Episode 76: The Argon SpaceOne Review

By David Vaucher

The Argon Spaceone

In many ways the last few years have been very weird for watch collectors, to say the least, but there is no need to lose hope. While some aspects of watch collecting in 2023 do remain difficult, it has never been a more exciting time to be into watches thanks to the flourishing independent scene that has become not only self-supporting, but also a hotbed for horological creativity.

Technology and globalization have enabled a cohort of microbrands and small independents to turn their ideas into reality.

My take is that these new entrants don’t compete with the established players as much as they complement them, playing the role of the dive-bar band with a devoted following as opposed to the arena-filling pop star. Both are music, both are fun, both can be enjoyed by the same audiences, but they are very different creations.

Of course, everyone’s free to write their own songs (or create their own watches), but actually grabbing attention is another thing entirely, and today’s Audicle will cover one watch brand that has done just that, and then some: let’s talk about the Argon Spaceone.

Announced earlier this year, the Spaceone project made a splash with the novelty of the overall concept, if not the overall design; that second statement is very much my opinion, so I’d like to start with that.

Argon’s debut model is called “the Spaceone”, and looks like, surprise, surprise, a spaceship. It looks super-slick – especially if you select the very “flight-of-the-navigator-esque” polished finish — but as cool as it is, the form itself is hardly original, and the concept, while quite alien at this price point, isn’t new either. But within that sentence we find the crux of this discussion and the reason for what has been a rather impassioned period of debate between two staunch camps: those who believe in the importance of true originality in design and the fierce protection of designers’ intellectual property rights, and those that are happy to see these ambitious ergonomics suddenly available in as accessible bracket.

We’ve seen the concept of ultra futurism explored regularly by brands like Urwerk and MB&F, with famed clockmaker L’Epee also producing pieces with a similar shape, but the one corollary that sticks out more than any other is the De Bethune Dream Watch, which, although different in several ways (most notably the position of the crown), uses the same time-display in principle and was regarded as the spaceship watch to end all spaceship watches.

And so for the first time, we have the looks of and a similar wearing experience to the Dream Watch, available to buy for under €2,000. Some are rejoicing at this democratization of design, while others are aghast at the brazenness of the brand that is clearly so heavily inspired by another.

But what’s the general response like? Much of the coverage was gushing, but I’d be lying if I said every opinion I read was positive. We saw many of these opinions aired firsthand in The Real Time Network WhatsApp group, and if you’d like to join the group so you too can debate the merits and demerits of watches like this and others, simply send us a message via one of the usual channels, and we’ll add you in.

I read the arguments and counterarguments with interest. I found it fascinating how far apart some people could be on the issue and found myself wishing that there were more such divisive watches as, in the process of disagreeing with each other, we all learned a lot more about the hobby and our own approaches to it in general. But what do I think? Personally, I’m one of the happy campers. I believe this is an awesome project and a massive gift to the watchmaking industry. Why? Because inspiration is a part the design process. And, besides, there are hundreds of thousands of round watches and nobody cries foul when we see another one hit the market? Now we have two “space blob” watches, made with vastly different technics, with vastly different levels of finishing, for vastly different audiences. What’s the problem with that?

Furthermore, this project is not just piggybacking on a popular design. The Spaceone has mechanical credibility in its own right. Theo Auffret, one of the brand’s founders, actually developed a 9-part modification to enable the Soprod P024 (usually an ETA 2824 clone) to display jumping hours. A smart tweak of a basic caliber that enabled the creators to keep this piece eminently accessible. Unlike the De Bethune which most of us will never be able to afford, the Spaceone ranges from 1500 euros to 1900 euros, tax excluded.

I have no idea what the designers at DeBethune think of the Spaceone, but my own view is that this watch is providing some valuable marketing for them and the broader watch industry. After all, today’s Spaceone backer might feel comfortable enough years down the line buying their own DeBethune or Urwerk, because they’ve already bought into the avant-garde design at this more down-to-Earth price!

Can we also pause to reflect on what this project’s success means about today’s watch industry? As I type this on June 1st, the Argon Spaceone project has blown past 100,000 euro goal, and now stands at over 885,000 euros. 

I’m not confident that this project would have gotten the same attention, or even been possible, when I first got into watches well over a decade ago. The Spaceone demonstrates that, in 2023, there are not only mass audiences for Omega divers, but there’s also a devoted core that will push smaller, niche projects forward. If that encourages the established brands — even just a little bit —to go beyond their usual vintage-inspired catalogs, then the Spaceone will have done an important service.

To bring this back to music, I don’t like the Notorious BIG’s rap any less because he didn’t originate rap music. Provided you add something to the original inspiration and don’t outright copy, you can feel comfortable that you’re building the design cannon (and let’s remember that Virgil Abloh himself set the bar pretty low, saying that you only need to change something by 3% to obtain something new).

Additionally, to me, looking solely at the design of the Spaceone is missing the wood for the trees, because the reality is that with micro-brand projects such as this, it’s never about just creating and selling a watch, there’s usually some greater purpose driving the creators.

In Argon’s case, no, their first watch doesn’t go in a totally new design direction, but it’s that design direction taken in the context of the overall project leadership and approach that really grabbed people’s attention. If you’ve not heard the names of Guillaume Laidet and Theo Auffret, take it from us, these two are part of the industry’s next generation of leaders and worth watching at every turn.

Guillaume first came onto the scene in late 2015 with another Kickstarted brand called William L.,,and since then has made it a mission to revive some of watchmaking’s most storied companies. 

Seen anything lately by Nivada Grenchen?

Or Vulcain?

Or Excelsior Park?

It’s hard to believe, but Guillaume’s behind all of those (and if you’re interested in finding out more about his path in watches, you can catch our interview with Guillaume on episode 30 of “The Real Time Show”).

Theo started carving his path in the business from another angle, opting instead to create his own subscription tourbillon, which earned him a feature in Hodinkee in 2021, at the ripe old age of 25. To say these men are off to a flying start is an understatement. The Argon project is simply the latest masterful pivot in a barnstorming opening chapter.

But we want to hear from you on this subject? Are you one of the hundreds of backers that brought this audacious project to life, or are you one of those that don’t think this rocket ship should ever have made it off the launch pad?

If you fancy picking up a reasonably priced conversation start and can handle being asked 20 times a day what contraption you happen to be wearing on your wrist, be quick: you have just a couple of days to back the project before it concludes. The project ends on June 10th 2023, so head over to Kickstarter and check out the remaining option before then to avoid disappointment.

And just to add, this audicle is not sponsored and we are free to express our own opinions about this watch, which we will do on Thursday when the whole team comes together to analyze this show-stopping release from Argon. Until then, stay safe, and keep on ticking.