be. Mudita describes this model as being a field watch on account of the full stack of Arabic numerals, the three hands, and the absence of branding on the dial. That is what I see as well for the same reasons. Others might see a fashion watch on account of the modern and simplistic aspect of its design, others a designer watch probably for the same reasons. But at its core, it is a tool watch and designed as such, which invites us to revisit (or refresh our memory) on what a field watch is: a legible, robust, discreet, and single-purpose timekeeping device (according to me that is.) And the Radiant meets these subjective but commonly-agreed upon criteria because the case is fully brushed, the dial is deprived of branding, the latter is legible, and as we saw above, the watch is well-spec’ed and I can tell you, quite robust.
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So this model is a bit of a unique creation in today’s market: whilst many micro and indie brands strive to stand out with unique dial colors or textures, novel case or bezel materials, and bespoke mechanical modules they attach to base calibers, Mudita took a different road—that of giving a field watch a modern allure—without deviating from the true purpose of such timepiece. By doing so, the Polish brand was able to offer the Radiant at the reasonable price of $699 USD which is more or less what a good and practical field watch should cost. Beyond that, what is further of interest here is indeed the design language of the Radiant: large and fully brushed rounded hands, applied and fully brushed hour markers and five-minute markers, a stark black dial. Nothing else. All elements are well executed and play well with one another so that the Radiant is indeed legible, therefore serving its purpose. It is also paired to a nimble case which shows just enough personality as, I think, it should.
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SPECS
| Case | 316L Brushed Stainless Steel 37mm Diameter 45mm Lug to Lug 10.3mm Thick 20mm Lug Width Screw Down Case Back & Crown 100m Water Resistance |
| Dial & Crystal | Sapphire Crystal Matte Dial Printed Indexes Custom Baton Handset BGW9 Super-LumiNova |
| Movement | Sellita SW 200 Elaboré (±7 to ±20 s/day) 26 Jewels 28 800vph 41-Hour Power Reserve |
| Strap | Varies |
Mudita Radiant
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Final Thoughts & Pricing
The Mudita Radiant reminds me of “minimalist” watches I used to collect before becoming a “true” watch enthusiast. Watches whose dial were legible but indeed absent of branding, simple cases, and more simple movements as well as the most basics of specifications you could ever have nightmares about. I liked the way they looked but I hated their flimsiness and lack of real-world capabilities. So I was very keen on reviewing the Radiant as I appreciate the essentialist aspect of its design, its straightforward nature, and its healthy spec sheet which makes it a “proper” field watch. (Damn I hate putting things in quotation marks but it seems imperative to do so in today’s world.) So there you have it: the Radiant is a neat, sleek, and robust field watch and a breath of fresh air in 2025/2026.
It is available from the brand website for $699 USD.
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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