Introducing the Schofield Obscura Watch—an exceptional timepiece crafted to be an artefact of luxury, complexity, and unbridled creativity. Priced at £9,558, the Obscura represents the pinnacle of Schofield’s craftsmanship, bringing together over 15 years of experience, an exceptional team, and the finest materials. This watch is a personal project of self-indulgence for Schofield’s founder—an unfettered creation where no expense or detail was spared.
The Obscura is more than just a watch; it is a mysterious object that sparks curiosity. Designed to resemble a timekeeping device of suspicious origins, perhaps military, perhaps alien, the Obscura is a watch that tells time in a less conventional yet highly sophisticated manner. The Damascus steel case, produced by Vegas Forge in the United States, features a unique cellular pattern, moving away from the more common wavy form typically associated with Damascus steel. This artisan material, paired with the recognisable Schofield case shape, is etched with acid for added texture, and enhanced with bronze bushings around the strap bar holes for a contrasting finish.
The oversized crown, a hallmark of Schofield watches, is designed for ease of use and optimal leverage. Coated in DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon), the crown features a distinctive red/pink Super-LumiNova fill, glowing subtly beneath your cuff—a playful detail first introduced with the Blacklamp in 2013. The crown, minute hand, and buckle share the same DLC finish, while the lume colour ties together other dial elements, creating a cohesive and dynamic aesthetic.
The case back is a spectacle in its own right, built around three smoked sapphire crystals, each with a grey PVD coating to partially obscure the view of the manual-wind Unitas movement beneath. The crystals slightly magnify the movement, highlighting details like blued screws, which scintillate as they catch the light. The three circles in a triangle formation on the case back evoke classic sci-fi imagery, while the fonts hint at ancient symbols, making the watch feel like a relic of otherworldly origin.
The Obscura dial is a multi-level masterpiece with intricate Super-LumiNova designs. The dark grey rhodium-plated base features a fine matte texture, while runnels of luminescence create an exciting interplay of light, especially at night. The dial layout challenges the norms, with hands of different colours and functions—the hour hand is lumed, and the skeletonized minute hand obscures parts of the dial, adding a layer of intrigue. At 12 o’clock, the hands align to reveal a lume strip, creating an elegant dance of absence and illumination.
The Schofield Obscura is a culmination of luxury, ingenuity, and artistic expression—a watch that evokes wonder and pushes the boundaries of traditional watchmaking. It is a statement piece that embodies Schofield’s dedication to craftsmanship, design, and storytelling, offering its wearer not just a way to tell time, but an artefact to be discovered, admired, and treasured.
