Description
The CIGA Design Time Cipher invites a different way of reading time - not as fixed numerals, but as motion gradually revealed. Following the brand’s recognition at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) for Blue Planet, Time Cipher continues CIGA Design’s exploration of unconventional time displays grounded in clarity and restraint.
The CIGA Design Time Cipher is driven by a self-developed automatic movement and presented within a slim, sculpted stainless-steel case. At its centre is a wandering-hour display that unfolds calmly across a Super Black dial, offering a deliberate, almost meditative approach to timekeeping.
This is not a watch that demands attention. It rewards it.
Why We Curated This
- A refined wandering-hour display focused on legibility and calm motion
- Strong design continuity from CIGA Design’s award-winning work
- Appeals to collectors drawn to conceptual watchmaking without excess
Wandering Hour, Reconsidered
The wandering-hour complication traces its origins back to 17th-century night clocks and early pocket watches, later revived through avant-garde interpretations. Time Cipher honours this lineage while distilling it to its essence.
Rather than layering complexity, the display relies on a single, restrained gesture: motion that speaks quietly. A central wandering assembly tracks the minutes, while a rotating disc reveals the hour against a fixed marker - allowing time to unfold naturally rather than jump in increments.
Time Decoded in Motion
At the dial’s centre, a singular wandering mechanism traces minutes across the display. The minute arm is partially skeletonised and finished with Côtes de Genève, while the hour disc blends openworked architecture with polished and satin surfaces.
Swiss Super-LumiNova numerals glow subtly in low light, while a micro-sandblasted counterweight balances the axis - a functional detail that also reinforces the watch’s visual symmetry.
Time Decoded in Shadow
The Super Black dial absorbs up to 99.3% of light, creating a visual void from which motion emerges. Raised, CNC-engraved minute indices catch light only at the periphery, guiding the eye inward toward the wandering form at the centre.
Here, motion becomes the protagonist - not markers, not numerals, but the quiet rhythm of time passing.
Time Decoded in Form
Encased in 316L stainless steel, the Time Cipher features a slim 11.8mm profile with subtle capsule recesses at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o’clock. Micro-sandblasted surfaces contrast with mirror-polished edges, creating a case that feels modern yet timeless.
With a lug-less profile and domed sapphire crystal, the watch sits fluidly on the wrist - purposeful in design, restrained in execution.
Movement & Performance
At its core is the CD-08 calibre, a self-developed automatic movement based on the trusted Miyota 9000 series. Beating at 28,800vph with a 42-hour power reserve and 24 jewels, the movement has been reworked to reliably support the wandering-hour complication.
Performance is stable and precise, shaped into a rhythm that rewards attention and patience rather than urgency.
On the Wrist
Despite its conceptual display, the Time Cipher wears with ease. The slim case profile, smooth curvature, and balanced proportions ensure comfort, while the wandering-hour motion reveals itself gradually over time.
It’s a watch that encourages lingering glances - and thoughtful engagement.
Technical Specifications
| Case size: |
45mm
|
| Case material: |
Stainless steel
|
| Case back: |
Sapphire exhibition caseback
|
| Movement type: |
Automatic
|
| Movement no.: |
In-house movement CD-08 |
| Power reserve: |
Approx 42hrs |
| Dial: |
Super black; integrated wandering hour display with SuperLuminova on the hour and minute discs |
| Glass: |
Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating |
| Water resistance: |
5ATM |
| Strap type: |
Strap
|
| Strap material: |
Black fluororubber
|
| Buckle: |
Hidden clasp |
| Warranty: |
2 years
|
