The Apiar Invenire brings the best of British engineering to watchmaking
Russell Sheldrake
One morning, I arrived at work to find a leather pouch on my desk with this strange honeycomb logo on it with the word Apiar underneath. Not a brand I was familiar with, I was intrigued to find out what kind of watch awaited. I opened it and discovered the last thing I was expecting. The Invenire is a completely singular offering that gives an excellent of view of what makes this watch and brand so unique through the cutouts on the case. Made by the young British brand Apiar, the Invenire channels the brand’s focus on highly technical engineering that when explained to me, made my head spin.
The case
The case is really the star of the show here. It is by far the most unusual element of this watch, made from grade 23 titanium, the finish achieved through a 3D printing process called additive manufacturing. The simple explanation is that a laser accurately melts small amounts of a metal powder into a desired shape. It is usually used in the production of aerospace components, in the medical industry, and in the high-end automotive space as it creates parts by using as little material as possible, making them both lightweight and strong.
The lattice structure that sits at the core of the Invenire’s case looks at first inspection incredibly rough. In the watch world, we are so often spoiled by every visible surface being meticulously finished, whereas here, we can see the structure as it came out of the 3D printer. While that may prove to be a turn-off for some, I like the story that this tells: it wears its practicality on its sleeve and creates an instant talking point for anyone you show the watch to. And you are not restricted to the honeycomb look, it’s possible to have what they call a gyroid or X lattice if you prefer.
One downside of this process is that it makes the case feel quite large. While it only measures 39mm across and 12.55mm in height, the 47mm lug-to-lug is fairly long for smaller wrists, though it won’t cause too many issues for most. The case is impossibly light, the grade 23 titanium and essentially hollow space inside aids this feathery touch, but the metal of the case has a matte feel to it which is quite unexpected if you are used to the smooth feel of polished stainless steel.
The final important element to mention about this case is that it is fully constructed in the UK. A major part of Apiar’s strategy is to make as much as it possibly can in the UK. That goes from the Invenire’s case to the mushroom leather used for the case it comes in, the dial, and its straps. To do this, Apiar has had to look outside of the traditional watch supply chain, so the case is not made by a case manufacturer, but a supplier that makes components for many other industries.
The dial
The dials are another made-in-Britain part. Manufactured by Bedford Dials, their texture is applied by CNC with a matte colour hand-sprayed on top. While these dials may not be groundbreaking, having them produced in the UK is a nice touch. There are three texture options available with hexagonal, clous de Paris, or angular striations that can be paired with Arabic or Roman numerals, on black, blue, green, orange, or grey bases.
The movement
Here is where we find something that is non-British. The Swiss La Joux-Perret G100 gives the watch a power reserve of 68 hours, and while it is not a clone of the ETA 2824-2 it does offer very similar dimensions and superior stats. Its architecture is actually closely based on that of the Miyota 9000 series, though with improvements across the board, which makes sense considering LJP is owned by Citizen. But the movement really isn’t supposed to be the star of the show here. It offers practicality in both functions and aesthetics.
The strap
There are two strap options here, both made in the UK. The leather option (made by The Strap Tailor, who also provides Studio Underd0g’s straps) that I tried is perfectly comfortable and works well for what it is, but the TPU option, which can be made to match the lattice inside the case, seems to fit the watch far better. With an integrated design, it is made through the same additive manufacturing process as the case, so not only does it go well aesthetically, but also conceptually.
Apiar Invenire pricing & availability
The Apiar Invenire is available to order from the brand’s website, with each configuration uniquely numbered in its respective series. Price (inc. VAT): starting from £2,160
| Brand | Apiar |
| Model | Invenire V1.0 |
| Case Dimensions | 39mm (D) x 12.5mm (T) x 47mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | 3D-printed grade 23 titanium |
| Water Resistance | 100 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire |
| Dial | Black, blue, green, orange, grey |
| Strap | Coloured leather or TPU, pin buckle |
| Movement | La Joux-Perret G100, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 68 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, date |
| Availability | Now |
| Price | Starting from £2,160 |
Made in partnership with Apiar. However, the opinions expressed in this article are our own in accordance with our Editorial Policy.