I have seen plenty of unusual watch designs over the years, but the SLOMO Glance caught me off guard. Not because it is loud or covered in unnecessary details, but because it approaches something as familiar as reading the time from a completely different angle. And once I understood the concept, I couldn’t help wondering how nobody had thought of approaching time this way before. Naturally, I wanted to get it on my own wrist and see how this unusual idea works in everyday life.

Before I get into the details, a small disclaimer. The SLOMO Glance was kindly sent to me by the brand as a loaner, giving me the opportunity to spend more than two months with it before sending it back. I’m genuinely grateful for the trust and for having the chance to get to know this rather unusual watch properly. This isn’t a paid review, and as always, what follows is based entirely on my own experience and honest opinions.

Now that we have that out of the way, let’s talk a little about the brand behind the watch.

SLOMO is a young independent brand from Canada, founded by Benjamin Moyle, an art director who became frustrated with how busy and cluttered watch dials can sometimes be. That frustration eventually led him to rethink one of the most familiar elements of watch design: the traditional 1–12 hour layout. The result was the Glance, featuring a radial dial that gives each hour its own space while keeping time surprisingly easy to read.

Ben is still personally involved in sketching and developing the designs, bringing his background in visual communication and art direction into the world of watchmaking. The brand launched independently through Kickstarter in late 2025, combining Canadian design thinking with Japanese automatic movements.

Let’s see our Hero

The watch arrived in a rather cool package. The box itself is split into two sides that you slide apart, revealing an inner graphic with a stretched-out “O” and, tucked inside, a small note that reads, “Hurry Up and Slow Down.” It’s a small detail, but I really like this kind of creativity. When a brand puts thought into the packaging itself, it already gives you a little idea of what to expect from what’s inside.

Opening the box, we finally meet our Hero. The version I have here is the brown-dialled one, although SLOMO also offers the Glance with blue and green versions. I have to admit that brown isn’t usually my favourite colour when it comes to watches, but here it really works. It is a beautiful, warm shade that gives the watch a slightly softer character.

The dial itself is divided into sections, with each hour getting its own dedicated space and an applied numeral sitting neatly within it. And this is where things get really interesting.

The Arabic numerals are shifted into the space occupied by each individual hour. So, when the hour hand is anywhere within that section, you immediately know which hour you’re in. It sounds simple and it is incredibly intuitive and makes the watch very easy to read. In fact, I would say this is probably one of the most instantly legible watches I’ve had on my wrist.

Normally, the position of a numeral or marker tells you where an hour begins. Here, the numeral represents the whole hour instead. And that’s really the clever part of the Glance. You don’t need to stop and think about what you’re looking at. You simply glance at the watch and read it.

Which, of course, brings us nicely to the name Glance. It couldn’t really be more fitting for this particular design.

Then there are the hands, which the brand calls its “Clear-View Hands”. They are skeletonized, allowing you to see the hour markers underneath rather than having them completely covered as the hands move across the dial. It’s a small but very thoughtful addition, and one that ties the whole concept together rather nicely.

Rather than using a traditional seconds hand, the watch features a stylized “O” that slowly spins around the dial. It’s a nice little touch that fits perfectly with the philosophy behind the design—a subtle reminder to slow down and enjoy the moment.

Add to this the BGW9 3D lume blocks, and you also get surprisingly good visibility in low-light conditions. The lume gives the hour markers a nice glow without taking anything away from the clean look of the dial, while the open hands continue to do their job of keeping the numerals visible.

The case and the movement

Moving on to the case, the Glance measures 39mm in diameter, 46mm lug to lug and 11mm in thickness. For me, that’s a very comfortable size, and the proportions work particularly well with the overall design of the watch.

The stainless steel case is fully brushed, and the finishing is really well executed. It’s clean and consistent, without trying to do too much. Along the sides of the case, you’ll find a series of milled slots that add another interesting detail to the design. They give the otherwise fairly clean case a bit more character when you look at it from the side.

Then we get to the lugs, and this is where things get even more interesting. They taper down nicely towards the wrist, which helps with comfort, but they are also skeletonized. Now, how cool is that?

I know some people aren’t particularly fond of seeing their wrist underneath the watch, but personally, I really like this addition. It’s another relatively unusual design element on a watch that is already pretty unique, and it gives the case a bit of extra personality without feeling like it’s there just for the sake of being different.

Powering the Glance is the reliable Miyota 9039, a premium Japanese automatic movement that has become a popular choice for good reason. It runs at 28,800 vibrations per hour, offers a 42-hour power reserve and has a stated accuracy range of -10 to +30 seconds per day.

One of the things I particularly like about the 9039 here is its relatively slim profile. That helps SLOMO keep the overall thickness of the watch down, which is important for a design like this. You get an automatic movement without ending up with a chunky case.

I also think it is a very sensible choice for this model. The 9039 is a proven movement with a solid reputation, while using something like this also helps keep the final price from getting out of hand. For a young independent brand, spending the money where it matters most, the design, case and finishing while using a reliable movement underneath makes a lot of sense.

The bracelet and wearing experience

The watch arrives on an O-link bracelet, and it complements the case really well. It feels solid and well made, with a good amount of weight to it. The bracelet comes in a separate compartment inside the box, so you will need to attach it to the watch yourself. Thankfully, the quick-release pins make this a straightforward job.

Sizing it to your wrist is a little more difficult, though. The links use a double-sided screw system, meaning you need two screwdrivers to remove them. One holds the screw in place on one side while you turn the other from the opposite side. SLOMO includes the required screwdrivers in the package, which is a thoughtful addition.

The downside is that this setup can be quite easy to slip with, potentially leaving a scratch on the bracelet. If you’re not confident removing links yourself or simply don’t have much experience with this kind of system, I’d leave it to a watchmaker. It’s better to have someone with the right tools and experience do it than risk marking up the bracelet.

Once sized, though, the clasp is excellent. It features an on-the-fly micro-adjustment system, so you can fine-tune the fit without any tools. I love having this option on a bracelet, and it works like a charm.

On my 17cm wrist, the Glance sits comfortably and feels very natural to wear. I had no issues wearing it throughout the day, and the proportions work really well for me. The bracelet does have a fairly structured feel, though, as the links don’t have a huge amount of flexibility. On my wrist that wasn’t an issue at all, but I can imagine that on a significantly smaller wrist, the fit might feel a little different. It’s only a small side note, but I think it’s worth mentioning when considering how the bracelet will wear on different wrist sizes.

Final thoughts

So, after spending some proper time with the SLOMO Glance, what do I think? Well, I really like what Ben has done here. The dial is obviously the main attraction, but for me it works because it isn’t just unusual for the sake of being unusual. It actually makes reading the time incredibly simple, and after wearing it for a while, the layout starts to feel completely natural.

There are also plenty of little details that keep the watch interesting. The skeletonized lugs, the Clear-View Hands, the lume and those small details on the case all add something to the overall design without making it feel too busy.

I also like the fact that SLOMO hasn’t gone overboard with the specifications just for the sake of it. The Miyota 9039 is a solid and sensible choice, the dimensions work well on my wrist, and the bracelet is comfortable and well made.

Overall, I think this is a really good package. If I had to point at one area that could use a little refinement, it would be the bracelet and the way the links are sized. It’s not a deal-breaker for me at all, but improving that part would make an already well thought-out watch even better.

For me, that’s probably the biggest compliment I can give the Glance. It is a watch that looks quite different when you first see it, but once you actually spend some time wearing it, the design starts to make a lot of sense. And honestly, that’s what I want from a watch. Give me something I haven’t seen a hundred times before, but make sure I can still enjoy wearing it every day.

SLOMO has definitely achieved that with the Glance.

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Specifications:

• Case: Stainless steel
• Size: 39mm diameter, 46mm lug to lug with 11mm thickness
• Dial: Radial dial with applied Arabic numerals
• Crystal: Sapphire
• Movement: Miyota 9039 automatic
• Bracelet: O-link stainless steel bracelet, with on-the-fly micro-adjustment
• Water resistance: 10atm, 100m
• Price: 685 Euro

Link to the watch:

https://slomowatches.com/collections/all