Aera brings its contemporary flair to its first-ever chronographs
Zach Blass- Aera follows up its D-1 series of dive watches and P-1 series of pilot’s watches with its first-ever chronograph.
- The new C-1 Shadow has a stealthy monochromatic look, while the C-1 Cloud is more bright and colourful.
- Both models are limited to 300 pieces, and pricing starts at US$2,250.
Aera, founded by Jas Minhas and Olof Larsson in 2022, is a design-first watch brand, emphasising contemporary aesthetics, cost-effective Swiss calibres, and 100% recyclable and biodegradable packing. In its two-year history, the brand has already tackled the ever-popular dive watch category with its D-1 series, and the fan-favourite pilot’s watch segment with the P-1. Today, Aera ventures into the world of chronographs for the first time with the new C-1 Shadow and C-1 Cloud limited editions.
As their names suggest, the Shadow is a nearly all-black and stealthy feeling chronograph with a matte black dial and a PVD-coated case. Its foil, the Cloud, is befittingly brighter with its 904L stainless steel case left untreated, and the dial is executed in a light blue-grey, also with a matte finish. Both watches have a strong minimalist sensibility, with only the essentials found on the dial. For the C-1 Shadow, the white-tipped hands seemingly float above the starkly contrasting black dial, while the C-1 Cloud’s light blue hands pair cohesively with the dial – but not so much to the point that they are no longer legible. The Cloud’s counters are subtly colour-contrasted to the dial, whereas the Shadow’s counters fully blend in. Both watches have luminous coatings on all of the hands, and even the Aera logo at the 12 o’clock position is executed in three-dimensional white Globalight.
Both variants measure 42mm in diameter, 15.75mm in thickness, and 49.5mm lug-to-lug, positioning them at the smaller end of the large watch segment. With a sub-50mm lug-to-lug measurement, the average wrist will have no trouble wearing this watch, and its curved lugs have been designed with better ergonomics in mind.
The interesting thing about Aera design is that all of its watches use interchangeable straps, and despite the diameter differences between its three designs, all of Aera’s straps are compatible with all of its watches. The Aera C-1s come with two interchangeable straps, one FKM rubber and one leather. The Shadow is bundled with black rubber and orange leather straps that offer a bolder pop, while the Cloud comes with tonal white rubber and grey leather options.
I suspect two things will have watch collectors hitting pause before potentially purchasing either the C-1 Shadow or C-1 Cloud. First, the watch is 15.75mm tall, which is a bit thick, but the ergonomics of the case design may mitigate this on-paper measurement more than we might initially think. Also, keep in mind this watch is 100 metres water-resistant. Second, it’s a Sellita SW510-driven chronograph, which undoubtedly offers robust and reliable performance, but the watches are priced around the US$2.2K – US$2.4K mark. Therefore, I think for buyers to pull the trigger on either the Shadow or Cloud, they would need to be sold on the striking minimalism Aera’s designs have. Then again, as a design-first watch brand, it makes sense that for its existing fan base and potential newcomers, that aesthetic would likely be the deciding factor.
Aera C-1 Chronograph pricing and availability
The Aera C-1 Shadow and Cloud Chronographs are now available as limited editions of 300 pieces each. Price: £1,950 (Cloud, US$2,250), £2,100 (Shadow, US$2,400)
| Brand | Aera |
| Model | C-1 Shadow C-1 Cloud |
| Case Dimensions | 42mm (D) x 15.75mm (T) x 49.55mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | 904L steel (Shadow is PVD-coated) |
| Water Resistance | 100 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front |
| Dial | Matte black, matte grey |
| Lug Width | 22mm |
| Strap | FKM rubber and calf leather straps, pin buckle |
| Movement | Sellita SW510BH élaboré, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 56 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph |
| Availability | Limited to 300 pieces each |
| Price | £1,950 (Cloud, US$2,250) £2,100 (Shadow, US$2,400) |