M-1 Dune x La Pyae

A tool for the everyday. The M-1 Dune is a contemporary, military-inspired watch with a difference. Its party trick is its dial, finished in a dusty pink shade we’ve borrowed from a 1960s desert camouflage scheme, once used by the Special Air Service.

For covert operations, the SAS would paint their Land Rovers a fetching pink, which was said to make them invisible in the dunes at dusk and dawn. We’ve taken inspiration from this for the dusty shade used on the M-1 Dune. It changes subtly depending on the sky and the light. In bright sunlight it takes on an almost sandy tone, while in warmer light at dusk and dawn, the pink tones pop. We like to think it’s exactly as the SAS would have intended, acting as an adaptable camouflage for desert dwellers.

The rest of the watch is business as usual. 39mm in diameter, it’s powered by a manual-wound Sellita elabore grade movement, known for its reliability in all manner of conditions. Once fully wound, it’ll keep ticking for 42 hours. Assembled and finished by hand in Switzerland, its case is made from 904L stainless steel. A superior steel than the more commonly used 316L alloy, it’s known for its ability to withstand corrosion and pitting. While more difficult to work with, it’s this added durability that ensures our watches are tools for life.

Field watches have always been regarded for their rugged functionality. The M-1 Dune is no different. It comes with our dished, one-piece dial as well as our domed sapphire crystal. Combined, this provides clear legibility at all angles and times of day. When the sun does set, it’s still easy to read thanks to the Super-LumiNova®, which we’ve hand-applied to the hands and crown pip. For the large numerals and Aera logo, we’ve hand-applied them from solid blocks of Globolight. This hand-finishing ensures each watch is unique, and lights the M-1 Dune up in bright military green, with the logo shining bright white.

Like every Aera watch, the M-1 Dune comes with its own serial number on the screw down crown. In an edition of just 300 watches, it gives each watch an individual flair. We also include two of our integrated straps in Charcoal Grey suede and an additional one of your own choosing. Both have matching 904L stainless steel hardware and feature our quick-release mechanism, so you can swap them out on the fly. We spent three years perfecting their integrated design, which forms around the wearer’s wrist for day-long comfort. Also included with the watch is our signature black pebble grain Italian leather pouch, handmade in the UK, which is made to keep the watch safe on your travels.

Why La Pyae?

We've partnered with La Pyae Apothecary—a London-based fragrance house whose approach to scent mirrors our own philosophy of watchmaking: deliberate, personal, rooted in craft.

The Dune's dusty pink dial shifts with the light. La Pyae's "Catch Me If I Fall" does the same on skin—opening bright, settling warm, never quite the same twice. Two objects designed to evolve with you.

This isn't a sample. It's a proper gift from one craft house to another's community.