America 250

Philadelphia is getting ready to celebrate 250 years of American independence, and it feels like a good excuse to make something personal for the occasion.

I am working on an Independence Day watch built around a painted brass dial, with the artwork ablated back through the paint to reveal brass beneath. The central eagle is inspired by American Traditional tattooing: bold and graphic.

The dial color in my head has shifted toward colonial blue, though I am currently testing layouts on black anodized aluminum because that is what I have around the bench. It is a quick way to test scale, line weight, and composition before committing to brass.

The watch will use 6498 architecture, though this build will be powered by a Seagull ST3620.

One detail still under review: I replaced the conventional 60-minute track with 50 stars for the US States. I like the symbolism, but it may be too clever at the expense of legibility. That may change.

Next, I will make six brass blanks: two matte black, two colonial blue-grey, and two blue-grey with a little royal blue mixed in for more pop. One of each pair will be clear coated and one left uncoated, giving me a direct comparison of protection, texture, and finish.

The goal is a watch that feels tied to Philadelphia, the 250th, and the eagle at its center—without losing sight of the fact that it still needs to work as a watch.