TW Steel is a cheerful and optimistic brand from Beverwijk in the Netherlands, launched ten years ago by Jordy Cobelens (CEO) and Ton Cobelens (Chief Design Officer, Jordy’s father) when they saw the opportunity to create oversized watches. They produced four “canteen models” in 2005, and sales were excellent, with the TW1 the best seller. Today their watches, with a total of 9 collections, are available in 120 countries. They sell about 200,000 watches per year.
TW1 anniversary edition
The new version of the TW1 is in three versions, three-hander and chronograph which have a quartz movement, and the automatic which has a Miyota movement. They are available in 45 mm or 50 mm case sizes. All their automatic watches are distinguished by the knurled bezel, and they have a sapphire window in the caseback displaying the movement. One of the defining characteristics of their watches is the crown lock which, along with the large size, gives it a slightly Panerai feel. It originated in WWII pilot’s watches to ensure that the crown couldn’t fall off when pilots unscrewed it. The watches are mounted on a vintage leather strap with contrasting stitching; this year, there are various steel bracelet options. The dials are available in various colours: red does particularly well in the Middle East and China, while green is strongly requested in the UK.
Price and availability of the TW1 automatic
The TW1 automatic anniversary edition costs €449. In the version with steel bracelet and pink gold PVD coating, the price is €579. More details and distribution from www.twsteel.com
Below, CS 6, case diameter 45mm and 50mm, automatic 8215 Miyota movement, brushed steel case, black dial, black leather strap, price €479:
Below, the model CS 16, case diameter 45mm and 50mm, automatic 8215 Miyota movement, brushed steel case, cream dial, brown leather strap, price €479:
Below,the model CS 36, case diameter 45mm and 50mm, automatic 8215 Miyota movement, brushed steel case, black dial with light brown numbering and indexes, brown leather strap, price €479:
