There is no shortage of new watch brands offering timepieces under a thousand dollars. The quality of these watches is now at a level once thought impossible at such a price. However, one unfortunate side effect of being presented with so many quality options is that it has become rather easy for consumers, enthusiasts, and writers alike to discount any new brands to the field. Many credit their efforts to manufacturing gains made by the numerous manufacturing companies worldwide and dismiss their hard work.
Selten, is different. Selten has something that almost none of the new or established brands have or have never possessed. This is the essence of pedigree and drawing from generations of relevant experience to bring something special to the market. Selten not only does this through its founder, Leonardo Tsai, whose family has been expertly crafting dials, but also with his wife, Kristine Lam, founder of the leather company HasNoBounds, who has vast experience in leather and textile works. Mrs. Lam’s efforts are so good that she single-handedly won the best straps and watch storage categories in our best-of-the-year list in 2024.
After handling many prototypes by Selten in September of last year, I came to own a copy of their M1 with their staggeringly beautiful meteorite dial. Initially, I was drawn to the Aventurine dial due to its natural cosmic characteristics. The Musou Black and Guilloche Mother-of-Pearl dials had received much fanfare, but ultimately, I went with the meteorite dial. My ownership experience of the Selten M1 has been linear, without any hiccups or moments of regret. This timepiece exudes charm and has won me over, as well as everyone who passes by and manages to catch a glimpse of it while on my wrist.
On the Wrist
Formal dress timepieces come in many archetypes, and the M1 comfortably fits within the “automatic with a set of complications” designation. The character of these watches typically relays an appreciation for traditional watchmaking, while the added thickness from the automatic module skews their character towards slightly sporting. The M1 cements itself in the dress category with a finely detailed case, which balances the additional visual weight. This makes the M1 an ideal companion for anyone who works in a formal setting or always presents themselves with their best foot forward. This is a timepiece that you can turn to whenever you require an outfit to be upgraded.
The modified Miyota 9015 automatic omits the seconds hand in place for a 59-tooth gear assembly for the moon phase. This results in an aura of calm and a harkening to traditional watchmaking in which moon phases were preferred, and yet movements were not accurate enough to include seconds hands. To read more about this period of watchmaking, we highly recommend reading Hands of Time by Dr. Rebecca Struthers, and my review of the book is here. Still, there are a couple of quirks about this movement.
First, there is no real way for a person who does not own a timegrapher to know how accurate their timepiece is. Second, to set the watch correctly, one would have to advance the time to midnight for the to-date change with the watch elevated to their ears to hear the moon phase advance. Other than that, my watch, from an anecdotal standpoint, has proven reliable enough and a joy to operate.
Selten M1 Moonphase Specs | |
Case Width 39mm | Lug-to-Lug 45.5mm |
Case Thickness 11.4mm | Lug Width 20mm |
Water Resistance 50m | Strap Bracelet or Strap |
Crystal Sapphire | Lume None |
Movement Miyota 9015 (Modified) | Price $849-999 |
The Dial
Mr. Tsai makes it no secret that dials are his specialty, and he dramatically adores Kari Voutilainen and Heinrich Moser. While Selten’s first foray into the marketplace focused on the former, the M1 resembles a Moser Endeavour from all viewing angles and distances. In fact, throughout my ownership of this piece, many enthusiasts, some alarmingly from strangers in public, approached me to congratulate me on my Moser while I was wearing the M1. Selten is a very young brand, and I would love to see what an original design could be in their hands.
The Muonionalusta Meteorite dial offers an interesting and worthwhile wearing experience. Named after the Muonio River in Sweden, this dial hails from a meteor impact from 1 million BCE. There are traces of the rare element stishovite, which, without a lab, is indiscernible from quartz. Such a meteorite dial is fascinating, for it is thought to have been from an iron core from a failed planetary body in our solar system. Furthermore, its gorgeous presentation resulted from the immense impact, and in this form, it has seen multiple ice ages before making it onto your wrist. The prevalence and availability of “stone” dials have risen over the last couple of years, but like everything, not all stone dials are equal in quality. Having handled the other dial variants in person, I can say with the utmost confidence that if you decide to purchase an M1, you will get the best dials of their type below $10,000.
The multifaceted hands and their finishing should give you a glimpse into the level of attention that Mr. Tsai has put into the M1. They are flawless under a very high-powered loupe, as is the chapter ring in which the Selten name resides at the six o’clock position. Legibility was never an issue, and the lack of luminescent paint on the hands or dial was never missed, for the hands effortlessly reflected light to the wearer’s eyes.
Case, Bracelets, and Strap
While the dial of the M1 will get most of the attention, in my many weeks with the timepiece, the case has been the standout aspect of the watch. We’ll start with an obscure touch, but an important one, for it speaks to the level of detail Mr. Tsai poured into this watch. These elements elevate this watch above skeptics’ criticisms of it being a watch that simply copies Moser. Most of the underside of the case is covered with the caseback, but Selten decided to hand-finish it with a perlage pattern. That’s right, Mr. Tsai has somehow managed to incorporate hand finishing into a watch at this price range. This tiny sliver of hand finishing is only visible if a bracelet is not attached.
The greatest joy in mechanical watches is when a high degree of attention is given to the most minor details. This small detail speaks to Selten as a serious brand worth investing in. This is what makes us love these magical little machines. If you, dear reader, are a serious watch collector, you owe it to yourself to handle or add a Selten to your collection.
Second, the M1 comes with two sets of lug holes. One set is to accommodate straight spring bars, and one is for curved. All M1s also come with a beautiful leather strap from HasNoBounds, and the watch’s character instantly changes when put on one of these straps. Again, the quality of these straps is second to none, and both of the available bracelets match them. The fit and finish of the stitching and consistency of the leather will result in an absolute treat each time you attach it to the M1.
This is where the M1 achieves its versatility, quickly making it the best dress watch for this price bracket. While on either of its bracelets, the M1 has a sporty flair, which makes it an ideal choice for more casual environments. The M1 is transformed into a stunning dress watch suited for black-tie events when worn with the black leather strap. I am fortunate to own a grey HasNoBounds strap, also pictured on the M1. Dress watches had once fallen out of favor, for consumers could not find enough occasions to wear them. The M1 resolves this with its highly detailed design and innate versatility when paired with the appropriate strap or bracelet.
Third, Selten offers the M1 with a standard bracelet or one which has an extension mechanism. The former uses a traditional “butterfly” clasp, while the latter is spring-loaded and larger as a result. The links that include the Selten logo are also finished differently. The standard bracelet is polished, while it is brushed on the more complicated bracelet. The latter could be your obvious answer, depending on how much your wrist swells throughout the day. The standard bracelet uses pins and collars for sizing, so visiting a watchmaker or using a specific tool such as a Burgeon 8745 would be advised. This system is used by many watch companies, including Patek Phillipe, for their thinner bracelets, for they do not need to sacrifice the integrity of the screw-head. Pins and sleeves/collars benefit these applications, though some may bemoan the extra effort required to resize them. If you are decidedly opposed to pins and sleeves, the upgraded bracelet is well worth it. This bracelet option utilizes high-quality screws that, in my time, did not require any Loctite to be secure. I am fortunate to have both bracelet options and even more lucky that I was able to find a perfect fit with both.
Fourth, the signed crown of the M1 is one of the most comfortable crowns to wind manually. This again speaks to Mr. Tsai’s eye for detail. Honestly, this alone made me, on occasion, wish for this watch not to be an automatic and force me to wind it every morning. In this case, one would lose the bespoke Selten automatic rotor, which would be unfortunate, for it is quite beautiful. The crown itself has multiple finishes, which makes the logo seemingly levitate.
Fifth, those contoured lugs are soldered on, not machined. One would expect this from Breguet, not a sub-one-thousand-dollar watch. The tolerances are remarkable, highlighting the stepped sides of the case and the heavily upwardly curved caseback. This is not a typical watch case. Owning an M1 in your collection will make many more expensive watches look unimaginative and lazy.
Final Thoughts
The Selten M1 uses exquisite materials and combines them with hand-finishing and manufacturing methods that are unheard of at this price. The overall design and proportions are perfect. Nothing here leaves itself open to criticism. When you choose the M1 as a companion, you will feel like you are wearing something special.
The M1 is the perfect modern interpretation of a dress watch, equally suited for the boardroom or a cocktail party. I have seen this watch on many wrists, and it has not looked out of place on any of them or any occasion.
What excites me the most about the M1 is seeing where Mr. Tsai goes next. His expertise and eye for detail lead the industry in this price range. While the writer in me applauds Selten for the M1, the enthusiast in me is curious to see what they can do with an original design. While established brands such as Tudor or Longines may not be concerned by an upcoming brand such as Selten, others should be sounding the alarms. Brands such as Nomos and Oris do not have the design and manufacturing pedigree to stay ahead of Selten, especially if Selten ever releases a watch without inspiration from another design. The next few years could be very interesting in this space. Over the last half-decade, many more prominent traditional brands upgraded manufacturing in response to smaller brands. I have written about this here multiple times, but this is different. This signifies a potential fork in the road and a very interesting time to be someone who follows the watch industry.
Well done, Selten. We cannot wait to see what you have for us next.
Check out more dress watch reviews at The Watch Clicker here
Check out the Selten website here
