Hands-On: The Dennison Dual Time Capsule Collection II

It’s hard to believe that Dennison — at least the latest iteration of the Dennison brand — is only about a year old. Affordable, quartz-powered, with design-driven case shapes and provocative dials, it’s garnered a surprising amount of attention among the watch cognoscenti in just a few short months. So when Dennison let us know that they were planning a limited-time ‘Capsule Collection’ version of the super cool double-handset and crown Dual Time and, for the first time, a metal bracelet option, we just had to get our hands on them for a spin. 

So these are certainly a more modern and less vintage-inspired take on the retro jet-setter Dual Time that Dennison bequeathed to us for Geneva Watch Days. With an inky black onyx stone dial dominating the face, there are three color options for the lacquer subsidiary dial: turquoise, red, and pink. Dennison calls these circle splashes ‘Kandinsky Accents’ and they’re certainly evocative of some of the Russian modern abstract painter’s works, particularly the Circles in a Circle series from the 1920s. 

Keeping that modernist, restrained vibe, each of the iterations is housed in a stainless steel case. No glam gold-plating on this series, unlike the first iteration of the Dual Time that offered both. It’s the same mega-slim 6.1 millimeter thick case and dial-side dimensions of 37 by 35.6 millimeters that nail the sizing challenges of square/rectangular watches. Let’s hope Cartier is taking notes. Square watches wear bigger, it’s just like that. 

The dual crowns (one on each side of the case) and dual handsets continue to be powered by a pair of Swiss quartz Ronda movements. Of course, the twin timekeepers aren’t the focus of the story here. They just keep on ticking – without reminding us of that quartz attribute – because there are no seconds hands on the dial. The twin movements quietly buzz along, without revealing their battery power source, allowing us to focus on the nifty design and color decisions.  

So, the colors. They feel slightly trendy and very much in line with current tastes. The mauve-pink that doesn’t take you back to another era, but asks if this matches your outfit today. The orange-hued red is bold, au courant, and firm. The turquoise; perhaps you’ve seen this color on some other watch dials lately? Indeed, these are market-driven, commercially-minded choices that also demonstrate the range of Emmanuel Gueit’s original design. Dennison is trying to show this model has legs and plenty of iteration possibilities, and they plan to run with it for some time. There will be more Dennison Dual Times, and we’re here for it. 

What’s truly new here, besides the fresh dials, is the option, for the first time from Dennison, of a metal bracelet. Unlike these Capsule Collection dials, the bracelet feels very throwback, flashy, and glamorous, in the best way possible. It evokes the thin and drapey bracelets of design-driven, shaped watches that had to be cut to fit the wearer. Thankfully, this has an easy-to-use pressure clasp system that feels plenty secure. No anxiety-inducing trips to the jeweler for cutting and sizing required. Nicely done. 

Dennison calls the metal bracelets ‘mesh bark,’ and we think that description fits. It doesn’t quite reach the tactile pleasure of the old Rolex ‘bark’ cases and bracelets, but it flicks at the idea. It’s a shiny, mesh bracelet with some unusual textured elements that will work at the disco or that lounge you discover at a regional airport that hasn’t been updated since 1982. This is, after all, a dual time watch. 

Pricing for this limited collection remains compellingly reasonable, all under a thousand bucks before taxes. They will cost $890 on the leather straps or $950 on the new metal bracelet. A full set of all three watches goes for $2850 and includes a special box and additional strap options. 

The watches are on sale for just one week (though you may also see some in retailers that sell Dennison), beginning on Oct. 16, for just seven days on the Dennison website.  And get this – you can buy the stainless steel, bark mesh bracelet separately if you already have a steel Dual Time. It will sell for $130 on Dennison’s website. They’re also working on a gold-plated version, so that’s another thing to look forward to from Dennison in the future. 

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