A few years ago, many believed smartwatches would cause another Swiss watch industry Quartz Crisis. We now know that things have gone differently, and, given the amount of interest in mechanical watches from a new generation, the result has been quite the contrary. Many watch collectors that I know own one of more smartwatches, and most of them collect dust in a drawer as the novelty has worn off.

While all the functions and different dials sound appealing at first, you soon find yourself stuck on one dial layout/design, get slowly annoyed by all the notifications interrupting your train of thought, and things really go downhill when you discover that you forgot to charge it. You switch to another watch (likely mechanical), and the smartwatch plays second fiddle from there on, only taken out when you exercise.

At least, that is what happens with me.

Sequent Supercharger smartwatch on the wrist

The Sequent way

I have written about a smartwatch before on Quill & Pad, the Montblanc Summit 3, so how are Sequent watches different? For a start, Harry Guhl is one of the driving forces behind the brand. Guhl is one of the founders and chairman of Czapek, a brand very much dedicated to perpetuating the art of mechanical watchmaking. When a man like Guhl considers a smartwatch worthy of his time and resources, something special is going on.

Instead of going head-to-head with the leading smartwatch producers in the world, Sequent follows a different path. Their train of thought is rooted in the history of Swiss watchmaking and in the line of the natural evolution of things, going from manual mechanical watches to automatic ones, then electric and quartz, and now to a new form.

I wouldn’t call the Sequent models smartwatches, as the experience they offer is closer to that of an auto-quartz with additional complications. They won’t dazzle you with functions and notifications – they don’t even have a date – but they do offer other well-appreciated conveniences in a package that I found highly pleasing.

Getting into Sequent

Three aspects play an essential part in the experience of the Sequent. The first is the analog display and the fact that the functions can be read straight from the dial. Sequent offers a very intuitive app, but even if you don’t use the app you still have a fully functional watch.

Sequent Supercharger smartwatch

The secret behind this can be found on the double scale located at the lower part of the dial. The left side can display the power reserve, the oxygen level in your blood, and (by default) your progress on the step counter.

The right side is primarily used to indicate your heart rate. Accessing these functions is through a very intuitive system of pressing the two pushers or the crown, with a light at twelve o’clock confirming your actions. While I wasn’t too sure about this light function, I started to appreciate it, as it gives you the confirmation you desire, but also because it is a type of indicator that is uncommon in mechanical watchmaking.

Back of the Sequent Supercharger smartwatch

The second aspect differentiating Sequent is on the back. Sequent developed its own movement, including a Tungsten oscillating weight that plays an essential role in harvesting kinetic energy and converting into electricity. The rotor runs over a multi-polar magnet, the black ring visible underneath the oscillating weight, creating a moving magnetic field which is then converted into electricity to power the watch. This whole system consists of only 8 mechanical parts.

It’s a great concept, but Sequent also made it look like the engine of a Star Wars spaceship, aided by the sensory bank placed in the middle. This is also exceptional because Sequent developed a movement shaped like a donut to make room for the sensors that they fit in the hole in the middle.

The third and final piece of the puzzle is the case. Crafted from titanium or stainless steel, it has a design and finish that can easily rival that of (far) more expensive watches. Because Sequent doesn’t use a screen and makes its own movement, they have also been able to keep the dimensions in check.

The diameter is 42 mm with a thickness of 14 mm. The clever design makes the case look slimmer than this, and on the wrist, it wears roughly the same as, say an Omega Seamaster 300M Professional.

This is something about which Adrian Buchmann was particularly adamant about. Although he has the title as CEO of Sequent, he is much more. His mother worked in the watchmaking school in Le Locle, which means that he literally grew up amongst horological gears and movements. Trained in both the technical and the design side of the industry, Buchmann’s career includes working at high-end movement supplier Chronode, as well as being head of design for Christopher Ward.

Buchmann loves product development, and this shows when you look at the first Sequent, which was crowd-funded in 2017. For Sequent’s latest generation of watches, the concept is the same, but the increased refinement is staggering. Form and function need to exist in synergy in the world of Buchmann and he goes the extra mile to achieve that.

Hands-on with a Sequent

I know from experience that the world’s greatest watches don’t necessarily make for the most pleasurable experience. For Sequent, on the wrist is where they really excel. The short lugs and modest case size make it comfortable on the wrist, aided by a selection of nice bracelets fitted with an original buckle. The case looks good on the wrist, all angles are pleasing, just like with a fine mechanical watch.

Sequent Electron smartwatch

While I occasionally consulted the app, I enjoyed the fact that I could do without it if I wanted to. The Sequent offers smartwatch capabilities in an offline setting. With the intuitive pushers, I could keep track of my heart rate, activate sport mode, and measure my blood oxygen levels.

The power reserve can be tracked this way and, even though I frequently used the various functions, it never even came close to running out. Buchmann explained that he and his team are very focused on keeping the energy consumption as low as possible. Currently, a Sequent needs less energy a day than a 10W LED lightbulb consumes in 1/8th of a second. Quite an achievement while offering a precision of 0.3 seconds a day.

If you don’t wear the watch for 24 hours, it goes dormant, a state in which it can stay for 12 months on a full battery. The moment you touch it, it comes back alive and at the correct time as if nothing happened.

On the left side of the case, there is a charging port that fits on a supplied charger. While nicely designed, I only used it once to test it, but otherwise just wearing the watches from time to time was enough to keep it fully powered.

One satisfying thing was the oscillating weight, as you could sometimes feel it move over the magnet, creating something that greatly resembles the well-known wobble of the ETA/Valjoux 7750. I urge Sequent to not filter this experience out, as it provided that undeniable mechanical watch experience in a way no other ‘smartwatch’ can.

It was also one of the aspects, that made me feel connected in an emotional sense with the Sequent, something which is quite unheard of with this type of watch. The only thing I didn’t try was sleep monitoring, but that’s because I am not fond of sleeping with a watch on.

Sequent buckle and strap

Elektron vs SuperCharger

Sequent offers quite a large variety of models and I tested the Elekton and the SuperCharger. Both feature the same technology but deliver it in different packaging. The Elektron has a case made out of titanium, making it 15 grams lighter than the 70-gram stainless steel case of the Supercharger, and features a slightly darker hue.

Sequent Electron smartwatch

The dial is transparent and blue, although other colors are also available.

Sequent Supercharger smartwatch lume

It gives you an insight into the technology underneath it. The milled blocks of Super-Luminova form the hour markers are stunning. They glow up in a sensational way while adding depth to the dial.

Sequent Supercharger smartwatch on the wrist

The SuperCharger is more straightforward, both because of its stainless steel case and its more traditional dial, which is a dynamic mix of black and white. The hour markers are also crafted in a classic way, with applied indexes filled Super-Luminova. A small hole underneath the twelve o’clock allows the visual signals of the led-lights, but is hardly noticeable otherwise.

While I was, and still am, greatly drawn to the Elektron, the SuperCharger made its impact in a different way. It is more of a classic watch, very under the radar, yet its sophisticated design and added complications make it a pleasure to wear.

As Sequent was kind enough to let me test these watches for more than a month, I could really discover what they would do for me as a die-hard watch enthusiast. Surprisingly, they both entered my weekly rotation, as you can put them down and pick them up without having to worry about power reserve.

Sequent Supercharger smartwatch

The additional functions were useful, and I particularly liked the continuous measuring of my heart rate when in sport mode. The fact that you don’t have to use the app, and that the look and feel, including that of the oscillating weight, are so similar to that of a mechanical watch made me feel connected with these Sequent’s and quite eager to learn what Sequent has in store for the future.

For more information, please visit https://sequentworld.com/

Quick Facts Sequent Elektron 2.3 & SuperCharger 2.3
Case: 42 x 14.20 mm, titanium (Elektron) or stainless steel (SuperCharger)
Movement: in-house self-charging mechatronic caliber with tungsten oscilating weight, sensors for heart rate and blood oxygen, +/- 0.3 seconds a day precision, 12-month power reserve,
Functions: hours, minutes; activity tracking (steps, distance, calories), heart rate monitor, blood oxygen level monitoring, sleep tracking, sport tracking with connected e-GPS (requires phone), power reserve indicator
App: iOS and Android compatible
Price: €680,95 (stainless steel SuperCharger 2.3) €785,95 (titanium Elektron 2.3)

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