Max Knives IWA1 — Steel Impact Watch, PSUPPER design approved by Fred Perrin

Overview

The IWA1 opens the Max Knives Impact Watch series with a steel version. The object borrows the outline of a pocket watch: a round body, a ring, and nothing sticking out. It is held on one finger, slips flat into a pocket and hangs just as readily from a belt loop as from a bag strap. Steel is what gives this version its substance, with the density and the cool touch that only metal brings.

A PSUPPER drawing, approved by Fred Perrin

The Impact Watch came off PSUPPER's drawing board, where the brief was a compact shape that reads at a glance: everything fits inside a round outline, with no protruding part. Fred Perrin, the cutler of the house, approved the model. His endorsement covers what matters in an object of this kind, the logic of the one-finger hold, the balance of the body and the plainness of the drawing, which stays the same across every version of the range.

Technical specifications

The IWA1 is one of the two steel models in the Impact Watch series, alongside the IWA3: same family, same PSUPPER drawing, same pocket watch outline. The body is steel, a dense material that gives the piece its mass and its staying power. The hold is designed for one finger, and the ring takes a belt loop, a carabiner or a bag strap. The series also runs to six polycarbonate versions, in blue, yellow, black, orange, red and green.

Care

Steel asks for little, but it asks for it regularly. After a walk in the rain or a spell at the bottom of a damp bag, wipe the piece with a dry cloth before putting it away. A thin film of light oil applied now and then over the whole surface keeps corrosion at bay, particularly around the ring, where moisture tends to settle. Store the piece somewhere dry, at room temperature.

Legal notice. Impact tools are restricted or prohibited in a number of countries and are frequently refused in aircraft cabin baggage. Check the law that applies where the order is delivered before purchasing.