Watches Appreciation And Resouces: Slimming things down with the Wesson Minimalist

Monday, December 4, 2017

Slimming things down with the Wesson Minimalist

Time and again, we see all manner of thin, minimalist-style watches hitting Instagram. And, while we bemoan the fact that there are so many of those (more or less uninspired copies of each other), there is certainly a reason they exist. That is because, simply put, there is a demand from folks to have a reliable, slim-case watch. Throwing in a bit of minimalism also helps the watch to blend in to every day life. That is precisely what we have with today’s watch from Wesson.

Now, I’d love to tell you the name of the watch, but Wesson didn’t give it one. On the paperwork, it’s the Rose Gold Black/Brown (for the case finish, dial color, and strap color, respectively), and in the catalog it’s known as the WC-M18003. So, yeah – I’ve just resorted to calling it the Wesson Minimalist. I know it’s a pet peeve of mine, and naming things can be difficult, but it still would be helpful to name watch models. Unless you want them viewed simple as a commodity, and nothing more. Any which way, back on to the review of the Wesson Minimalist watch.

The thing that hits you first about the Wesson Minimalist is the fact that it is really quite thin – 7mm is the official spec, and you certainly don’t see much of the case edge. Part of that is visual trickery, as the case back is angled and hits it’s thickest in the center (presumably where the batter for the Seiko VJ20 quartz movement lives). That said, this does set down a flag as one of, if not the, thinnest watch I’ve reviewed this year.

The thinness of the Wesson Minimalist is further accentuated when it’s contrasted to the diameter of the watch (40mm). This is just about all dial, as there’s not much of a bezel to speak of. The dial itself is clean (if uninspired), with high polish indices and hands picking up the finish of the case. The logo does appear on the upper part of the dial, and it’s almost a bit jarring. It’s not oversized, but the white paint just stands in super stark contrast to the black and rose gold tones (perhaps this is less pronounced on the silver tone version).

The included strap on the Wesson Minimalist is fairly basic, an inexpensive padded strap that features quick change spring bars, allowing you to easily swap in different straps into the 20mm lugs. While we had the brown strap in, there are also options for a black strap or a mesh strap (with the mesh color matched to the case finish). And, as long as we’re talking options, you’ve got either a silver or rose gold finish, and a white or a black dial.

Wearing the Wesson Minimalist, as you might imagine, was a pretty simple affair. With the watch as light and thin as it is, it slides under a cuff and hides there, allowing you to almost forget it’s presence until you need to check the time. And this is a time-only affair (just two hands), no date. Here, that’a a good thing, as I imagine the stock date wheel would have ended up fairly inboard, which would only serve to remind the wearer how much larger the case is than the movement.

Reading the time on the Wesson Minimalist was a snap, in large part due to the high contrast between the matte dial and the polished indices. While there was, at times, some glare on the mineral crystal, that was in brighter conditions, and that was offset by the hands and indices just reflecting more light. So, yeah, the watch is one that gets it’s job done (telling you the time) without any fuss.

With the 40mm diameter, and thin profile, the Wesson Minimalist is very much a unisex proposition. Across the variations, there is not much pricing difference (the one we reviewed retails for $ 93), so I would suggest opting for the mesh bracelet, and then picking up a leather strap somewhere down the line, for which there are all manner of good, inexpensive options that will quite nice and age quite well. For me, it was definitely a change of pace to have the Wesson Minimalist on the wrist, and quartz is certainly the most affordable route to go if the thin profile is your foremost concern. Style-wise, the Wesson Minimalist is unassuming, but certainly looks better than many of the other KS project watches I’ve seen as of late. It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea (not one I’d sip from regularly, admittedly), but it’s not a bad-looking watch. wessonco.com

Review Summary

Brand & Model: Wesson Minimalist
Price: $ 93
Who’s it for? Your main requirement for a watch is that it’s as thin as possible, followed closely by affordability
Would I wear it? No, this style of watch just isn’t for me. It’s too dressy for the weekend (which is where I bust out my own quartz watch, normally), and if I’m dressing up, I’ve got some other nice watches that would sooner get the nod
What I’d change: On the black dial, that logo needs to be dulled down a bit (perhaps done in grey paint, rather than white)
The best thing about it: How light and thin the whole thing is

Tech Specs from Wesson