[Afka]

XEN 24 Hours - dress code black and white (AWW 30)

Specifications

Name: XEN 24 Hours
Model reference: XQ 0043 - black, XQ 0044 - white
Movement: Ronda 763.24E, Swiss Parts, 1 jewel, battery type 364
Time display: 24h (with 24 on top) display of hours, minutes and seconds
Case: all stainless steel with snap back
Size: diameter 35 mm, 38 mm with crown, 42 mm lug to lug
Height: 9 mm
Face: black [white] dial with white [black] even hour numbers, odd hour markers ad minute markers
Text on dial: XEN 24 HOURS SWISS MADE
Text on back:
a. XEN pure and full of spirit Design: Hans Gabriel Schroll 5Bar 9M All Stainless Steel XQ 0043 Swiss Made
b. XEN pure and full of spirit Design: Hans Gabriel Schroll 5Bar 4M All Stainless Steel XQ 0044 Swiss Made
Hands and markers: metallic narrow hour, minute and seconds hands
Water-resistance: 50m (5 bar) water resistant
Crowns: signed crown at 3 to set time
Crystal: domed mineral crystal
Lug: 18 mm
Bracelet: leather anti allergic strap with signed buckle

Foreword

Some words on brand XEN. The jewelry company XEN was founded in 1997. From the beginning the main idea was to produce stainless steel jewelry. The name XEN was taken from "zen". Since 2004 is XEN offering "TIMEKEEPERS Quartz" and since 2007 "TIMEKEEPERS Mechanical". XEN watches are designed by internationally renowned designers to create collections, which are conform to the Xen philosophy.

XEN is located in Rheine, Germany. In the beginning of 2000s they had another watch brand and even as a separate company - Watch People.
During the years XEN had as a minimum 3 models with 24h dial, offered in several dial versions.

These two siblings we have here today I got from ebay - brand new condition with "box and papers" and with a 70% discount from the list price EUR 129. That is only EUR 36 on each watch! I decided to buy both - black and white.

Comments

These XEN watches are very good examples of nice German dress watch design, based on so called Bauhaus style. They are designed by late Hans Gabriel Schroll, who was XEN main designer and responsible for several XEN models.

These siblings - black (XQ 0043) and white (XQ 0044) - were presented in 2004 with the first XEN watch collection. In the same time the company was closing "Watch People" brand and the watches came in Watch People boxes. The instruction manuals are for XQ 0021-0024, another 12h GMT watch.

Both are elegant and nice dress watches. Everything tells you that they are designed by master. That's why the case back is proudly signed with designer's name. Crown and buckle - both are signed too with XEN logo. Everything is stylish and details are nice, including anti allergic genuine leather strap.

I like the case; it looks very good from every ankle. The dial is legible, hands are with correct length. If you think that lume is missing then I have to remember - these are pure dress watches.

Little mystery is the case size. In many databases and as you can see even on the buckle label is written that diameter is 40mm. Actually it is 35 without and 38 with crown.

The watches are brand new with plastic protectors on and I haven't tested them on a wrist a couple of days as I usually do with AWW watches. All I did was observation but I have no doubt that in a real situation you have a good watch.

Summary

If you are looking for an affordable 24h quartz dress watch, then these XEN models are one of the best answers for you. I haven't seen any other 24h quartz watch with such a good "most bang for your buck" performance (remember - the watches were EUR 36 each, and a couple of them are still available).

Maybe is this watch too small for you - 35 mm. Then another possibility is to take a look at newer 42mm XEN 24h models XQ 0107 (black), XQ 0108 (brown/black), XQ 0109 (silver/black).

 

[Watchbreath]

Re: XEN 24 Hours - dress code black and white (AWW 30)

If there was 24 at the top instead of a marker, I would really be tempted.

 

[Somewhere else]

Re: XEN 24 Hours - dress code black and white (AWW 30)

A very good buy for the money! If they were more expensive I would have hesitated because I have similar reservations about the dial design that Watchbreath does. The two most important digits on a 24 hour watch are 24:00 and 12:00. These must be shown as numbers. Otherwise the watch becomes difficult to read. I feel that there is too much emphasis on design in the dials, and practicality and readability are not emphasized sufficiently.

 

[Afka]

Re: XEN 24 Hours - dress code black and white (AWW 30)

The dials with numbers only for 1 3 5 ... 23 are quiet popular. This is also the typical Raketa main dial. I have several watches with marker instead of 24 and wearing them I haven't even thought that it can be a readability problem.

 

[francis 24/24]

Re: XEN 24 Hours - dress code black and white (AWW 30)

Years ago, I was in shop, ready to buy one of these, but I noticed that the hands were seriously misaligned. I knew it could be easily fixed, but
I was not willing to have a brand new watch opened, and I didn't buy it. At the price you paid, I probably have reacted differently !
As for the new model, which has a more nowadays size, I would be tempted, but it's got this silly (for me) design of having only 4 digits displaid.
Although I've been wearing 24-hour watches for years, with so few digits, I'd have to count to figure out the hour. (I might buy one and add, by hand, myself, the desired digits, as I did for one Lip, but the result is ... hum, well definitely not a dress watch anymore ).
Again, talking for myself, I consider every other digit the best dial, no need to count, and enough room for larger digits and better readability.
Congratulations for the Xen, a very nice watch indeed !