New watch brands

New watch brands

The check-in: Komodo sports slate dials and straps

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By Europa Star

June 2018

You read right: slate straps! Following our 2016 profile of the fashionable Belgian brand, we check in to see what’s the latest to come out of their minimalist inspired design studio with the new Slate Series.

The check-in: Komodo sports slate dials and straps

Español Pусский

By Europa Star

June 2018

The check-in: Komodo sports slate dials and straps

You read right: slate straps! Following our 2016 profile of the fashionable Belgian brand, we check in to see what’s the latest to come out of their minimalist inspired design studio with the new Slate Series.

Komono first caught our eye in 2016 with their affordable Bauhaus/bohemian inspired timepieces. And I do mean affordable: their most expensive timepiece at the time - the Winston Regal Cognac - retailed online for 90 euro, and that was with free international shipping.

The check-in: Komodo sports slate dials and straps

At those prices, it’s clear the relatively young Belgian brand is not aiming to make watches to last a lifetime. The emphasis is on style and accessibility for almost anyone looking to add something to their accessory game.


Komono Slate Series: Lewis Dark

It’s also positive to see that since last year co-founders Anton Janssens and Raf Maes have continued to innovate. Yet they manage to keep prices as minimal as their designs are.

One novelty to come from Komono this year is the Slate Series. As the name suggests, each watch sports an authentic slate dial, which is available with the brand’s existing Orson, Harlow, and Lewis models.

The check-in: Komodo sports slate dials and straps

Thanks to the dial - which is essentially made out of rock - each watch sports a very natural and unique look. The designers could have stopped there, but they decided to take it a step further by incorporating slate into the strap. That’s right, the strap has been coated with a very thin layer of slate to complement the dial perfectly.

The check-in: Komodo sports slate dials and straps

The only downside, of course, is that slate is not the most pliable of materials. So each watch comes with a polite reminder to not “fold, twist, or bend the strap upwards” because the strap has been carefully designed to follow the natural curve of the wrist.


The Komono Harlow in pink slate

The watches of the Slate Series are all powered by Japanese quartz movements and come packaged in stainless steel cases with mineral glass, which surely helps to keep prices down.

And speaking of prices, these Komodo watches continue the brand’s stylish yet affordable reputation. They range from $159.95 USD for the Lewis Dark Slate and the Harlow Pink Slate, to $199.95 USD for the Orson Olive Slate.

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