Anomaly-02: A 40% Off Spectacle

Building on the success of the truly sensational Anomaly-01 we reviewed, the spotlight is now on the Anomaly-02. This latest iteration is available at an enticing 40% off, showcasing Code41’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of watchmaking design and craftsmanship.

Christmas Chronicles Unveiled

Discover the enchanting discounts within Code41’s Christmas Chronicles. The NB24 chronograph comes with a 10% price reduction, while the Anomaly-T4 and Day41 models are adorned with a generous 15% off. Each watch is a testament to Code41’s dedication to providing a unique and immersive experience for watch enthusiasts.

Revolutionary Watchmaking

Founded in 2016 by Claudio D’Amore, Code41 is not just a brand but a revolutionary concept in watchmaking. Breaking away from tradition, Code41 engages its community actively in the creation of high-quality mechanical watches, fostering inclusivity, transparency, innovation, and excellence.

Transparent Horology 2.0

Code41 is proud to offer a transparent approach to watchmaking. Access the Total Transparency on Origin (TTO) label on the website to explore the origin of each watch component. This commitment to transparency has earned Code41 the trust of its community.

Community-Powered Decision Making

Code41 involves its community in decision-making processes, with over 500,000 members participating in referendums. This unique synergy empowers enthusiasts to co-create their dream watches, fostering a connection between the brand and its community.

Explore the Christmas offers live on Code41’s website and seize the opportunity to not just buy a watch but to be part of a horological revolution. Gift yourself or a loved one a timepiece that embodies the spirit of collaboration, innovation, and transparency that defines Code41. Act fast, as these extraordinary offers are available only until December 15th, ensuring this Christmas is marked by timeless elegance and unparalleled craftsmanship.

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Lausanne, 12th of June 2023 — CODE41 launches the second edition of the ANOMALY EVOLUTION. Made in direct cooperation with the owners of the previous models and the community as a whole, it is the ultimate version of a flagship model of participatory watchmaking. Two years after the success of the first edition, the ANOMALY EVOLUTION is making its big return with an additional color for the pleasure of lovers of this iconic collection. The 300 Edition 2 pieces will be available for pre-order from 21st of June 2023 until 19th of July 2023.

If it’s true that we show our real selves during testing times, then the ANOMALY EVOLUTION embodies the very essence of CODE41. Boasting an instantly recognizable technical design, it features a high-quality Swiss movement, but it is above all its original story that grants it its own unique place in the brand’s catalog. Designed in the middle of two crises (one in watchmaking, one in public health), it demonstrates the strength of the resilience of a young Swiss company that knows how to transform adversity into opportunity, and strokes of bad luck into strokes of genius. A feat made possible by the unfailing support of its community, which participates in every stage of development in order to celebrate, in a perfect combination of the previous models, the crowning achievement of the ANOMALY collection. Here’s a look back at the history of a miraculous rebirth…

In 2021, while the health crisis continued to paralyze the whole world, another problem complicated the equation further: the movement crisis. This hit the ANOMALY collection with full force, given that it was now very difficult to acquire the ETA and Miyota movements used in the ANOMALY 01 and 02. Faced with this turn of events, which would spell the end of more than one company, CODE41 did an about-face. Refusing to bury the model that crystallized its vision for the future of watchmaking, without skipping a beat the brand threw itself into designing a brand new watch to take up the torch.

The community at the helm

As always, the community is invited to decide on the characteristics of the forthcoming model, as well as owners of the ANOMALY 01 and 02, whose views and recommendations have proved very precious. These are the members who select, during a large campaign of surveys, the functions, the design details and the materials used for the next ANOMALY. In this way, the brand ensures that the desires of its community of enthusiasts are fulfilled in real time. A one-of-a-kind participatory approach in watchmaking which, alongside total transparency on the origin and costs of the components, constitutes the hallmark of CODE41.

An enhanced ANOMALY

Following the success of the first edition — more than 1,000 pieces sold and a million euros generated in barely a few weeks — those who had missed the boat had to be offered another chance to acquire the ANOMALY EVOLUTION. No sooner said than done, CODE41 is opening pre-orders for the Edition 2 on 21st of June 2023.

Designed as a combination of its predecessors, the ANOMALY EVOLUTION features the technical design of the 01 version while offering the Swiss movement and date of the 02 version. First of all, the movement is a Sellita SW200-1, in its Elaboré — or Special — version, with a precision of -7/+7 seconds per day. A guarantee of superior quality. In terms of esthetics, the transparent back allows the details of the movement to be admired from a new angle. With their ear to the ground as always, the team from Lausanne have also taken on board numerous suggestions from owners of the ANOMALY: optimized ergonomics and reduced thickness, improved readability and watertightness, a reinforced crown, double-strength Luminova…

The worthy heir to an iconic model, the ANOMALY EVOLUTION gives it new impetus, boosted by CODE41’s spirit of surpassing itself. But that’s not all! To mark the release of the second edition, the brand wanted to add a new color to the collection: once again, the choice was presented to the community, who voted en masse to select the orange version from among the three options proposed.

Everything you need to know

Key information – ANOMALY EVOLUTION

• Opening of pre-orders: 21st of June 2023 at 3 pm (CET)
• End of pre-orders: 19th of July 2023 Price: Available for a price of 1348 CHF TTC / 1348 € TTC / 1190 GBP TTC / 1170 USD HT
• Delivery: From March/April 2024
• Number of pieces: 300

Technical specifications

• Case material: high-quality 316L stainless steel
• Crystal: sapphire on front and back. Anti reflective treatment
• Display: hour, minute, second in center. Date at 7 o’clock
• Nighttime display: Luminova on hands and indices
• Watertight: to 100 meters. Individually tested under a pressurized dome
• Weight: 86 grams / 116 grams with leather strap
• Diameter: 41.5mm Thickness: 11.2mm
• Strap: lug width 24mm / simple tool-free assembly system
• Movement: Sellita SW200-1 Elaboré/Special
• Number of jewels: 26
• Frequency: 28,800 vibrations per hour / 4[Hz]
• Precision: -7/+7 seconds per day
• Power reserve: 38 hrs (when not in use)
• Stop seconds mechanism
• Incabloc shock absorber
• Winding: automatic via oscillating weight. Bidirectional winding
• Precision test: fine–tuned in 3 positions

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You’ll be forgiven for not having heard of CODE41 before. It’s a pretty young brand that was started by Claudio D’Amore in 2016. Claudio is a veteran of the Swiss watch industry, having spent 10 years designing watches for brands that include Tag Heuer and Montblanc. However, Claudio first had the idea for what would become the Mecascape way back in 2009, long before he founded CODE41. 

The Mecascape isn’t a traditional desk clock, and it’s definitely not a wristwatch. Instead, it sits somewhere in between, and with its sleek rectangular design that’s meant to fit easily into a jacket pocket, I’m strongly reminded of a vintage travel clock. This visual resemblance is reinforced by the fact that the Mecascape comes with both an Italian leather travel case and a metal stand. 

There is, however, nothing at all vintage about the Mecascape itself, which is a marvel of engineering. The case measures 108 x 71mm and is manufactured from grade 5 titanium, which is both lightweight and corrosion-resistant. It’s also just 8.1mm thick, including the sapphire crystal, which makes the Mecascape thinner than most mechanical watches. The crystal also has an anti-reflective coating, and for what it’s worth the Mecascape is water resistant to 3atm. 

All of the above are solid, if not extraordinary, specifications. But whilst they might not have grabbed your attention, the movement inside the Mecascape most certainly will. It’s a Swiss movement of CODE41’s own design, and it’s an impressive sight to behold. It’s made from 237 components and contains 39 jewels. The movement is manually wound by a crown on the side of the case and has a beat rate of 28,800 vph and an impressive 8-day power reserve. 

The back of the Mecascape is solid except for a small display window, but thankfully the dial has an open design through which you can see the movement in action. On the left-hand side of the face, the Mecascape has separate dials to display the hours, minutes and seconds, with the date wheel built into the minute dial. On the right-hand side is a GMT sub-dial, and the power-reserve indicator. I have to hand it to CODE41 for doing an excellent job at incorporating all the different displays into the Mecascape, without overcomplicating the overall design.

It’s perhaps not surprising that the Mecascape looks so well-proportioned, as CODE41 designed it along the principle of the golden ratio. What’s the golden ratio I hear you ask? Well, in mathematics it’s a ratio between two numbers that equal approximately 1.618, and which is often represented by the Greek letter Phi “Φ”. The golden ratio can be found in nature, art and architecture, and is used to define the beauty and aesthetic of a shape. It certainly seems to have worked on the Mecascape, and I can imagine that the timepiece would make for a striking statement piece on an office desk. 

The price for such a well-designed, high-specced mechanical instrument is rather steep, and the Mecascape is priced at CHF9,950 / €11,450 / £9,950 / $9,950 (excluding VAT). But that’s not to say that I think the Mecascape is overpriced. In fact, quite the opposite, because given the fact that CODE41 designed and built the Mecascape from the ground up, it’s a fair price for something of this intricacy. 

The Mecascape is now available for pre-order on CODE41’s website here. 

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CODE41 is a relatively young brand that was started in 2016 by Claudio D’Amore. Claudio is a veteran of the Swiss watch industry, having spent 10 years designing watches for brands that include Tag Heuer and Montblanc. 

CODE41 have released several models over the last 12 years, with their next project being Edition 6 of their futuristic X41. The X41 is a watch that almost looks like it’s from science-fiction, with a sharp rectangular case and a skeleton dial that exposes a lot of the mechanical movement beneath. It’s a bold look that showcases the literal heart of our hobby – the mechanical movement. 

The fact that CODE41 are now on their sixth iteration of this watch demonstrates its obvious popularity, and this latest version offers two new choices of bridge colour – green and a particularly eye-catching rainbow. 

You can pre-order your own X41 directly from CODE41’s website here. 

However, the most interesting change for the Edition 6 of the X41 is the introduction of a sapphire case. As most of you know, sapphire is virtually scratch-proof, but it’s also twice as light as steel. It’s a difficult material to work with and as a result most brands charge tens of thousands for sapphire-cased watches.

As testament to the complexities of machining sapphire, CODE41 highlights the price difference between the X41’s titanium and sapphire cases. The former costs just €160 compared to the whopping €3600 for the latter. 

The reward for persevering with such an expensive and tricky material is a completely transparent case that further enhances the sci-fi appearance of the X41 and displays its movement as completely as possible.

An In-house Movement

Speaking of which, the movement inside the X41 has been developed specifically for the watch. This in-house calibre features 33 jewels and beats at a rate of 28,800 bph. The movement has also been regulated in 5 positions to an accuracy of -2/+10 seconds per day, and features a decent 45-hour power reserve. Unusually, the movement features a peripheral rotor, rather than one mounted on the top. This allows the movement to be thinner than a regular automatic calibre, as well as displaying more of the movement itself. It’s partly thanks to this that the watch is only 11.7mm thick. It’s by no means the slimmest automatic watch out there, but it’s still thin. 

There’s A Lot Of Options

So along with the sapphire case, you also have the option of a grade 5 titanium or AeroCarbon, a high-density carbon fibre. Titanium is of course known for being two times lighter than steel, and the grade 5 used on the X41 is also more scratch-resistant than the grade 2 that is more commonly used in watchmaking. Meanwhile, the AeroCarbon is two and a half times more resistant to bending than steel, and it’s the lightest choice of the three case materials, being twice as light as titanium and four times lighter than steel. 

Once you’ve selected your case material, you then have a choice of 5 bridge colours: black, blue, grey, green, and rainbow. You can also choose whether or not to have a red tip added to the hands in order to improve legibility. Lastly, you can choose from a whopping 17 different strap options to go with the watch itself. 

You can pre-order your own X41 directly from CODE41’s website here. 

Total Pricing Transparency

One of the most unusual things CODE41 offers is total transparency in their pricing. Obviously, it relies on trusting that the costs the brand states are correct, but in theory it allows you to see the exact breakdown of production costs and their profit on each watch. Such transparency is exceptionally refreshing in the world of watchmaking, and it instils confidence that the brand is offering good value for money. 

Specifications

• Case size: 42mm
• Thickness: 11.7mm
• Lug width: 24mm
• Case material: AeroCarbon, Titanium, or Sapphire
• Crystal: Sapphire with anti-reflective treatment
• Water resistance: 100m (AeroCarbon / titanium) or 30m (Sapphire) 
• Luminescence: Super-LumiNova applied to hands and indices
• Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, grand date display
• Movement: In-house automatic calibre with 33 jewels and peripheral oscillating weight. Adjusted in 5 positions. 
• Power reserve: 45-hours
• Accuracy: -2/+10 seconds per day 
• Price:
  • AeroCarbon – starting from £5,445
  • Titanium – starting from £4,995
  • Sapphire – starting from £13,995

Final Thoughts

It seems fair to say that the X41 offers an impressive package, with hi-tech materials, a striking skeleton design, and an inhouse movement. As a result the X41 is far from cheap, with prices starting from £4,995, and £13,995 for the sapphire case. But, it is still a fraction of the cost of its more mainstream alternatives. For example, Hublot’s sapphire-cased Big Bang models start from a whopping £57,000, and rise well into six figures. 

So, if you’re after something futuristic and of exceptional quality, then I recommend you check out CODE41. The X41 is available to pre-order until 4th May 2022, with delivery estimated to be in March/April 2023. 

You can pre-order your own X41 directly from CODE41’s website here. 

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With its machined dial that seems to be part of the mechanism itself and a delightful case, the Code41 Anomaly-01 puts a big fat tick in all three of those boxes. The fact that it houses a mere Miyota movement with an RRP of £678 / $734 / €761 / 768CHF may put some off, so let’s check out whether is worth the money.

Please note, if you use code WIAA, you’ll get 10% off, making the cost nearer £600.

Firstly, it’s good to raise Code41’s “Total transparency on origin”. This is down to the fact that many excellent watches brands are manufactured in China, and they hope to dispel the negative connotations that may come along with that. After all, the “Swiss Made” tag doesn’t guarantee quality – there are so many brands out there which provide better build quality, specs and finishing which are not made in Switzerland than some Swiss brands.

Anyway, let’s check out the watch.

The specs

• Dimensions: 42mm diameter x 13mm height x 50mm lug to lug
• Weight: 120g
• Water resistance rating: 5ATM / 50m
• Movement: Miyota 82S7
• Accuracy: +14.7 sec/day
• Lug width: 24mm
• Warranty: 2 years
• Price: £678 / $734 / €761 / 768CHF
  • use code WIAA for 10% off; £610
• Buy here: https://code41watches.com/collections/anomaly-01/

The video review

The case

This is certainly not your regular watch – both in the case and dial departments. It’s a bit difficult to accurately categorise this watch; but that’s one of its pluses – it’s unique, bold and stands out. The overall craftsmanship is outstanding, which is good to know considering the price.

The sides of the case feature an engraved, polished channel. It’s not a traditional slab / barrel shape, it so looks and wears reasonably well for the 42mm diameter.

There’s a lovely array of finishes; it’s primarily brushed which is handy for longevity and durability, but with polished accents to pick up the light and a blasted underside of the case to keep things visually engaging.

Sitting atop of the case is a flat sapphire crystal, which is slightly bevelled around the edge. Interestingly, there’s a polished inside edge of the bezel which drops down to meet, creating a valley. Whilst this is just a minor thing, it is rather interesting. The anti-reflective coating is very clear, which allows the complexities of the dial to shine through.

The push-pull crown is seriously delightful to behold and use. It has the “41” logo engraved deeply on the brushed end. However, the star of the crown is the exquisite polished knurled grip.

The caseback is very rounded, almost bulbous. It is secured in place by a hex screw in each corner, showing sophisticated build quality.

The lugs are another interesting element of the case. They contain hex screws in the end, but the screws don’t secure the strap – they secure the inner polished cylinders, which in turn are where the strap attaches to.

The dial

Much like the case, the dial is unconventional; remarkably designed and crafted. It is a smorgasbord of details – featuring a wide range of levels, nicks and grooves, hollowed elements, and skeletonisation.

The dial is jam-packed full of layers, providing excellent depth whilst viewing through the clear sapphire crystal. This is most likely the cause of the 13mm height, but it’s an acceptable trade-off.

The main minute and seconds hands are skeletonised with lumed tips, but the most interesting aspect of them is the fact that they have an angled base, and raise out of the central pinion. They are polished too, so they catch the light well. Legibility is good.

Like the rest of the dial, the subdials are unorthodox. There are no hands, instead, Code41 have opted for rotating discs and red arrows inside and outside as pointers. It may make perfect setting slightly difficult, but it shouldn’t be a concern. Under the macro lens, the printwork on the discs could be better, but they look fine to the naked eye. The subdial at 4 is the running seconds, whilst the subdial at 9 is a 24-hour indicator.

The open heart at 7 is the only glimpse into the movement. It’s a great feature of the dial, providing some energy and noticeable action.

The lume strength is fairly average; nothing too outstanding. I do however like the way that the minute track is lumed to make reading the time easy in low light.

The strap

There are 11 different strap options with the Code41 Anomaly-01; this one being the “perforated black calf leather with deployment buckle”. The 24mm width is a surprise for a 42mm diameter watch, but the square case shape makes it work.

The perforated aspect of the strap makes it very sports-like, with 32 holes in alternating rows of 4s and 3s. They do make the strap very airy and comfortable on, especially in the heat. The leather thickens up nicely at the lug ends, where the holes reside – the overall quality of the leather is top-drawer; it’s soft, supple and the matte finish works well with the rest of the watch. The matching black stitching is all tremendously neat, as well as the two keeper loops.

The strap is loaded with quick release pins, which is a good thing – especially when the strap comes in a separate box so you have to fit it yourself.

The butterfly clasp is 22mm wide, fully brushed, with the Code41 logo engraved on the top bar. Whilst it’s nothing extraordinary, it’s reassuringly solid and easy to use thanks to the release buttons either side.

The movement

The movement powering the Code41 Anomaly-01 is the Miyota 82S7 and is probably the only aspect of the entire watch that may raise some concern. With an RRP of £678 / $734 / €761 / 768CHF, you could be lead into thinking that a “better” movement should be used, maybe even a Swiss one.

However, don’t be mislead. Believe it or not, this price is pretty much spot on when you compare the alternative watches using it; examples being the SevenFriday P3 and Dietrich OT-3.

The unusual thing about it is the second and 24h hands are subdials, and in the case of the Code41 Anomaly-01, they’re discs – which are even more so.

It’s not the most good looking movement, but that’s not an issue due to the closed caseback. The open heart at 7 is a welcome porthole into the mechanism, which appears remarkably clean.

Specs include a power reserve of 42 hours, 21,600 beats per hour (6 ticks per second), 21 jewels, hand and automatic winding capabilities, and hacking seconds.

The accuracy is coming in at around +14.7 sec/day, which is a bit higher than I would have hoped.

Final comments

It’s hard to determine the category this watch belies within. At a glance, I’d say it fits most into a sports watch, but that could just be due to the strap. There’s no doubt about it; it’s stunningly eye-catching. The dial is phenomenal (made great by the clear crystal); the case flawless.

A controversial movement, perhaps; but due to the overall sensational quality of the watch, I’m not finding myself disappointed with it or mentally “demanding” a better movement.

It’s not to everyone’s taste, but I review so many watches I rarely get “wowed” by something. I was pretty chuffed when that happened when I unboxed the Code41 Anomaly-01.

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