We are pigeon-holed and we pigeon-hole ourselves as being X or Y type of watch collector because we endow wristworn timekeeping devices with a lot of emotions and meaning. Through these devices we express our character and signal to the world (that tiny segment of wise and discerning people who also care about horology) what kind of collector we are, who we are. So if one day we were to cross paths in the physical world you will most likely see a tool watch fastened to my wrist because this is the type of horology I’m the most obsessed with. Tool watches, utilitarian timekeeping devices (however to best describe them) are my jam because I adore their purpose-driven nature and their theoretical and practical use-case scenarios. However, and with all of that said, from time to time I can also be swayed by more elegant everyday watches, not because they match who I generally am but because they have the potential of telling a different kind of story about me (and you.) 

And that is what’s magical about these machines. Whoever we are, whatever we do, at any given moment we can rewrite our story by swapping a diver for a chronograph, a field for a pilot’s watch, or a GMT for a dressy timepiece. And so we are lucky to be alive today because we have tons of excellent watches at relatively affordable prices at our reach regardless of what kind of horology we are into. The global watch market was centered around tool watches for a while but now we see more and more brands dabbling back into more elegant everyday types of horology. What folks used to wear before that timekeeping devices became pragmatically obsolete. We can generally turn towards Northern Europe to find excellent options for this genre of watchmaking as we saw a few weeks ago looking at Anders & Co for the first time through their AC1 Chronograph Rose, as we’re about to do again today talking about the Swedish brand through their second release, the AC2 Volcán Ice Blue. 

Specifications 

Writing about tool watches makes my life as a self-proclaimed watch journalist easier because I can linger on their specifications for a few paragraphs. Something I cannot do with the type of elegant watches I typically write about because they are objectively simple. Typing words about a quartz caliber is not as exciting as dissecting the accuracy, frequency, and power reserve of mechanical movements, and thinking about all of that made me realize there is something wrong with us watch enthusiasts (or maybe just me): we like to complicate things and we pride of ourselves of being able to eloquently talk about complicated things. Statements such as This COSC, METAS, and Lunar-certified caliber has an accuracy of +/- 1 seconds per year and 336 hours of power reserve thanks to its quadrupel-barrel architecture only makes it possible for us to boast about our unnecessary knowledge of unnecessary objects. We ought to keep things simple as what is simple is beautiful. 

And I do find the specs of the Anders & Co AC2 Volcán beautifully simple and appropriate for the asking price of $510 USD. Once you read the dimensions of this model you will immediately understand the nature of the movement inside: 37mm in “diameter”, 44.6mm lug-to-lug, 5.65mm thick (it is so thin my camera had a hard time focusing on the mid-case,) and a universal 20mm lug width. The ratio between the height and width and lug width of the AC2 is perfect as it endows this model with a wide but flat and comfortable wrist presence—something I’m lately getting into. This kind of thinness at this kind of price can only be achieved through quartz technology—which isn’t simple either but which we now tend to see as being basic—a Miyota 9T22 Slim (± 20 seconds per month/3 years of battery life)—paired with a tiny crown (4.2mm), a flat piece of sapphire crystal, a snap-on case-back, obviously 30 meters of water resistance, and a crocodile-patterned leather strap. 

That was one of the shortest spec-lists I’ve ever written and it feels good to do so. 

Design 

The other reason why it takes so little time to go through the technical characteristics of attainable elegant everyday horology is because brands focus on the design rather than the specs. The Anders & Co AC2 Volcán is all about the visual spectacle more than anything else really and that is why I wanted to tell you about it—because it is lovely. While I could easily boast that I know a thing or two about tool watches, I cannot make the same claim regarding dressy timekeeping devices. However, I can tell you that they generally come in rectangular or circular cases, not whatever the AC2 Volcán is shaped like—an oblong piece of 316L stainless steel with four leading curves framing a somewhat octogonal bezel and dial. (I am educating myself as I’m discovering something new and typing this review, embarking on a new journey together.) The idea of framing one shape within another is interesting visually and makes for this model’s unique visual language. 

By the way, saying “whatever” isn’t negative, it just shows that I’ve encountered something novel. 

So the case of the Volcán is something I’m going to linger on for a while as with it there is more than initially meets the eye. Just like I couldn’t take a proper shot of the mid-case, I had a hard time capturing the hairline polished chamfer which runs from the edges of one lug to the other and which blends in with the polished upper case sections. (I do believe there are chamfers.) The polishing is excellent and appears like the reflections of a black-hole at some angles, gently spilling over the slightly raised bezel which curves back down towards the edges of the sapphire crystal. Looking really closely we can see the faceted sides of the crystal, and the bezel being constructed the way it is, it appears as though the glass is surrounded by a polished moat of steel. (I did tell you that the spectacle offered by the Anders & Co was lovely and I didn’t lie.) I further appreciate the small signed crown emblazoned with the brand’s mountain-top like logo. 

Still looking at the case, we notice its oblong profile created by the symmetrical nature of its sides seen from above, so two large curves which finish into the lugs and which depart, conversely, from the outer edges of the lugs which are also polished. In other words, from above the case curves inward from the sides and looking at its profile, it curves up from the lugs and reaches a plateau surrounding the crystal. This great sense of movement is complemented by polished chamfers running at the bottom of the mid-case—which visually thin it out—as well as the other two leading curves making up the space between the lugs. So we find a case that appeared at first as being simple but which isn’t, a seamless interplay of gentle curves and a couple of straighter edges which endow the AC2 Volcán with a remarkable allure for arguably a small sum of money. I do also appreciate the incredibly flat case-back which repeats the curved and angular profile of the case. 

Lastly, the dial. Anders & Co made five versions of the AC2 Volcán—Lapis Lazuli, Ice Blue, Bronze Jade, Red Agate, and Bronze Tiger Eye—the last two being sold out. The Ice Blue is the least expensive of them all (more on that later) but is not deprived of being visually stunning regardless. Its main visual characteristic is the intense sunburst effect paired with the lightness of the ice blue color, which at some angles reflect several colors of a rainbow. (Why that is will remain a mystery to me.) The dial is therefore both simple and stunning, perhaps a recurring theme in this review, complemented by a set of applied, non-lethal-shaped arrows made up of three chamfers—two on the sides and one at the rear, and a set of Dauphine hands showcasing polished chamfered surrounds and brushed upper sections. This alternation of finishes on the hands render them easy to see at any angle, and the multiple facets on the polished hour markers accomplish the same goal. 

The Heart of the Matter

After having gone through four paragraphs on the design of the Anders & Co AC2 Volcán Ice Blue, you may understand why sometimes I do like to dabble into dressier watches. Most of the time they don’t come with a particular story as tool watches do, in the sense that nobody wanted to create an elegant shaped watch to conquer Mount Everest or solo-row around the islands of Great Britain. But instead they stand out on the merits of their design alone which makes brands’ task of creating interesting dress watches even more difficult because they cannot lean heavily on their potential incredible specs. (At least not at this price point.) So they are all about the design, the depth of which is massively difficult to grasp looking at photos online. Which again makes brands’ task even more so difficult because this genre of horology isn’t the most popular and the easiest to sell. In other words, Anders & Co is making bold first moves by releasing a dapper mecaquartz chronograph and now a gorgeous two-hand daily wearer. 

And I do like typing many words about the work brands such as Anders & Co create because they do not play the games of making what is trendy or sure to sell out quickly. Like we recently saw with Lorier and Vario, Anders & Co walks its own path and thanks to this approach, makes incredible watches at relatively attainable prices. 

Conclusion

As mentioned earlier, the AC2 Volcán comes in five versions, two of which are sold out. The Ice Blue we looked at today is indeed the cheapest coming in at $510 USD, whilst the Lapis Lazuli and Red Agate come in at $618 USD, and the Bronze Tiger Eye and Bronze Jade at $727 USD. Either version of the Volcán looks amazing and will do amazing things for you the watch nerd and collector. After two great first releases, I wonder where the Swedish brand is headed and I hope to be able to continue telling you about what it does because it does quite incredible things indeed. Check out the review of the AC1 Chronograph Rose to see what the brand has already managed to accomplish. 

Thanks for reading.