Spinnaker x InkDial GMT Release: Art On Your Wrist

2 hours ago

3 min read

"No one needs a watch."

If you have been collecting watches for awhile, or if you've even had a passing interest in this hobby in the past, then I'm sure you have encountered this dismissive, declarative sentence. The truth is that it is simultaneously right and wrong. It is right in the sense that we have cellphones or laptops to tell us the time, so we don't need a watch to tell the time. But, it is wrong in that it assumes a watch's only purpose is to tell the time. Spinnaker's collaboration with the famous artist Ben Li, also known as InkDial, is a reminder that a watch can be more than just telling the time - it can also be about art.

The Watch Brief Ben Li spinnaker The Watch Brief Jilliano InkDial GMT

Who is InkDial?

InkDial, or Ben Li, is a British-Chinese artist renowned in our community for his watch illustrations, typically done with a ballpoint pen or with marker pens. For over six years, Ben has collaborated with numerous brands to create art for campaigns and events.

This collaboration with Spinnaker is the natural, next step, and he took it on with the same passion and creativity that his fans have come to expect. Each dial features a stark white dial which has been made to look like he's been using it as a canvas for his sketches with layered cross-hatching and outlines all over the dial, the handset, the indices, and even the bezel.

"I took inspiration from my favorite drafting medium of choice - the ballpoint pen - so each watch has the appearance of being handrawn [...] You'll also find 'Ink-made' at 6 o'clock[...]" - Ben Li

Spinnaker x InkDial GMT: How is the Watch?

Limited to 450 pieces for the Ink White and Ink Blue, The Spinnaker x InkDial GMT uses Spinnaker's Dumas case, which comes in a beefy 43mm case, a screwdown crown, and a 22mm rubber strap which are covered by the case, making it appear more seamless. The case itself is all sharp edges with the Spinnaker logo proudly emblazoned on the left side of the case.

For both variants, the rubber strap has also been made to look as if it's been sketched upon, with the Ink White having a grey etchings all over it, and the Ink Blue featuring the same markings but in a blue color that matches the colors of the dial. Interestingly, the watches are powered by a Seiko NH34, which means both have GMT functionality, hence the GMT bezel.

To be honest, I would think that the watches would be better served with a time-only movement, so that you could remove the bezel entirely, and leave more room for InkDial's art on the dial. However, I do love GMTs, so I'm never going to complain about another GMT being made for fellow enthusiasts.

Spinnaker x InkDial GMT: Something Quirky

Although people can say "no one needs a watch" all they want, it doesn't mean we have to listen to them. Spinnaker and Ben Li (InkDial) have created something fun and quirky, and in my opinion, something that's worthy to be on a lucky collector's wrist.

Available for order at the Spinnaker website for 495 USD.