In 1978, Dieter Rams designed a watch for Braun that saw a limited, 3,000 unit production run. The stainless-steel DW30 featured a digital face and only two buttons, with a thick, leather band holding the timekeeper in place. Out of production since 1982, Braun has resurrected the spirit of the DW30 with the BN0076 — a watch directly inspired by Rams’ design, but updated for a modern wrist (or something like that).
For the most part, the $US250 watch is a nice piece, with the core aspects of the original being well-represented. But when compared to the original, its inferiorities come out. Little things, like the narrower, non-flush band, or the seemingly-elongated face, or the subtle curves on the side of the face, all add up to a design that is less striking than square, angular design Rams originally dreamed up.
But hey, CoDesign says that the original DW30s sell for over $US1000 on eBay, so being able to snag the updated BN0076 for $US250 might be worth the little differences for some. [CoDesign]