Now you see it, now you don’t: Here’s a look at a watch that’s not entirely new but one that I only recently came across and found so darn cool that it deserves a mention here: the Revelation R03 Chronograph, a watch with a unique “Magical Watch Dial” that uses cutting-edge polarized glass technology that gives the illusion of a disappearing dial.

Before I go on, here’s a video of the Revelation R03 Chronograph’s unique dial system in action:

Founded by Anouk Danthe and Olivier Leu who collectively have quite the track record in the Swiss watch industry, Revelation is something of a niche independent brand with a particular specialty:  using polarized glass technology to produce watches with “magical” dials than can go from deep black to completely transparent.

And while the term “magical” in watchmaking should raise a few eyebrows, there is definitely something beguiling about Revelation’s proprietary dial system. Revealing or “hidden” dials are hardly anything new, yet it’s the way Revelation does it that offers a different means of interaction between the wearer and his or her watch. By simply turning the bezel counterclockwise, one can witness the dial slowly morph from a relatively plain glossy black dial into an almost completely transparent glass disk, save for that tinge of olive-green that just can’t be avoided in polarized glass.

Mind you, this isn’t your run-of-the-mill polarized glass. Commissioned by Revelation and produced by the Thin Film Optics department of the CSEM (Centre Suisse d’Electronique et de Microtechnique), the polarized glass features a unique nanometric structure that Revelation holds exclusive rights to in the application of watches, so you won’t see another brand using this. What’s particularly interesting is that the CSEM is constantly developing this technology, meaning that in the future we could see applications that include different glass colors and filtering specific light frequencies. But that’s a story for another time.

The way this glass technology is used in the watch requires two separate glass disks with the same nanostructure to be stacked on top of one another. The polarized surface actually has a wave or striped structure, so when the stripes are parallel light can pass through it and subsequently reveal the movement. Turn the glass 90° (or 108° to be precise) and a grid pattern is produced between the two glasses, blocking any visible light from passing through them and reflecting a glossy black surface.

The interaction between the bezel and glass is more complicated than I would’ve thought. Using a worm-screw or “Archimedes” screw, a gearbox mechanism is fitted between the case and bezel, allowing for the glass disk to be rotated quite smoothly.

Now let’s look at the actual design of the case. With a generous diameter of 45mm and an overall sporty silhouette with recesses in the lugs and cutouts in the bezel and case sides, the Revelation R03 is not one to go unnoticed. And yet the case design isn’t particularly loud or day I say, all that outlandish. What I particularly like is the discreet interface between the user and the watch. You wouldn’t even guess that the bezel is a moving part!

In the solid black form, I feel the dial is quite yet easy to read at a glance (albeit a bit too plain for my tastes), thanks to the applied luminescent indexes and polished hands with luminescent paint. Even in “skeleton mode”,  the dial remains fairly legible.

The movement is an ETA 2892 With a Dubois Depraz chronograph module, with a slightly pricier “flyback” variant also available. The movement features decent finishing, with a custom oscillating rotor.

And speaking of price, the Revelation R03 chronograph will set you back approximately $16,700 USD the steel version with a basic chronograph pictured above, while the flyback version in titanium runs for $19,900 and $27’700 for the rose gold edition, also pictured above.

So, is the Revelation dial system a gimmick? does the magic wear off after some time? I honestly don’t think so. Sure, building a brand around a polarized glass technology may seem like overkill, but I can tell you that purely as a watch, Revelation is a lot of fun to wear and play with . We’ll just have to wait and see what developments in this polarized glass technology can bring about in terms of new designs and implementations for this young and independent brand.

More information on www.revelation-watches.com