We spent a week with The Fifth Watches “Aki” timepiece, a stunning statement in timekeeping minimalism. Take a look at the week.
Day 1: I received the watch after a long holiday in Florida. The packaging was stunning- a crisp box with perfect edges had little branding but a huge presence. It could pass as a cigar tray or any number of other uses. Of course, you could store the watch in it, too. The watch comes with the bands detached. The attachment system is genius. A small lever toggles the opening and closing of a hinge. It makes switching the band for another color extremely easy. It made me want another band to play with.
Day 2: I wear a lot of blue. Not sure if I look good in blue or not, but I opted for the The Fifth’s Aki watch because it had a stunning navy blue, real leather band. The clasp and bezel is done in a cautious and tasteful near-copper metal. Again, a statement in minimalism with a pure, unadorned white face and simple crown, I expected the watch to disappear and become part of my look (always wear a watch).
Day 3: I take the watch along with me to the US OPEN tennis tournament. The timepiece was a perfect companion, photographing well against the blue and green courts. The calm face mirrored the quiet nature of the tennis matches. The Fifth only distributed its collections for a few days a month so grabbing one is almost as hard as snagging a spot in the US OPEN.
Day 4: I took the Aki watch by The Fifth for a run around the Upper East Side, NYC. With the simple black seconds hand, I was able to track my elapsed time and even do some times runs. The band has plenty of size selectors, so keeping the watch snug against my arm (very important for when running) was no problem.
Day 5: I wore the Aki watch to dinner with my friend. He was immediately complimentary of the timepiece, saying it “worked with my personality”. Satisfied with this comment, I offered him to try it on. As he removed his Cartier Tank, I realized The Fifth’s Aki could reach this iconic status as well.
Day 6: I wore the Aki to work every day this past week, with an often blue suit. It has a subtle statement power that allowed the watch to work with-but never overpower- my Gucci loafers and suits, including a grid pattern blue suit by Burberry. For a $95 timepiece, the Aki has held up extremely well.
Day 7: The Aki got wet in the rain, but it was no problem. With water resistance, the glass face stayed perfectly clear and not any condensation was produced. The Japanese Quartz movement is stunningly accurate with a confident “tick!”
It was a great week with the Aki by The Fifth, going from work to play with no problems and even getting some compliments along the way. It really is a striking watch. The face is truly uncommonly simple, the only branding indication being the “V” numeral, obviously for the namesake. But even this gave the Aki a critical element of character that, without it, would have left the piece with something missing. All said, the Fifth has a stunning design team and this piece does not disappoint. If only they were available for a longer time. The Fifth’s Tokyo collection features fine design in stunning color ways, but is only one demonstration of The Fifth’s wide range of potential. We cannot wait to see what comes next with this exciting brand!
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