By now, you will have no doubt come across a SevenFriday watch somewhere on the web. These things are everywhere, and with good reason: they’re well-made watches with an original design positioned at a fairly accessible price point.

A year ago, I had never even heard of the Zürich based brand. But after spending some time on Instagram and admiring Watch Anish‘s lavishly styled photos, the oblong watch caught my eye. At first sight, it looked like a watch from some obscure “alternative horology” brand (think MCT or Ladoire). But open closer examination, it became clear that what SevenFriday had created was a fairly conventional timekeeper in a very original design-driven package.

OK, so it’s mostly made from parts sourced in the far-east, uses a Miyota movement and a mineral crystal instead of sapphire. Yet the build quality and cosmetic finish is surprisingly well done, and I believe for around $1k it’s hard to find a watch as with the kind of haute-horlogerie appeal SevenFriday delivers. The SevenFriday P2 is the cheapest watch I’ve bought in the last 5 years yet it has given me as much enjoyment as any of my other pieces. It’s no wonder that more and more collectors are giving them a try.

While in Saudi Arabia for a few days, I had the chance to take a few shots (only had my Canon G15 unfortunately) of my P2 on a custom Atelier du Bracelet Parisien ostrich leg strap with a very, very sexy custom Harley Davidson.

Enjoy