Fleux FLX004 | MICRO MONDAYS

Borna Bošnjak

Ed Cho’s Fleux has been round for a few years, and was based from his ardour for classic pores and skin divers. Up to now, he’s made three variations of them – the FLX001 and FLX002 launched in 2023, and the FLX003 from 2024 – and we’ve coated all of them for good motive. Every model paid homage to iconic divers, beginning within the Sixties and going properly into the Eighties, with de facto device watch specs. Ed’s newest launch, the Fleux FLX004, is one thing else solely. It embraces a wholly minimalist ethos, and invitations us to understand pared-backed designs. It’s a dialog starter piece that can look acquainted, but in addition received’t on the identical time.

The case

Ed is constant in lots of points, and case design is among the first issues that come to thoughts. It’s the very same as his first three releases, so nothing right here can be new. The FLX004’s case is only that of a pores and skin diver, with the normal straight reduce between the lugs, a principally brushed remedy, and a simple profile. The mid-case is skinny and seamlessly transitions into the lugs that flip down dramatically in the direction of the wrist. It’s a development that appears improbable, and makes this watch (and different pores and skin divers) so comfy to put on. As you may see from the pictures, the FLX004 has a bulbous profile, à la Rolex Bubbleback, which endows it with noticeable wrist presence. The fluffy side of the case is additional emphasised by means of a refined ring onto which the caseback screws down.

Furthermore, skinny polished chamfers on higher sections of the case assist visually reinforce the distinctive profile of the case and the angular curvature of its midsection and of the lugs. A friction-fit, bidirectional bezel sits flush on it and consists of a sterile, shiny aluminum insert. For adornment we solely see a C3 Outdated Radium LumiNova dot, that Ed has used beforehand. And for those who’re pondering, I’ve seen this earlier than from Unimatic – it’s referred to as a Bund-style bezel insert, and was not invented by the Italian model!

From a dimension standpoint, the case measures 39mm in diameter, 47mm lug-to-lug, a chunky 14mm thick together with the domed Hesalite crystal, and has a 20mm lug width. A small crown of 5.9mm screws down and along with a screw-down case-back, we get 200 metres of water resistance.

The dial

When trying on the dial of the Fleux FLX004, you’ll in all probability have many questions – and that’s a very good factor. Ed desires to have interaction in a dialog along with his potential prospects, and determine what is crucial in a watch (and probably, life) and what isn’t. We’ve already gotten extra purposeful variations of pores and skin divers, with extra data supplied up by the dials and bezels. The FLX004 is one thing totally different and singular, as it’s devoid of classical design parts of device watches akin to minute hash-marks and hour markers. Although it has the necessities to inform time: a broad-arrow handset and a working seconds hand.

The primary visible deal with on the dial is the sector that jogs my memory of Gérald Genta’s Common Genève Polerouter from 1954, and so does the silver ring surrounding the middle part of the dial. Although, the UG did have vertical traces and hour markers, however I digress. The 2 distinction in opposition to the black, shiny sections of the dial and work beautifully with the polished palms. The branding is printed in an previous radium coloration to match the lume, however right here for the primary time the “diver down” model brand solely seems on the crown. Due to the crosshair, the branding is break up in two, and seems in opposing quadrants.

The strap

The Fleux FLX004 is shipped with a black SeaQual sailcloth strap fabricated from recycled ocean plastics, a stainless-steel buckle, a leather-based backing, and quick-release spring-bars. As it’s true with all SeaQual straps, they’re stiff out of the field, however enhance over time.

The motion

One other factor with the FLX004 that stays the identical with the three earlier fashions is the selection of the motion: a Seiko NH38A that ticks at 21,600vph (3Hz) and has 41 hours of energy reserve. It’s no haute horlogerie and does contribute to the watch’s important thickness, however like a tractor, is dependable and notoriously straightforward to service.

Fleux FLX004 pricing and availability

The Fleux FLX004 is obtainable for quick buy from the model’s web site. Worth: US$499