Get “Tunnel Vision” With The New Amida Digitrend OSII Black

The Amida Digitrend is one of those out-of-the-box watches that always gets me. The combination of its unconventional shape, prism display, and jump-hour complication makes it unlike any other watch. That was already true of the 1976 original Amida Digitrend. Designer Matthieu Allègre and Depancel founder Clément Meynier relaunched the Digitrend in 2024 and tried to take the concept even further. Last year’s Open Sapphire, featuring a sapphire hood, is one of my favorite versions. This time, for the OSII, they looked more at the Digitrend’s internals and added a roll cage and lume, so you can still read the time when you drive into a tunnel.

In only two years, Matthieu and Clément have already presented several versions of the Amida Digitrend. In the year of the reintroduction, they also released black and gold versions. Then, there was the Open Sapphire I already mentioned, and just a few months ago, there was a NASA edition in black and white ceramic. Let’s take a look at what’s new for the Amida Digitrend OSII Black.

The Amida Digitrend OSII Black

In terms of dimensions, nothing has changed. The Amida Digitrend still has a 39.6 × 39mm case with a 15.6mm maximum thickness. That sounds more like a matchbox on your wrist, but thanks to the short lug span and the case’s curvature, it actually wears very well on wrists of many sizes. The Digitrend OSII’s case features a 50m water resistance rating, a push-pull crown, and a sapphire top that allows for a peek inside. This time, there’s no sapphire window in the case back, but it does mention each watch’s specific number out of 150 pieces in total.

Powering the Amida Digitrend OSII Black is the Swiss-made Soprod Newton P024 automatic movement. It runs at 28,800 vph, features 25 jewels, and has a power reserve of 38 hours. On top lies a proprietary nine-piece module for the jumping hours and scrolling minutes. Those discs are placed horizontally, but thanks to the patented Light Reflecting Display (LRD), you get a clear vertical view of both the hours and minutes when your hand is on the steering wheel.

Safety first

So, what’s new for the Amida Digitrend OSII Black? Well, instead of focusing on changes around the outside, the attention went to the internals this time. You can see those clearly through the case’s sapphire hood. First of all, there’s now a roll cage inside the Digitrend, as you would find on a typical two-seater sports car. Two tubes, styled like a big air vent, serve as bridges between the LRD and the back of the watch.

But now we get to the really exciting part. For the first time, the Amida Digitrend features lume. However, it’s not only applied to the numerals but also to the logo and air vent. This looks great through the sapphire hood while improving the readability of the hours and minutes in darker conditions. The new parts in the Digitrend’s interior are black, hence the name OSII Black. This also suggests that other colors might become available in the future. We haven’t seen those yet, though.

The Amida Digitrend OSII Black on the wrist

A watch like the Amida Digitrend never fails to surprise on the wrist, and the OSII Black is no exception. The Digitrend has such an unusual shape that it wears unlike any other watch out there. It’s certainly not the most practical watch if you’re wearing it only to tell time, but who still is these days? This is a great conversation starter and an opportunity to wear something truly distinct.

I love the changes Matthieu and Clément introduced on this new Digitrend OSII Black. The roll cage and air vent make total sense in this watch, as the Digitrend already reminded most people of a sports car anyway. Of course, the addition of lume is very practical, but the nice bonus is that it also looks pretty cool.

I’m also very glad to see that the two guys are going further than simply re-releasing the Amida Digitrend in different colors. They’re honestly looking at how they can make this great watch even better.

The new Amida Digitrend OSII Black is available now on the brand’s website. Be quick, though, because it’s a limited edition of 150 pieces. It costs CHF 5,150 excluding taxes and comes on a charcoal Alcantara strap with an orange calfskin lining.

Let me know in the comments below what you think of the new Amida Digitrend OSII Black.