Digital Underground: Meet Two New Brews, the Metric Digital Blend and Metric New York Limited Edition
One is billed as the world’s first (and only) ani-digi espresso timer and might just be the world’s most niche tool watch, while the other is an ode to public transportation.
By Rhonda Riche
Editor-At-Large
Recently, the cosmic algorithm has been throwing a lot of very niche tool watches our way. Take, for example, the Vero x Realtree Tide Tracker, an action watch with a built-in 14-day tide tracker to keep you in sync with the water. Or, how about the tactical and practical NOMOS Glashütte Club Sport neomatik Worldtimer “Night Navigation” Editions?
So, what’s new with the wildly popular micro-brand Brew? Like these other examples, the new Brew possesses a highly specific set of skills.
Of course, the indie upstart has always drawn inspiration from coffee culture (the brand has even made dials from crushed coffee beans). Thus, the stated purpose of the Metric’s chronograph functions has always been for timing the perfect espresso instead of laps around a racetrack.
That said, the Brew Metric Digital Blend gives the concept a real jolt, using a light-emitting diode (LED) digital display at the bottom of the dial to call the shots.
Coffee Talk
Visually, the first thing one notices about the Metric Digital Blend is its LED 30-second countdown and playful percolating coffee cup animation.
Any tool watch, no matter how peculiar its function, can be a cool watch if the design is strong enough. Think of all the desk divers that have never seen the ocean. Or the Formula One-themed timepieces that have only ever been used to time eggs.
Brew has presented fun, retro watches with espresso-specific details, but this new ana-digi design is even more precise when it comes to timing your next shot.
Even without the glowing red LED display, the dial of the Digital Blend makes another significant visual break from the Metric’s 1970s coding: The markers feature a specialized glow-in-the-dark application that ensures effortless readability in low-light and nighttime conditions.
The markers’ alterations, combined with the futuristic, alternating brushes and polished surfaces of planes and angles of the case and bracelet, signify a big step forward for Brew, which has a strong – albeit pleasingly eccentric – point of view.
Oh! And did we mention that the Metric Digital Blend is priced at just $425?
Sneak Peek
If you want to get a taste of the Metric Digital Blend in person, Brew will be exhibiting it at the 10th anniversary edition of WindUp New York, running from Friday, October 17th, until Sunday, October 19th.
While there, the brand will also be presenting the Metric New York Limited Edition – a trio of chronographs with dials inspired by the terrazzo floors found in the floors of the Big Apple’s famous subway cars.
Not only do these unique “patterns” make every piece one-of-a-kind, but each color (orange, yellow, and blue) also corresponds to a different subway line, signifying the connections between the city’s vibrant neighborhoods.
The caseback is adorned with the NYC skyline in tribute to the aboveground architecture and energy of New York City.
The New York Limited Edition Metric Chrono gets its buzz from a hybrid VK68 meca-quartz chronograph movement. Priced at $677, it is limited to only 50 pieces per color and is available on a first-come, first-served basis at WindUp New York.
For more information about the brand’s offerings, visit the Brew website.