"The design of these two chronographs straddles the line between "design object" and "tool watch" quite successfully."

Aera, the microbrand founded two years ago by Olof Larsson and Jas Minhas, has stuck close to its design-led roots with a collection of a few highly distinctive (and legible) time-only watches like the P-1 Pilot and D-1 Diver. They were big and bold yet carried a certain unique softness to the design, no doubt echoing the style of watches established by design-heavy brands like Ikepod. Aera uses a few key principles and trademarks in its watches: a large yet soft pebble-like case, curved lugs, integrated straps, and what the brand calls one-piece "dished" dials. In short, Aera tries to create watches with simplicity and softness that goes against many other micro brands in the space, which often lean toward more brutalist approaches towards legibility.

Today, Aera sticks with its design philosophy and branches out into its first set of mechanical chronographs with the C-1 Shadow and C-1 Cloud. For the brand's initial foray into complications, Aera uses the tried-and-true and very expected Sellita SW510 Bi-compax automatic caliber in these watches. The movement has 56 hours of power reserve, and in these watches, Aera opts for Elabore grade movements, with slightly improved timing regulation and finishing as opposed to the standard grade.

Aera also continues their usage of 904L stainless steel in these cases, as seen previously in their other watches. For their Shadow C-1 chronograph, the case is finished for the first time in a matte black PVD coating, while the Cloud model sports the standard 904L case. With the large Sellita movement, the case is large at 42mm in diameter, with 15.75mm in thickness. The lug-to-lug is listed at 49.55mm, but with integrated straps (22mm), I've found that the flare usually adds a tiny bit to the spec on paper.

Of course, like all other Aera watches, the main conversation point here is around the design, so let's get into it. The C-1 Shadow Chronograph is an exercise in contrast, with the matte black finish of the case also extending to the curved bezel with engraved and black lacquer-filled numerals. Underneath the domed sapphire crystal is that iconic single-piece dished dial, with white markings found on the rehaut as well as around the recessed chronograph subdials. Despite its dark appearance, the Shadow features Super-LumiNova on the tips of the red lacquered subdial counters, as well as the black-framed sword hands and a bright red lacquered infill in the center of the crown. As an interesting touch, the AERA logo at 12 o'clock is machined from solid Globolight, giving a three-dimensional touch to the watch. Aera is delivering the Shadow model with two integrated straps – black rubber and orange leather with quick-release spring bars.

The C-1 Cloud chronograph approaches its design a bit differently, with a very different soft and light tone as opposed to the visual aggressiveness in the black and red of the Shadow. The dial is a pale matte grey-blue dial with contrasting white subdials. The markings found in white on the Shadow are printed in a dark grey to match the sword hands, while the chronograph subdial hands and center chronograph seconds hand are in sky blue with LumiNova white tips. Just like the Shadow, it has the solid Globolight applied logo, though this time, giving a very different complement to the lighter dial. The Cloud is accompanied by two straps as well – a white rubber strap and a light grey calfskin strap.

Both watches feature solid engraved screw-in case backs and come with a handmade leather pouch. The C-1 Shadow is priced at £2100, and the C-1 Cloud is priced at £1950. Both will be produced as limited runs of 300 pieces, with the first 100 pieces being offered as pre-order on their website as part of what Aera calls "Phase 1."

While I haven't had an opportunity to see these new chronographs in person, I spent quite a bit of time with their previous P-1 Pilot and D-1 Diver models. While they were too large for my 6.5" wrist, on a slightly larger wrist, they were quite impressive. The watches are impressively built, and despite design cues shared from brands like Ikepod, it's hard to necessarily compare them to any other watches in its segment.

These chronographs have excellent design executions in my opinion, and my favorite of the two is the lighter Cloud model. The watch straddles a line between soft, gentle and tool-ish, masculine design very well, and I think the way that the grey and blue tones integrate is just spot on. Proportions feel right, despite the large case, and so I think it'll be a popular one.

Interestingly, given their two previous models were linked to diving and aviation, I was surprised to see that the brand story for these two models did not include any automotive or aviation cues for the chronograph. On the flip side, the design of these two chronographs straddles the line between "design object" and "tool watch" quite successfully. With the principles that Aera tries to instill in its design language, I find that brands that echo these objectives often can very much make a bland and generic watch. While the C-1 Chronograph design is certainly intentionally simplified, I don't think I can say that it's generic. Everything feels considered, and extra touches like the Aera logo in Globolight are proof of that.

These are great watches for a customer who is looking for something different. The Sellita SW510 inside is no surprise. It's very standard fare for brands at this level, and given its workhorse status, it will serve well. While I often groan at the commenters wishing that a watch was smaller, in this case, I think I would echo the sentiment this time around. These are large watches, no question, and I really think that a smaller watch would have worked just as well with their distinct design language. Though a SW510 may be a challenge to accomplish such a goal, I could make a case where a Mecaquartz version may be appropriate for them (though Aera has stuck to entirely mechanical movements so far). 

While the past time-only Sellita-powered Aera watches clocked in at around $1,400 USD, the pricing of these chronographs is quite a step up. Converting the price to USD, the Cloud chronograph comes in at a bit over $2,500 pre-tax. That's slightly more expensive than, for example, a Nivada Grenchen Chronomaster. Of course, there are material differences, such as the usage of 904L steel and Globolight, and the brand tries to make up the value by including two straps and a handmade pouch. Aera has sold out of their previous time-only editions, so I'm sure that the brand will also see success for these chronographs. I think Aera is doing the supply side right on these watches, with the first offering 100 pieces each in the initial pre-order. It's a smart way to gauge the initial demand.

Overall, a chronograph makes a lot of sense for the brand at this point, and if these prove to be a success, it will cement Aera as a brand that's sticking to a unique design language and finding a loyal customer base for it, after just a few years.

Brand: Aera
Model: C-1 Chronograph (Shadow & Cloud)
Diameter: 42m
Thickness: 15.75mm
Case Material: 904L stainless steel, Shadow with PVD coating
Dial Color: Black, Blue
Indexes: Printed
Lume: SuperLuminova and Globolight
Water Resistance: 100m
Strap/Bracelet: Rubber and leather quick-release straps

Caliber: Sellita SW510 Bicompax, Elabore grade
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, chronograph
Power Reserve: 56 hours
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 4Hz

Price: £2100 (Shadow), £1950 (Cloud)
Availability: 100 pieces on Phase 1 pre-order (2024), remainder in 2025
Limited Edition: 300 pieces each