In the last few years, the watch community has seen a number of new brands launch via the internet. To be quite honest, it’s not often these brands make us look twice; reason being, the watches are either unimaginative or poorly made (or both), and the brands don’t have staying power. However, recently launched Oak & Oscar is making us rethink that position. Combining a passion for watches, as well as a passion to blaze his own trail, Oak & Oscar founder Chase Fancher might be on to something. Lucky for us, we got an early live look at their maiden watch, the Burnham, at Red Bar Boston.

I’m sure you’ve had the feeling, sitting in another boring meeting, or working late on a project that seems meaningless, and you’re thinking, “What the hell am I doing here?” I know it; I’ve been there. Throwing caution to the wind and starting your own business sounds all kinds of sexy, but it’s also risky and intimidating. Fancher had those thoughts in the back of his mind when deciding to take the leap, but knew the only way he could make Oak & Oscar work is if he put everything into it. Creating a half-assed watch wouldn’t cut it, and from what we can see, he’s carefully considered every aspect.

Fancher brought us a few prototypes of the Burnham, which was named after Daniel Burnham, revered architect and city planner, and the man who developed Fancher’s hometown of Chicago. Deeper than merely a reference to where he grew up, Burnham reminds Chase of his father’s appreciation of Chicago’s layout and architecture, as well as his father being the man who gave him the final push into starting Oak & Oscar.

Limited to 300 pieces, every component of the Burnham was designed from scratch, as Fancher wouldn’t settle for any catalog parts. Starting with the sandwich dial, you’ll notice an excellent amount of detail and consideration. Save for the 6:00 marker, every other number is represented, which is a rarity for sandwich dials. Even the “8” made the cut, which seems impossible to do without it looking like a funky stencil. Turns out, if you spend 80 hours designing a single number, you can get it to look great. Complementing the dial is a set of subtly unique hands, including a second hand that properly reaches the edge of the dial, and a counter-balance that perfectly eclipses the dial logo.

The 42mm case is sleek, and sits well on the wrist — I would say it wears more like a 40mm or 41mm. A screw-down crown and caseback protects the Soprod A10 to a depth of 100m, which is more than enough water resistance for a non-dive watch. When I found out Chase opted for the A10, I was quite impressed. My experience with the time and date Soprod movement has been nothing but positive. Where Fancher could have gone with a cheaper alternative, he chose quality over cutting costs. While the Soprod A10 isn’t an intricately finished movement, it has nice perlage on the mainplate, and Chase added a custom rotor, featuring four cutout stars as a nod to the Chicago city flag. And to assuage any worries of how these finely designed watches are put together, Fancher works with Lum-Tec on all production and testing.

Not stopping with the case, movement, and dial, the Burnham’s accessories have been carefully considered as well. American craftsmen from Woodnsteel, Crown & Buckle, and Defy Bags handle the leather straps, NATOs, and watch wallet, respectively. The hand-stitched leather strap is of very high quality, right down to the – no surprise here – custom-designed tang buckle. For the NATO, Fancher chose Crown & Buckle’s heavy duty nylon, and yet another custom buckle. Finally, you get a watch wallet – that’s right, a whole damn wallet. It’s designed to hold a few watches and accessories, as well as to fold up and fit easily in a briefcase.

Priced at $1,450 for the time being (eventually going to $1,650), I’m not going to tell you it’s cheap, but it’s priced right for what you’re getting. Custom leather accessories, no off-the-shelf parts, and an automatic Swiss movement will always break the $1,000 barrier. What’s more, in line with Fancher’s love for dogs, a part of the profits will go to One Tail at a Time, a Chicago-based dog shelter. If you’re interested in the Burnham, I recommend getting in touch with Oak & Oscar sooner rather than later – not only to take advantage of the pre-sale price, but because I don’t think the 300 pieces will last very long. Congrats to Chase and Oak & Oscar on making a go of it, we’re going to keep our eyes on you.

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