Seven Friday Free-D Green watch (Photo: R.Naas)
Late last year, I borrowed the Seven Friday Free-D Green watch to garner the response from friends and colleagues and to make my own informed decisions about this futuristic watch. The first Free-D timepieces, in blue, red and black respectively, made their debut in 2022 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Seven Friday. They pretty much took the watch world by storm.
Why? For a host of reasons, not the least of which is the futuristic aspect. Part of the satellite family of watches, the Free-Ds not only look space-age, but also – in a world where everything is made by machine or hand – feel space age thanks to the three-dimensional printing process of the skeleton-like structure that houses the titanium case. The watches have a somewhat textural feel to them and a look that is intriguingly alluring because of that matte, textured material.
Seven Friday Free-D Green watch has a titanium case housed in an outer 3D-printed structure. (Photo: R. Naas)
With prices that range from about $3500 to $4,500 or so, the Free-D watches are created in limited editions. The green one I borrowed – which is priced at CHF 5,500 — was a one of a kind. At least for now. And the Seven Friday people assure us that there will be other colors – some in the same shape and structure and others in different materials and renditions — coming this year.
Green Machine
Seven Friday Free-D Green watch has multiple tones of green.
So, let’s do a quick run-down of the Free-D Green watch with a layered dial with multiple heights for depth and dimension. The watch, as mentioned, is crafted in titanium and held in place via a 3D-printed structure (by Hewlett-Packard’s multi-jet fusion 3D printing solutions) that offers the matte finish, the unusual feel and the unique color. It is made from PA11 nylon, which is a durable, lightweight, sustainable polyamide, which is – according to the brand – organic and environmentally friendly thanks to its castor-oil base. Additionally, the material, somewhat like bronze, will change coloration and texture over time with wear due to the exposure to atmosphere and other influences.
Retailing for about $5,500, the Seven Friday Free-D Green watch offers time indications using arcs and pointer hands at 6:00 on the dial.
A cushion-cornered TV-shaped domed sapphire crystal with inner antireflective coating protects the multi-level dial with domed disks, which showcases the time on an arc at 6:00 on the spaceship-like dial using two rows of numbers, one each for the hours and minutes. The watch is powered by a Swiss automatic movement, Sellita SW300-1, and it is finished with a genuine calf-skin leather and PA11 strap.
Seven Friday Free-D Green watch is sold in a 3-D printed cage. (Photo: R. Naas)
The watch is sold in a 3D printed skeletonized PA11 structure that is made using a single sequence. Only the American walnut cushion is the only thing not 3D printed, but it is sustainable and can be removed via a single screw.
Impressions of the Seven Friday Free-D Green
It is green. From the dial to the strap and case – there are multiple shades of green ranging from light green to khaki green. It is also an eye-catcher. Most people who saw it on my wrist asked what it was. A few wanted to try it on for themselves. Most were wowed by the fact that there was a 3D printed case structure and by the retail price. Several even asked if the brand would produce customized colors. Personally, I enjoyed wearing the watch but I’m waiting for the purple version before investing.
The PA11 material used for the making of the 3D case structure and cage are environmentally friendly.
