Recent Unboxings: Walker & Crown, Farr & Swit, and AndoAndoAndo Watches
The unboxing experience is an underrated, yet incredibly important aspect of getting a brand new watch. That being said, I know from firsthand experience with my own microbrand that creating a super unique or customized packaging can very quickly raise your costs, which in turn forces you to raise the cost on the customer.
However, there are a few brands that manage to create something unique, regardless, and that's definitely the case for British microbrand Walker & Crown, Farr + Swit from Chicago, and beloved Japanese-Swedish brand AndoAndoAndo.
Unboxing the Farr + Swit: Kill Count Digital Watch
I discovered this brand relatively recently when I was talking with Jonny from Walker & Crown about watch brands being afraid of tackling the digital watch concept. While I'm not exactly a huge fan of 80s slasher horror, which is what inspired this wristwatch, I am a gigantic fan of microbrands being unafraid to lean into new directions for their design.
The watch itself comes packed inside a VHS tape, which comes with a classic 80s-esque sleeve depicting the brand name, the name of the model, and even a plotline on the back. It even has a sticker reminder to "rewind" the tape, which I thought was a nice touch.
Unboxing the Walker & Crown: Memphis Beat Watch
I can talk anyone's ear off about this brand, but I think they have earned it by making such a fresh design, and one of the best packaging of any watch brand in the market today. It's genuinely in my top 3, alongside UBIQ and Vandaag.
The box is quite sizeable, and after opening the box, you will find the 37mm x 37mm square wristwatch with its vibrant dial, a black Saffiano leather strap, and interestingly enough, a genuine casette tape. This casette tape is blank due to copyright reasons, but it does come with a custom case uniquely designed for the watch itself, and even an NFC embedded into the tape. All you have to do is tap your phone, and it will open a curated playlist designed just for the watch and the genre of 80s music that inspired Walker & Crown to create this piece.
Learn more about Walker & Crown.
Unboxing the AndoAndoAndo: Vinyl Record Automatic Watch
Speaking of unique, the watch is completely out-of-this-world in how it is designed, and I am genuinely impressed by Yu Ando, the creator, for his creativity. The packaging itself is quite compact and simple, but I love how it's designed to have the dial of the watch on display at the center of the box, making it appear like your own mini-turntable or record player.
Stay tuned for my full review coming soon, and learn more about AndoAndoAndo!
Oh yes, unboxing gives the first impressions of the watches, so it is very important. Great read.