The Low-down

The personality of Studio Underd0g is well established, the six-year-old brand founded by Richard Benc is all about larger than life personality, bright dials and unconventional colour combinations, but on this particular watch, colour is only half the story. Miguel Seabra is the other. Miguel is a veteran Portuguese journalist who covers watches and tennis. He provided the creative genesis for this particular model:

“The advent of the Strawberries & Cream timepiece can be traced to the Aubergine limited edition they did for testicular cancer research. The colours reminded me of the purple/green Wimbledon colour combination and I told Rich I would like him to lend me one (it sold out immediately) so I could take wrist shots of it at Wimbledon just for fun. And then he joked about Strawberries & Cream — and I immediately thought I should tell him — in the most serious way — to go for it! Especially because I love when both my areas of expertise (tennis & watches) intersect. From then on, we started a tennis-like ball exchange until the final details were set up.” As for the inspiration for the dial — eating strawberries and cream is a tennis tradition dating back to the 16th century, though it is most commonly associated with Wimbledon.

IMHO

It’s hard not to love the dial. Studio Underd0g has done an admirable job capturing the hue of the fresh fruit, and the creamy border is the perfect finishing touch. Powered by Seagull ST-1901 and offered with two straps (the tan calfskin strap is supplied by a British brand, The Strap Tailor, in keeping with the fact that Studio Underd0g is assembled in Great Britain). It’s also great to see a brand be so upfront about their design process and open to outside inspiration. And as for Miguel’s idea? Well, it turns out strawberries and cream are as tasty on the wrist as it is court-side. If things go well, I’d like to see a grand slam of tennis-inspired Studio Underd0g’s. The clay of Roland Garros, the blue of Rod Laver … think of the possibilities.

Tech Specs

Movement: Seagull Manual Winding ST-1901, 45+ hours of power reserve
Functions: Hours, minutes, chronograph
Case: 38.5 x 13.6mm, stainless steel, water-resistant to 50m
Strap: Tan calfskin and mesh bracelet
Price: USD 675/ EURO 600/ GBP 575
Availability: Exclusively available at underd0g.com, available for pre-order from the 9th -16th of August 2022