Saw SpidoSpeed and SpidoLite II at AD - Some impressions from a newbie and also questions..

[evosam]

So I was fortunate enough to check out a SpidoSpeed and the new SpidoLite II at a AD and I'm curious on why there is only one model in the Spidospeed that is in Ti?

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the whole philosophy behind the "Spido" line with the skeletonized casing and dial was to save weight? Doesn't make sense to me that the only SpidoSpeed with a Ti case is the one that's offset with the "heavier" gold pieces.

Further more, all the SpidoLite II cases are Ti, so it can't be an issue with working with Ti?

Does anyone have any insight into why not more of the SpidoSpeed range is in Ti?

So some impressions of the two watches -

SpidoSpeed Chrono in DLC Steel - Very nice piece, the DLC is much darker than I expected and the white dials actually work super well with this watch. My only gripe (you guessed it) is weight. The thing is hefty in weight and would greatly benefit on a diet of Titanium. I'm hoping that the next run of these may include more Ti options so I'm holding out on this. Finally on this piece (and I'm sure this might have been discussed to death on some other thread) - I really wish they did a better job with the pushers. The round buttons just look awkward as opposed to extending the trapezoidal push pieces out. I had a long discussion about this with the AD and he didn't really know the reason either for the design change.


SpidoLite II in DLC Ti - I was pretty much ready to pull the trigger on this from the pictures I saw floating around. However, when I got to the store - they had the DLC version of the SpidoLite II, I was disappointed with date display implementation. I think some others have mentioned that the contrast may be better with the regular Ti version, but on the DLC version (only one the AD had in stock), it was almost impossible for me to see the date. The cut-out just seems to be too small on the disc and the contrast just isn't there. I have pretty good vision too (20/10) and unless I was directly underneath the store spotlights and I had the watch less than a foot away from me, could I barely make out the date. Finally, it seems to me that the hands are a little short on the SpidoLite II compared with the SpidoSpeed. Has anyone else noticed this or is it me just being too picky?


So where does this leave me on LW? - I really love the brand and the pieces - wish the new pieces were a little more "thought" out. I am assuming the current combos leave them room for improvement and variations (maybe later on this year at Basel?) I hope they do improve them because I think the new Spido cases are really nice and I would love to try and find one with the right combination. Some folks had suggested a custom build option - that would be amazing if you could do something like what Vacheron allows with it's Quai de l'ile case build system. It's not instant gratification from the AD, but you could get exactly what you want.

Food for thought...

Cheers

-Sam

[martinpulli]

Sam you raise some interesting questions. Questions that I myself considered as well.
I asked Jorn for a response to a few of these questions and this is a quick report.

Why are the Spidospeed cases produced in steel vs. the titanium cases of the Spidolite, Spidolite SA and Spidolite ii?


Jorn has responded that the "theme" and direction of concept for each of the Spidolite series and the Spidospeed models were similar, yet from different angles of approach. The Spidolite was designed to truly be an "Ultralite" , super high performance, stripped down sports model. The skeletonization of the case and use of titanium was really to take the idea of weight reduction to it's limits. Not unlike Formula 1, cycling or Moto GP.So, the watch itself is stripped lite with the most basic functions of a three handed automatic. Additional performance complications are added to the watch with the use of either the REEF or the ROCK instruments.

The Spidospeed range, while still very much based on the parallel to motorsport, came from another angle. The Spidospeed is conceived very much as the "drivers" watch. The watch itself is a unique sporting instrument in total. The choice of steel was with the idea of providing the greatest amount of rigidity. Of course, the skeletonized approach still limits the weight to a great degree and remains true to the original less is more conceptual theme of the "Spido". Also, Jorn adds, quite a few clients offered feedback to both Jorn and Morten and felt the Spidolite was TOO light and wanted a Spido theme with a bit more BEEF. So, the beauty of a small manufacture is that you may respond in kind to your clients wishes....for real. I must say that I myself like light weight, but I hear more often than not that most other collectors that appreciate sports watches...actually like the weight of a big steel watch. I hear that frequently too. So, I think it was a smart choice for this model in total.

All in all the choices from L-W are stellar. I think we have to remember that these small collections from L-W are very small and super specialized productions. The watches are very specialized designs and not intended as mass market projects. i suppose that's why they appeal to me. But, each collector has something different that draws he or she to THAT watch. Really, that's the fun.

[raider26]

Good question and solid response guys.

Thanks

[evosam]

Thanks Martin - wonderful getting a response from the source.

As for the comment on a few LW clients asking for a Spido with more heft - I would guess if the LW watch was your only watch, it might make some sense to some people. From my personal perspective, it's about a theme and staying true to it - and I'm with you on this one - I think as a theme and a sports watch - the Spido series should concentrate and focus on lightweight - the lighter the better.

Again, my perspective - if folks wanted a watch with more BEEF and with a heavier feel, The One series of watches with the more solid case design in the LW line seem like a really good choice and fit. If LW are additional watches for folks (like me), and you look outside of LW for heavier sport watches then the choices go up tenfold.

Finally, just want to say that I do love the brand and what they do - even if I seem to be a little down on the Spido range because of all the things I've mentioned. I like the brand so much that I actually decided to by a Hard Black II as my first LW piece!

Will of course post picts when I get a little more time - but I'm immediately impressed by the form and function of this HB II. It seems to fit super comfortably on my 6.5 inch wrist and on the wrist seems lighter than the steel DLC case would suggest. The DLC is also really nicely done - say compared to say a Panerai DLC.

Will post comparison picts on the DLC as well.

Cheers all

-Sam

[raider26]

HB II is a great choice Sam, stealth & class design all rolled into ONE....I'm wearing mine today

Look forward to your comparrison with Panerai DLC.

Dylan

[Oceanaut7]

Re: Spidospeed pushers. There's been a fair bit of talk about these and I think some general disapointment with the compromise that had to be made as opposed to the concept which seemed much more popular. I'm probably re-hashing here but I believe that the pushers were compromised because the original concept didn't extend far enough from the case to allow easy activation, add to that the fact that the larger flatter pushers probably spread the pressure of your finger and again made the chrono more difficult to activate.

I suspect that the original pushers or something very similar will re surface in future iterations of the Spidospeed, but time will tell.

Regards.