Studio Underd0g Brand Review: Fun Design And Serious Watchmaking Under $2,000

For too long, watch brands tended to play it safe with dial colors, many of which rarely stretch their imaginations beyond a boardroom grey, a midnight blue, or (if we’re incredibly lucky) a muted salmon. Recently, however, more and more brands have adopted a more lighthearted and, dare we say, fun approach to watch design.

Let's step back into 2020. The world was essentially locked indoors, including British industrial designer Richard Benc, who decided that a mechanical chronograph painted to look exactly like a watermelon was what the watch world needed. This splash of neon pink and bright green was Studio Underd0g’s way of thrusting a cocktail into the hand of the modern enthusiast. As it turns out, nothing says 'high-precision micro-engineering' quite like a dial that makes you crave a fruit salad.

Then came the year 2020. The world was essentially locked indoors, including British industrial designer Richard Benc, who decided that a mechanical chronograph painted to look exactly like a watermelon was what the watch world needed. This splash of neon pink and bright green was Studio Underd0g’s way of thrusting a cocktail into the hand of the modern enthusiast. As it turns out, nothing says 'high-precision micro-engineering' quite like a dial that makes you crave a fruit salad.

Benc, as noted, was an industrial designer, not a rogue watchmaker operating out of a chalet in the Jura mountains. That’s important to remember, because when the pandemic forced the world into isolation, Benc found himself with plenty of time to kill and a lack of creative fulfillment. Turning to watch sketching as a form of escapism, he began experimenting with asymmetrical chronograph layouts and highly saturated colorways. He posted these concepts to enthusiast groups on social media, fully expecting to be laughed out of the digital room, but the response couldn’t have been more opposite. The community, starved of novelty, devoured the concepts.

Realizing what he had tapped into, Benc launched Studio Underd0g on Kickstarter, its name reflecting a lone British designer taking on the horological world from the confines of his kitchen table in Brighton. The concept was honest and clear from the beginning; if you’re not buying into a centuries-old bloodline, you’re rooting for the underdog. The campaign was a triumph, swiftly funding the brand and cementing its position as the darling of the modern independent scene. One thing it confirmed for sure was that there was value in risk-taking.

While names like George Daniels and Roger W. Smith are synonymous with British watchmaking, they don’t represent the commercial reality of the modern U.K. watch industry. Studio Underd0g operates in a different space, actively redefining British craftsmanship and restoring what has been lost for several decades. In the early days, Benc was entirely transparent about his global supply chain. The cases were machined in Asia, the movements were sourced from China, and the straps were made elsewhere. However, as the brand matured and the cash flow stabilized, Benc made an important pivot, acquiring Horologium, a respected independent watchmaking workshop based in the UK and founded on Swiss soil.

Today, the components of a Studio Underd0g watch may still be sourced globally to keep the retail price accessible. Still, the final assembly, quality control, and movement regulation are all executed on British territory by certified watchmakers. Those who have worked at the bench will understand that the difference between a movement dropped into a case on an overseas assembly line and one inspected, regulated, and cased by a trained professional in the U.K. is night and day. Affordable watches can be reliable instruments, too, and this human-led quality control is what separates Studio Underd0g from much of the competition. Actively investing in the British horological infrastructure in this way ensures that every watch leaving the brand’s facility meets a decent standard.

The 01Series was the launchpad — the mission statement, if you will. It was the Studio Underd0g watch that really kicked things off for the brand. At its core, the 01Series is a manually wound mechanical chronograph, but it is also so much more than that. Let us begin with the dial architecture, since its design concept is built around the unbalanced. The watch features a bi-compax chronograph layout, but it’s heavily asymmetrical because Benc employed a "big eye" design, in which the minute counter subdial at 3 o'clock is significantly larger than the running seconds subdial at 9 o'clock. The deliberate unbalancing draws the eye in and makes the watch easily detectable from across a crowded room. The texture and the color further elevate the 01Series. The base layer of the dial features a coarse, granular texture, which sits beneath a sleek, sunburst-brushed upper layer. This juxtaposition adds considerable depth to the dial.

The inaugural collection featured three core models, each more audacious than the last. First came the Desert Sky, a relatively safe but beautiful blend of sandy beige and vibrant blue hues. Then there was the Mint Ch0c Chip, which perfectly captured the aesthetic of a melting scoop of ice cream with its pale green base and chocolate-colored subdials. And then, of course, there was the Watermel0n. Featuring a deeply textured pink dégradé dial that faded to a darker hue at the edges, paired with a bright green tachymeter scale and seed-shaped hour indices. It was the ultimate slice of pop-art horology.

Benc later expanded this with charity-driven models such as the Aubergine (in collaboration with Fratello Watches), which raised substantial funds for testicular cancer research, and the Goofy Panda iteration. Then there was the brilliant Pizza watches, in collaboration with Time + Tide. The latter was initially launched as an April Fools' prank in 2023, but generated so much hysteria that Benc actually put them into production, creating the Pepper0ni and Hawaiian variants. As ridiculous as they all sound, the models of the 01Series  were absolutely adored by fans far and wide.

To touch on the movements this brand uses, the 01Series houses the Seagull ST-1901, which is the direct descendant of the legendary Swiss Venus 175 caliber, which the Swiss sold to the Chinese government in the 1960s. The ST-1901 is a solid column-wheel chronograph movement, and it's visually impressive for the price point. A column-wheel chronograph requires precise machining to function properly. Its crisp, satisfying click when you actuate the pushers feels considerably more premium than cheaper cam-actuated chronographs on the market. When you flip the 01Series over and look through the exhibition caseback, you’re treated to a visual treat of mechanical watchmaking.

The ST-1901 has had some quality control issues in the past which is why Studio Underd0g’s partnership acquisition of Horologium is so critical: every watch is inspected, tested, and regulated in the U.K. before it’s shipped to the customer.

The second release is always a dangerous moment for any successful independent brand. After the success of the Watermel0n chronograph, the Studio Underd0g community was waiting with bated breath to see if this brand was merely a one-trick pony. Would it just release 50 different colored variants of the chronograph until the market grew bored? Well, no, because the 02Series was yet another revelation. The brand did away with the chronograph and turned its attention to the field watch.

The field watch, historically defined by muddy greens and matte blacks, was about to change. Rather than using a traditional brass dial, Benc constructed a multi-layered sandwich dial, where the base layer consisted of a solid disc of heavily applied Swiss Super-LumiNova and directly on top sat a 1mm-thick sapphire crystal painted with numerals and branding. During the day, a 02Series watch looks like a glossy modern field watch, but when you step into the dark, the entire base dial ignites, causing the printed numerals on the sapphire layer to float above the glowing background.

The colorways for the initial 02Series maintained the brand's signature playfulness but applied a slightly more mature filter. The Pink Lem0nade, for example, offers a searing, vibrant pink dial base, while the Steffany Blue taps into the emerging fan base for turquoise dials.

One thing you have to respect Studio Underd0g for is the way it handles criticism. When the 02Series launched, the singular complaint from the hardcore enthusiast community was its thickness. At 12mm tall, it was by no means a hockey puck, but for a time-only field watch, some felt it sat a bit high on the wrist. Benc listened, and in July 2026, Studio Underd0g released the 02Series Gen 2 — an example of superb refinement. By completely retooling the dial and handset construction, the watchmaker managed to shave half a millimeter off the case profile, bringing it down to 11.5mm (and an incredibly slim 9.4mm if you exclude the domed sapphire crystal). This might seem like a minor modification, but with improved assembly tolerances made possible by the company’s new, dedicated Maidenhead workshop ("The D0ghouse"), the slimming process became feasible.

The upgrades were not just cosmetic, either. Benc ripped out the original Sellita SW210-1 movement and dropped in the newer Sellita SW200-2 M Power+, which increased the power reserve from an adequate 42 hours to a weekend-proof 63 hours. The Gen 2 launch also saw the retirement of the Full Mo0n and Midnight models, making way for two new colorways: Nightshade, a deep, brooding purple with a red railroad minute track, and Red L0lly, in a dramatic cherry red. It is exactly this dedication to evolving and improving for the real-world collector that has likely supercharged the brand's meteoric rise since its launch six years ago.

The 03Series represents a massive leap forward, both in Studio Underd0g’s technical complexity and pits rice point. For this release, Benc partnered with Sellita to utilize the SW510 M MP manually wound monopusher chronograph movement. A monopusher is a historically significant construction that combines the chronograph's starting, stopping, and resetting functions into a single-button control on the crown — and it's usually reserved for high-end brands like Patek Philippe or Vacheron Constantin. Benc released a gradient salmon version that transitions from a fleshy pink in the center to a dark, scaly grey at the edges, perfectly mimicking the cross-section of a fish. The texture is intricate, and the printing is flawless.

Of all the unique designs to come from this British brand, the 03Series stands as the most definitive proof that high horology and a sense of humor are not mutually exclusive.

In 2024,  H. Moser & Cie approached Richard Benc for a collaboration and the resulting "Passion Project" could easily be one of the greatest pieces of horological theatre of the decade.

The brands co-developed a two-watch set inspired by passion fruit. Moser delivered an Endeavor Perpetual Calendar featuring a purple sunburst dial and a grand feu enamel subdial on a solid 18k yellow gold base. Studio Underd0g matched the energy with the 03Series Passi0n Fruit, deploying its SW510 M monopusher chronograph movement beneath a coarse dégradé of amber and royal purple on a multilayered dial. The watches were sold exclusively as a pair, with a global limit of 100 sets, for an eye-watering $64,900. Indeed, a brand that started as a lockdown Kickstarter project was now sharing a luxury presentation box with H. Moser and commanding a hefty price tag. 

For those navigating the collector landscape with a slender wrist, finding a perfectly sized sports watch has likely been a source of frustration. Unless, of course, you’ve explored Studio Underd0g's offerings. Look at the 01Series of chronographs, for example. Despite housing a complex column-wheel movement, the case is restricted to a very manageable 38.5mm in diameter. More importantly, the lug-to-lug span is a highly compact 44.5mm. The lugs curve sharply downwards, hugging the natural curvature of the wrist without any overhang.

The 02Series Gen 2 field watches are even more refined. They feature a 37.5mm case diameter and a lug-to-lug of just 46mm. The case flanks are completely brushed to visually reduce the mass, while the bezel is highly polished to catch the light. Sitting at just 11.5mm thick (crystal included), these watches will slide under an office shirt cuff without issue.

Furthermore, Studio Underd0g pairs these cases with bespoke straps crafted by The Strap Tailor in the U.K. Instead of stiff, generic leather straps that take six months of agonizing wear to break in, these are crafted from premium Epsom calfskin, offering a supple drape straight out of the box. The combination of a sub-40mm case, a compact lug-to-lug profile, and a bespoke strap results in high wearer comfort without sacrificing wrist presence.  

Over the last few years, the traditional Swiss 'entry-level' has steadily moved upmarket. Many beloved brands that once offered a cracking steel three-hander for around $3,000 are now comfortably asking closer to $5,000. It’s a completely natural evolution of the luxury sector, but it has undeniably left a void for the everyday enthusiast. Studio Underd0g steps into this gap, somewhat correcting the modern pricing ladder.

With the 01Series, you’re acquiring a mechanical column-wheel chronograph, a textured, multi-layered dial, a handmade British strap, and a watch that’s entirely assembled and regulated in the UK. Even with the mechanical upgrades of the 02Series Gen 2, the retail price sits comfortably around $800.

For those genuinely interested in what the young independents of the watch world have to offer, nothing is more reassuring than seeing a brand like Studio Underd0g operate on timed pre-order systems rather than artificial scarcity and VIP waitlists. Periodically throughout the year, the brand opens a brief purchasing window. If you place an order during that specific timeframe, you are absolutely guaranteed a watch. There’s no purchase history required and no preferential treatment. Subscribing to the brand’s newsletter to track these drop dates is essential.

When you buy one of these watches, you’re championing independent design, and, most importantly, you're signaling a refusal to take this hobby too seriously. For many, buying into a global community of like-minded individuals instills the belief that watchmaking should, above all else, be fun.

In a short space of time, Studio Underd0g has evolved from a pandemic-induced design experiment into a foundational pillar of the modern independent watchmaking scene. Richard Benc achieved this not by copying the Swiss, but by completely ignoring so many of the rules of tradition. Playful dial executions, combined with rigorous British assembly and regulation, are what make this brand distinctive in today's market.  

Ultimately, designs like the Pink Lem0nade field watch and the neon brilliance of the Watermel0n chronograph are like nothing else on the market, hammering home the fact that some of the most exciting developments in horology happen at the kitchen table. You can learn more about Studio Underd0g at their website here.