It is through the study of microbrand creations that we are able to experience something new and personal in horology. Even when looking at the most derivative of watches, the idea behind them started from someone’s desire to share a particular vision for horology with the enthusiasts’ community. They might not be creatively singular or technically interesting, but they nevertheless communicate something special about someone. Thus, the more unique a brand is, and therefore the more singular its watches are, the more personal the connection to it and them we can have. It could be, for example, one’s passion for creative writing and poetry as we saw with the Buci Garde-Temps, another’s nod to her native culture we discovered through the Galvin Yö,, or yet a person’s intense devotion to a one movie as we recently witnessed with the Canuck x AndoAndoAndo 4th Dimension. This singularity in self-expression has been a hallmark of micro houses of watchmaking in the second quarter of the 21st century. 

And we ought to celebrate it as often as we can. 

But there are certain connections to places or points in time which can be hard for us to grasp if we weren’t there or alive in those particular moments. If we are, in sorts, geographically, culturally, and temporally estranged from them. I have been lucky to have done my fair share of traveling around the world and one city I became particularly fond of is Seoul in South Korea. It is a bustling modern and enormous city where things happen, trends are born, and art is thought through; it is also a historical capital and cradle of Korean culture, in which one can fast-pace through the streets of affluent Gangnam to then casually stroll through the traditional Buckchon Hanok Village on the outskirts of the city. Seoul is thus a melting pot of ancient and modern Korean culture, a deep colliding of two time periods of this majestic city, in-between which a quiet, melancholic, and reflective Seoul is experienced daily by its inhabitants. This is all of what Inklings communicates with the Grey Town 1.  

Specifications 

Granted, this is your first time hearing about Inkling Watches, I have myself only heard of the brand a few weeks ago, when an image of the Grey Town 1 Limited popped on my Instagram feed by algorithmic chance. From a first observation of this model I immediately noticed something unique emanating from its design language which I hadn’t seen before, a deep sense of nostalgia trapped inside modern watchmaking’s proportions and techniques. (I know, my powers of observation are quite sharp.) Even though we must get hands-on experience with watches to understand what they are truly made out of—whether they are as well finished as they seem to be, and visually as charming as we hope they are—I instantly knew the Grey Town would meet my expectations and exceed them. This is the fruit of particularly well produced product photography and tangible high manufacturing and finishing qualities which transpired through the brand’s imagery. Spoiler alert: it is as good and better than I thought from visual and technical perspectives. 

Thus we must ask ourselves what kind of watch the Grey Town 1 Limited is should we be able to slide it into one particular category all. It is, for better or worse, an “everyday” watch, at least it appears so—no, it demands to be worn everyday based on looks alone. It is legible, visually striking, perfectly proportioned to my 6.50”/16.5cm wrist, as well as comfortable to wear and provides the most essential functionality such type of timekeeping device must have: it tells the time. This functionality is powered by a caliber we don’t often see being used past the borders of China and the multitude of AliExpress brands, a manual-wind Seagull ST17 beating at 3Hz, coming with 38 hours of power reserve once fully wound, and checked by Inklings to run at -5/+15 seconds per day. The aforementioned spot-on dimensions for yours truly manifest themselves through a 316L stainless case clocking in at 38mm in diameter, 46mm lug-to-lug, 8.9mm thick including the AR-coated flat sapphire crystal (7.4mm without it,) and a 20mm lug width. 

The Grey Town 1 Limited is also light (48g) paired with a black Italian leather strap with contrasting white stitching, quick-release spring-bars, and a beautifully machined and polished signed buckle. The quality of the strap is so superior to what I’m used to seeing at any price point that I have finally become a leather strap person. I know, this is quite shocking to hear coming from such a NATO-style and military strap nerd like myself, but what can I say? I have been converted. On the right side of the narrow case we find a 4.8mm push/pull crown which should be too small to make sense for a manual-wind caliber, however: it is onion-shaped and equipped with proper knurling for easy-enough winding which forces the wearer to have an extra connection with the watch, a little bonus. Another bonus goes to the red cabochon-style crown decoration with superbly pops, and the second piece of sapphire crystal mounted on the see-through screw-down case-back for a decent 50 meters of water resistance and a chance to gander at the ST17. 

Design 

In order to understand the unique design the Grey Town 1 is endowed with, and how it creates the perfect window through which we can get a sense of the lived-in Seoul, we must speak about Inklings’ founders. The creation of the brand stems from the random colliding of two distinct individuals, one a global tattoo artist and traveler turned businessman and independent distributor, the other a renowned multi-disciplinary artist whose studio became the cradle of creativity for singers, designers, painters and other outside-the-box thinkers. Both had a passion for horology and slowly but surely, together laid down the foundations of Inklings through which they intended to bring about their personal vision for horology as well as explain the real Seoul to outsiders. In their own words: The Black captures the serene, deep nights of Seoul where light and shadow play across glass towers, while the Gray pays homage to the weathered facades of old alleys and the industrial grit that built the nation. I have seen it, thus I understand it. 

Then, the unique and powerful aesthetics which drew me in upon seeing a first image of the Grey Town 1, which somehow felt familiar, can first be understood through a thorough study of its dial. From which emanates a four-partite color scheme dominated by deep black and charcoal grey in the nexus of it, ivory on its periphery, and red on its south side. For the center of their artistic palette is composed of a curved (convex) black enamel dial which slopes down outward in a smooth flow, complemented by an ultra-fine sand-blasted-like texture in the middle on which the brand and model names are printed. Then large and vintage-infused Arabic numerals painted in a crisp ivory paint, symbolizing the perpetual movement of time, occupy half of the dial surface, interrupted at the six by massive small seconds sub-register decorated with a blood-red leaf hand, representing Seoul’s pulsating energy, concentric grooves, and white printed markers. On the furthest edges of the dial a railroad minute track and back center, polished leaf hands. 

From all of what we’ve just gone through, Inklings Watches’ distinct sense for horological design is clear and even palpable, and indeed remarkable on pictures and a thousand times more so in person. As much as I am impressed by what is at the centre of this model, I’m quite fascinated by what is on its periphery. For the ultra slim case commands a strong wrist presence on account of its elongated (however not long) profile, the mirror-polished nature of its upper surfaces, and its relatively wide fixed bezel whose shine is the answer to the glossiness of the convex enamel dial. I particularly appreciate another distinct connection made between the dial and case: the curvature of the hour and minute hands which flow into and match the polished bezel to perfection. Beyond all of this, we ought to pay our respects once more for the red cabochon onion crown which sits akin to the perfect jewel against the right flank of the case, which is narrow and endowed with a fine horizontal brushing. (Also present on the left side, of course.)

The Heart of the Matter

This review began with an observation in relation to the raison d’être of microbrand watches of the past decade—their inherent capacity to make us experience something new and personal in horology. While big name brands are busy competing with one another in a myriad of disciplines—from engineering the most accurate mechanical movements and concocting the latest most intense battery of tests to rank them, to designing wristworn mastodons for space exploration and sampling the latest shades of gold—microbrands are busying themselves with crafting compelling stories through singular visual codes and comprehensive indexes of specifications to complement their designs with everyday wearing capabilities. True, there are many brands which convey stories by way of derivative designs which is alright of course (otherwise I wouldn’t type many words about their models) for they must start somewhere with something. However, there are a handful of micro houses of watchmaking akin to Inklings which manage to tell stories through individuality and sheer creativity. 

I don’t know if you will be able to understand the lived-in Seoul the brand expressed through the design of the Grey Town 1 by reading these words and studying the photos I’ve shot. How constant clashes between tradition and the modern world generates passion and vibrancy. How sandwiched amongst tall glass buildings and the shop fronts of traditional food joints is born a quiet late-night rainy melancholy which can be revered and not feared. How, at last, a particular sensitivity for the world creates singular design codes for everyday timekeeping devices which are choke-full of personality and individuality. Thus it seems that you ought not only to get an Inklings Grey Town 1 but also to make the trip to Seoul to best understand where it comes from and the unique stories it can tell about its inhabitants. Again, something the brand managed to perfectly encapsulate within a modern timekeeping device as far as my experience of South Korea’s capital goes. 

Conclusion 

The Inklings Watches Grey Town 1 Limited is one of the two models the brand got started with recently, the other being the Grey Town 2 Limited which only shows a distinction in how the hour markers were represented on the dial. (It alternates Arabic numerals with dots.) Otherwise they are the same watches with the same bespoke design and same healthy list of specifications. By the way, this gem of South Korean micro horology will set you back the meager price of $480 USD, with all things considered, and it is indeed limited to 150 units per version, so 300 in total for the collection. What is not common for a new microbrand is to make its first collection readily available for purchase which is neat and the case here. So bravo to the brand for an excellent first release and for contributing in such a unique way to this niche side of the watch market. 

Thanks for reading.