Jokes aside, some of the best (defined as “horologically distinctive and cool) watches are ironically, the ones which make you work a little harder to tell time. I’m serious! Think about the nigh unfathomable MB&F HM3 Megawind. Or Urwerk and their series of watches displaying time on a rotating ‘satellite’ device. Then, there’s the Nord Zeitmaschine, a contraception of such infernally ingenious design that my limited mathematically challenge mind simply cannot comprehend – all odd bits of mind-blowing horology at mortally (defined as working stiff’s pay cheque) unattainable price points. Then we have the latest from the loins of Daniel Niederer – the latest Seven Friday V Series.

Among Arthur C Clarke’s 3 laws is the one where “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic” – in this instance, our love for watches which simultaneously confound and delight us lie in the fact that the mechanical sophistication required to dream up such ‘horological machines’ borders the miraculous and when we begin to comprehend, the simplicity of concept astounds and stupefies us into recognising the obvious genius which performed the sleight of hand engineering feat.

Magic and Math: How to Tell Time on the Seven Friday V Series

SevenFriday V-series operates on the concept of the “Additioner Principle”. While day and night indicator is labelled and obvious enough, the new way of displaying time with an “hours and seconds additioner disc with +X arabic numerals” helps to indicate time.

The Hour arc ranges from 0 to 4. Thus when the 4+ marking rotates between 3 and 4 index, it gives you a reading of 7 o’clock. The minute scale operates on a similar principle of addition while the day and night aperture  tells you AM or PM.

SevenFriday’s new collection of timepieces, V-Series with stainless steel case and sunray brushed to bezel follow the same spirit of engine and industrial design integral to the brand’s DNA while keeping at very affordable price points. 4 level dial architecture with Galvanic hollowed out plates with alternate finishing lend depth to both V-Series watches, the V1/01 and V2/01, for just under €1000 Euro (SGD 1577). The ‘genius’ here lies in the fact that SevenFriday has once again taken a robust mass produced Miyota 82S7 and turned it into an object of wonder.

The V-Series (and subsequent models henceforth) will have a NFC “anti-piracy” chip built in to authenticate its authenticity via SevenFriday’s app and a NFC enabled phone.