10/04/2023

Automatic for the People: The Impact of Brew’s First Mechanical Metric Watch

Released in limited edition and already sold out according to the watchmaker, Brew’s Metric Automatic Steel timepiece sets a new milestone for the brand and has watch fans far and wide betting that it’s more than just a one-trick pony.

By Mike Espindle

Executive Editor

Full disclosure No. 1: Here at Watchonista, we love us some Brew. In no small part, the sheer enthusiasm and vision of the independent brand’s founder John Ferrer, the part-time engineering professor and full-time watch aficionado who started designing watches in 2015, is a big driver of that admiration.

Ferrer was also featured on our 2022 30 Under 30(ish) list. Chances are, if you’ve been out-and-about in the watch community in the New York City area, you may have had the chance to meet him; he is fairly ubiquitous and on-the-scene.

According to Ferrer: “Brew is about celebrating a time in which we can free ourselves from the rush of everyday life and enjoy our personal time over coffee.” As it turns out, that simple java-inspired intention has made for some intriguing, unexpected watch models.

In fact, readers of go-to watch industry insider publication WatchPro recently named Brew the American Watch Brand of the Year.

Espresso Love

Timepieces like 2021’s whimsical Brew 8-bit, the more directly coffee-related Retrograph Espresso, and the more recent Metric Gold updates have helped Ferrer almost single-handedly foster a spike in cleverly, nay artfully, designed neo-quartz timepieces.

Brew 8-Bit © Brew

Brew Metric Gold © Brew

Brew models typically vary in colorways and design, iteration to iteration, but have generally shared a squared-off cushion dial shape, chronograph functionality, and reliable hybrid VK68 meca-quartz chrono movements.

Brew Metric Automatic Steel caseback © Brew

Formula Change

But with the recent release of the Brew Metric Automatic Steel, some of that formula has changed: The 36mm by 41.5mm 316L stainless-steel watch features only three-hand time owing to its precision Seiko Automatic NH35A movement.

Brew Metric Automatic Steel © Brew

But, fear not, even without chronograph sub-dials and pushers, the Metric Automatic Steel is recognizably a Brew product, and toes the line on the brand’s signature, evocative, recombinant DNA design approach.

Potent Brew

The original Metric line’s cushion steel case and tapered single-link steel bracelet appear on the Automatic Steel, and present a clean, polished modern framework.

But the dial design is a big departure from previous Brew executions: Rife with mid-century technical references combined with a kind of vintage dive watch inspiration that is presented on a sober black matte dial, it might be the most dashboard-y of Brew’s offerings. The extra real estate granted by the missing subdials is used to great effect, indeed.

Brew Metric Automatic Steel © Brew

While the Metric Automatic Steel is rated to 5ATM (about 50 meters) of water resistance, it is, at the end of the day, more technical sport watch than dive watch.

However, with an orange lollipop seconds hand, double-stroke hour markers boxed by orange and yellow, blunt lumed hour and minutes hands, and an outer dial ring logging minutes in a clean, technical font, the undersea inspiration is more than evident to the eye.

Pricing & Availability

Full disclosure No. 2: Currently, the Metric Automatic Steel is listed at $525, but is labelled as “sold out” on Brew’s website. Only 500 were made, and they WENT. Order quantities were limited to one per customer, but the popularity has spoken for itself.

Brew Metric Automatic Steel © Brew

However, given the multiple subsequent variations released for Brew’s other core models, I think there’s more than a slim possibility that you’ll be seeing more and more from Brew’s first mechanical movement marvel. Watchonista will continue to do our level best to report on those developments, so stay tuned.

For more about Brew Watch Co., please visit the brand's website.