All Hail: Brew Celebrates New York City at the Windup Watch Fair with a Tribute to the Iconic Checkered Taxi

Keep the Meter Running

As previously mentioned, currently, medallion (or licensed) cabs in New York City come in two varieties: yellow or green. Yellow is the most familiar because they are the only cars permitted to pick up passengers anywhere in the five boroughs. (Why yellow? In 1967, New York City ordered all “medallion taxis” be painted this sunny shade to make official taxicabs more readily recognizable and to prevent tourists from getting scammed.)

What made the Checker cabs stand out (apart from their chessboard-patterned detailing) was that their design stayed firmly rooted in 1956, when the Marathon was first introduced. Moreover, the car was made for the taxi industry; therefore, there was no need to impress the public with “this year’s model” when the original architecture got the job done.

Similarly, one of the things we love most about Brew Watches is founder Jonathan Ferrer’s appreciation for practicality, as the brand’s whole ethos is about helping people track different methods of coffee making. Plus, its aesthetics draw on industrial design.

No matter what livery you dress it up in, you will recognize it as a Brew.

Fair Fare

The art of hailing a cab in New York in the days before ride-sharing was its own kind of song (whistling to attract a driver’s attention) and dance (waving frantically to hail a taxi). You had to be confident and act without hesitation. Getting lucky is kind of like a limited edition; not everybody can step to the curb and catch a ride.

The new Brew Metric Chrono Taxi New York Edition is limited to 1,000 pieces and was created specifically for Windup Watch Fair New York. Using the Metric as its canvas, the dial places an unmistakable taxi-yellow outer track against a matte dial. A checkered stripe runs through the center.

That checkered motif is echoed on the chronograph seconds hand and the caseback, which features a high-polished checkerboard pattern framing the Brew coffee bean.

To further reflect the city’s energy and character, the Metric Chrono Taxi New York is powered by a VK68 chronograph movement, housed in a 36 x 41.50x 10.75 mm 316L stainless steel cushion case with an integrated bracelet.

Pricing & Availability

Limited to 1,000 pieces worldwide, the Brew Metric Chrono Taxi debuts today at the Windup Watch Fair in New York and is priced at $495.

For more information, check out the Brew website.