Anoma arrived with a shape that was already hard to mistake for anything else.
Now the young London watch brand is pushing the A1 into more tactile territory with the A1 Prehistoric, a 100-piece limited edition built around hand-worked surfaces rather than a new colourway alone.
The result is still the rounded triangular watch that put Anoma on the independent map, but this time its steel case looks marked, weathered and almost excavated.
At a glance
- Anoma has introduced the A1 Prehistoric, a 100-piece limited edition for 2026.
- Each 316L stainless steel case is hand-chiselled by French engraver Steven Brunel, with a hand-cut anthracite dial adding to the stone-like effect.
- Orders open on 8 July 2026, deliveries are scheduled from October 2026, and the price is GBP 2,900 before duties and taxes.
A1 proportions with a rougher surface language
The A1 Prehistoric keeps the model’s unusual 39mm by 38mm case, with a 9.45mm thickness and no conventional lugs.
Anoma says the triangular profile, recessed crown and inward-curving lower section help it wear closer to a 37mm watch, which matters when the silhouette is this unconventional.
The key shift is texture.
Each case is made from 316L stainless steel and then hand-chiselled for around five hours by French engraver Steven Brunel.
Rather than producing a uniform pattern, the process leaves irregular cuts, planes and scars across the metal, so each watch carries its own surface character.
The pin buckle receives the same treatment, tying the grey grained Italian leather strap into the case design rather than leaving it as a simple attachment.
Brancusi, stone tools and a dial cut by hand
The idea began after Anoma founder Matteo Violet Vianello visited a Constantin Brancusi exhibition at the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
Brancusi’s collection of primitive artefacts helped steer the watch toward the visual language of flint, worn stone and handmade tools.
That influence comes through most clearly in the case, but the dial is just as labour-intensive.
Anoma uses a brass dial finished in deep anthracite, with roughly 600 individual lines cut by hand to form the sunburst pattern.
It gives the watch a monochrome, almost mineral quality while keeping the A1’s restrained display intact.
Curved leaf-shaped hour and minute hands remain the only indications, reinforcing the watch’s deliberately spare character.
A simple automatic calibre inside
The A1 Prehistoric uses the Sellita SW100, a compact automatic movement that suits the watch’s small-case architecture and time-only layout.
It runs at 28,800 vibrations per hour and offers approximately 42 hours of power reserve.
There are no extra functions here, just hours and minutes, which feels right for a watch whose interest sits in shape, proportion and hand finishing.
Details & Specifications
| Brand | Anoma |
|---|---|
| Model | A1 Prehistoric |
| Case size | 39mm x 38mm |
| Case thickness | 9.45mm |
| Case material | Hand-chiselled 316L stainless steel |
| Case shape | Rounded triangular case with no conventional lugs |
| Crown | Recessed crown accessed from the back |
| Water resistance | 50m |
| Dial | Anthracite brass dial with approximately 600 individually hand-cut sunburst lines |
| Hands | Curved leaf-shaped hour and minute hands |
| Movement | Sellita SW100 automatic |
| Frequency | 28,800vph |
| Power reserve | Approximately 42 hours |
| Functions | Hours and minutes |
| Strap | Grey grained Italian leather strap |
| Buckle | Hand-chiselled stainless steel pin buckle |
| Production | Limited to 100 pieces for 2026 |
| Orders | Open on 8 July 2026 |
| Deliveries | From October 2026 |
| Price | GBP 2,900 excluding duties and taxes |
The A1 Prehistoric should appeal to collectors who like small independent watches with a clear point of view, especially those who value visible handwork over conventional polish.
It doesn’t try to make the A1 more classical or more commercial, which is exactly why this limited edition feels like a strong next step for Anoma.
