I have a small obsession with watch naming conventions. I’m absolutely fascinated by the decisions brands make in what to call their watches. Some brands, for example, use only reference numbers, and collectors wind up giving the most popular watches nicknames (Grand Seiko comes to mind, although last year saw a notable exception to the rule). Then there are countless brands that incorporate language of adventure, particularly on high seas, into watch names: the Submariner, the Supermarine, the Sea-Rambler, and on, and on, and on, and on. And of course there are brands that steal a strategy from car manufacturers (or is it the other way around?) and give their watches names in one of the Romance Languages, an attempt to instill a sense of class and taste. But what I like are the simple and punchy names that get right to the root of what the watch is about. Memorable, sometimes funny names that communicate an ethos and make you go, “Oh yeah, of course,” all at once. The Speake Marin Ripples is one of my all time favorites.
The Ripples is Speake Marin’s take on the integrated bracelet sports watch, a category that seems about as far afield as you might get from the brand’s roots, but that’s a story for another day. In my opinion, the Ripple is one of the most distinctive integrated bracelet designs to come on the scene in this recent period during which everyone under the sun has tried their hand at this type of watch. It belongs, I think, in the same conversation as the H. Moser Streamliner and Chopard’s Alpine Eagle (both incredibly well named watches, too) if we’re talking about wholly original designs in this mold that stand completely on their own, and don’t lean on the obvious classics.
The name “Ripples” comes from the pattern on the dial, which evokes, well, ripples. It’s important, I think, that the name is plural, as the repetition of the ripple is key. This new release, the Ripples Infinity Date, has a metallic dial in a silvery white tone. There’s an airy starkness to it that I really enjoy, and it complements the case and bracelet design nicely. The case sets itself apart with its nearly squared off appearance, and a notably thin bezel that gives you an enlarged view of the rippled dial. The case features a mix of precision polishing and brushing to highlight the complex geometry, and measures 40.3mm in diameter and is just 9.2mm tall.
The integrated bracelet is a three link design. Note how unusual it is to see what amounts to an Oyster-style bracelet on an integrated bracelet sports watch, though. Also worth noting is how the polished center link and brushed outer link arrangement mirrors the finishing on the case, and how those outer links narrow dramatically from the lugs, giving a watch with some severe angles some additional refinement.
The movement in the Ripples Infinity Date is the SMA03-TD caliber, which is equipped with a micro rotor and provides up to 52 hours of power reserve on a full wind. It’s finished with rhodium plating on the bridges and beveled and hand polished edges, and of course it’s visible through the sapphire caseback.
The wonderfully named Ripples Infinity Date has a retail price of CHF 23,900. More info here.
