Whenever I see Art Nouveau design—be it architecture with flowing contours, reproductions of Klimt’s dazzling painting The Kiss, or book covers embossed with flowery fonts—my heart recalls a golden visit to Riga, that glittering metropolis on the Baltic Sea. Morning strolls along avenues embellished with stone-carved flowers, Valkyries, and mythical beasts give way to languid afternoons sipping coffee on the Daugava River and evenings draining draughts of Mezpils beneath the shadow of the Latvian National Opera.
That nostalgia first drew me to Ciga Designs’ new Z-Series, an Art Nouveau–inspired watch. With its skeletonized face, Tonneau-shaped case, and matte black band, the Z-Series is as visually striking as any example of Art Nouveau architecture. My Shinola Runwell and Cartier Tank remain my everyday watches, but I don my Z-Series for a dash of eccentric flair and a welcome injection of the avant-garde. In addition to the Z-Series, Ciga Designs also crafts several other worthy timepieces that have watch aficionados ticking with excitement.
Photo by Ciga Designs
Newcomers With Old Souls
Established in 2012, Ciga Designs has carved out a niche in the luxury watch market for experimental designs matched with bleeding-edge engineering. Founded by renowned Chinese industrial engineer Jianmen Zhang, Ciga’s timepieces are known among watch geeks for their skeletonized faces and innovative touches. In addition to his interest in futuristic engineering, Jianmin is an admirer of Zen Buddhism, and Japanese minimalism is a hallmark of many Ciga watches. My taste in watches favors the classic, with a Shinola Runwell and Cartier Tank my everyday watches, but I get a kick out of seeing my space-age Ciga next to my traditional timepieces when I open my Military Watch Box each morning.
Ciga Designs is proudly based in Shenzhen, China, and part and parcel of the company’s mission is dispelling stereotypes of Chinese watches as mass-produced and uninspired. Although a relatively new watch company, Ciga has already garnered a score of prestigious awards in the world of horology—including the Red Dot Design Award, the iF Design Awards, and the German Design Award. In 2021, Ciga became the first Chinese watch company to win a Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG), often referred to as the Oscars of Watchmaking.
The Z-Series
The Art Nouveau-inspired Z-Series draws the eye, like the gold leaf in Klimt’s iconic painting. This early 20th-century artistic movement rebelled against the homogeneity of industrialization by embracing exuberant, ornate designs inspired by the Rococo era. The movement’s heyday only lasted a few decades—eventually giving way to the more enduring style of Art Deco—but Art Nouveau’s legacy includes treasures like Gaudi’s La Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona. While the movement’s most famous examples are in fine art and architecture, its playful spirit touched everything from literature and fashion to furniture-making and jewelry.
The Z-Series is not for those who favor an understated aesthetic. But for those seeking a statement piece, it checks all the boxes. The skeletonized face, showcasing the watch’s whirring metallic entrails, instills fascination and wonder every time you glance at your wrist. For an unobstructed view of the movements and gears, the face omits numerical markers. Initially, it took me an extra moment to gauge the precise time on my Z-Series, but now that I am acclimated to the numberless face, I can tell time as quickly as with a traditional watch.
The Z-Series feels well-balanced and boasts a pleasant heft on the wrist. Crafted from lightweight titanium, it is durable and resistant to corrosion. The 1.2mm thick sapphire crystal glass resists cracks and scratches. Although it’s sturdy enough to wear for, say, travel or everyday activities, the Z-Series is not a sports watch. I avoid wearing it for outdoor activities, workouts, or athletics. The watch is water-resistant enough that you don’t need to remove it for hand-washing, but it’s best to do so when swimming or bathing.
Prices for the Z-Series range from $239 to $389, depending on the specific model and materials.
Photo by Ciga Designs
Blue Planet
Ciga Design’s Blue Planet was the one to claim the GPHG in 2021. The face features a glittering globe, inspired by views of the Earth from space. Like the Z-Series, the Blue Planet does not have numbers. Time is indicated by the rotation of the globe, with an ornate compass rose at its edge serving as a substitute for traditional hour and minute hands.
As one of Ciga’s premium offerings, the Blue Planet is a sartorial masterpiece. The globe’s detailing is exquisite, featuring tiny silver continents etched with mountain ranges and geological formations. The slightly curved case enhances both comfort and visual appeal, while the rubber strap rests unobtrusively against the skin. The watch requires manual winding if left unworn for extended periods, but also self-winds through the natural movements of the wrist during wear.
The most basic Blue Planet, in stainless steel, costs $999. Ciga also offers a titanium version priced at $1,199 and a black ceramic version with 24K gold gilding, priced at $1,999.
Photo by Ciga Designs
X-Series
The X-Series is another skeletonized watch, this time with a square case. While the Z-Series cleaves to the gentle, flowing lines of Art Nouveau sensibilities, the X-Series evinces a more masculine and robust look. The square case necessitates a different arrangement of the movements, another key difference between the X- and Z-Series. The visible gears rest beneath a cruciform scaffolding, and gazing into the face of an X-Series is like staring into the eye of a machine elf from the DMT dimensions. The hands are coated with Super-LumiNova, a lume patented in Switzerland which allows wearers to tell time in the dark.
Prices for the X-Series range from $249 to $569, depending on the specific model and materials.
