What We Know
Two years have passed since Thomas Fleming launched his eponymous brand, Fleming, and we covered the debut of the Series 1 in detail. That first release sold out quickly. Now, rather than starting over, the brand returns with a familiar design. The Series 1 Mark II builds on the Comblemine and stone dials, pushing the watch in a slightly more modern direction.
In the first release, the brand used guilloché dials on two models and aventurine with grey-grained portions for the third. All these things were catnip for collectors, but I was curious (and surprised when I saw) what the brand would do next. Now, the brand has two options. This time, a rose gold case (the model called “Redwood”) is paired with a rose gold dial with applied hour markers, 18k rose gold faceted and black-polished hands, a black-polished ring around the dial, vertical graining in the center of the dial and subdial, and more. The tantalum case (the model called “Pacific”) is paired with a blue-green dial featuring similar finishes and white-gold hands. Both measure 38.5mm by 8mm (9mm counting the domed crystal).
The case geometry is subtly changed as well, a bit sharper and more aggressive, while maintaining the interesting skeletonized lugs (a design that proved quite the challenge in tantalum). The movement (while conceptually the same) has been redesigned to have a more cohesive aesthetic with the overall package. The Calibre FM.02, developed in collaboration with Jean-François Mojon, is only 4mm thick and yet has a 7-day power reserve (though manually wound), running at 3Hz. The bridges were redesigned for wider anglage and more interior angles (189 in total). The wheels have a new bespoke shape to mirror the skeletonized lugs. And each movement features finishing to match the overall aesthetic.
The new Fleming Series 1 Mark II is available only through the brand and retails for CHF 55,000 in tantalum (reflecting the difficulty of machining the material) and CHF 53,000 in rose gold.
What We Think
As I mentioned in the “One to Watch” story, I’ve known the team at Fleming for a while, so I share that as full disclosure. However, I think these watches represent a solid development of the brand’s design language. The base architecture of this movement has been used to various degrees by other brands, but I think this is the most interestingly finished interpretation of what Chronode offers as the C101. I really loved the first version for the stunning way that the brand tapped into some of the best parts of the Swiss watch industry: crafting with the best guilloché, stone dials, difficult-to-use materials, and impressive technical watchmaking. But the new design better connects the aesthetic of the movement on the back and case to the overall design of the dial.
I first saw this version of the watch last year, and it took me a bit of time to come around to the dial design because it was so drastically different from the first, but after spending some time looking at the watch and the photos, I do think I like it better. I’m always looking for brands to develop their own design language (which should evolve over time), and stepping away from the fan-favorite guilloché shows confidence that the brand is forming a better sense of who they are and what they like in a vacuum, creating an aesthetic from scratch.
The Basics
Brand: Fleming
Model: Series 1 Mark II
Diameter: 39.5mm
Thickness: 8mm (9mm with domed crystal)
Case Material: Tantalum or 5N 18k Rose Gold
Dial Color: Blue-green sector dial with black-polished ring or brown and gold sector dial with black-polished ring
Indexes: Applied hour markers and other printed indications
Lume: None
Water Resistance: 30m
Strap/Bracelet: Two calf leather straps with a tantalum or rose gold Fleming pin buckle
The Movement
Caliber: FM.02
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds
Diameter: 30.5mm
Thickness: 4mm
Power Reserve: 7 days
Winding: Manually-wound
Frequency: 3 Hz
Jewels: 26
Chronometer Certified: No
Additional Details: Reworked architecture with thicker bevels and more interior angles; Mix of brushed, grained, and black-polished finishes.
Pricing & Availability
Price: CHF 55,000 in Tantalum and CHF 53,000 in 18k Rose Gold
Availability: Now, through Fleming
Limited Edition:
For more, click here.
