Micromilspec And Black Badger Team Up For The Adventurous Broken Hour
Early last year, Micromilspec teamed up with James Thompson, aka Black Badger, to release the Micromilspec Milgraph Sabotage Edition. The fun take on the Milgraph came with a story and a healthy dose of luminescent power, as we are used to seeing from Thompson. Accompanying the release was an animated setting known as The Time Universe, where a charming space pirate named Black Badger is the main character. For their second collaboration, the two parties developed a new story set in the same universe. The result is a whimsical take on the Micromilspec Dualtimer — the Broken Time. And as it turns out, broken time may just be Black Badger’s only way home. Let’s find out more!
At first glance, the Micromilspec × Black Badger Broken Hour looks like it didn’t survive a thrilling adventure. But in the character Black Badger’s world, this might indeed be the answer to unlocking the next chapter in his story. One glance at the Broken Hour, and you will see that the hour hand is fractured, the GMT hand is damaged, and the date window has been blasted wide open. They are clues related to the story that comes with the watch. It’s a story that was developed before the real-life Broken Hour watch was created. If you want the full thing, it’s available in a fully realized 12-page printed comic book that explains what happened to the watch. How can you get your hands on the comic book? For that to happen, you will have to buy the watch.
The story of the Micromilspec × Black Badger Broken Hour
It’s not surprising that the story was created before the physical watch. After all, the first watch that Micromilspec and Black Badger created was in the Black Badger character’s adventurous universe. As I explained in the introduction article for the Micromilspec Milgraph Sabotage Edition, its story was built around a light-hearted jab at the world of watches. The Black Badger’s universe is full of bad decisions, awkward escapes, and trouble with authority.
As Micromilspec founder Henrik Rye explains, “In this universe, time is not just something you measure. It can be stolen, corrupted, controlled, and, eventually, broken.” This storyline gave the team a different way into the design. As a result, the Broken Hour is still a capable GMT, but it also feels like part of the story. The watch looks like something repaired, repurposed, and still ticking after the original plan went awry. Also, the watch visually links to the story with its orange accents and slightly unhinged Black Badger logic. We saw this in the previous release as well.
The details of the Broken Hour
So, let’s zoom in on the watch. The Micromilspec × Black Badger Broken Hour is a fun take on the Micromilspec Dualtimer. But thanks to a different bezel, it feels visually closer to the brand’s brilliant Milgraph, which I had fun reviewing back in 2024. The Broken Hour features a 42 × 12.5mm microblasted stainless steel case. The watch is water resistant to 200 meters and features a screw-down crown and a QuadGrip dive bezel. One difference from the regular Dualtimer is the presence of a 60-minute dive bezel. As a result of this, the 24-hour scale inhabits an orange chapter ring on the dial.
This ring encircles the crisp white dial, which displays a black minute track and applied hour markers filled with white Super-LumiNova. Notably, the right side of the dial features the “blasted” date window. It also affected the minute and hour markers surrounding the date window without losing its practical function. More details that tell the story are the “broken” hour and GMT hands. Their shapes are also a result of the blast. However, both still function properly, indicating the hours in the wearer’s location and another time zone.
On the left side of the dial, you will find the branding that we’ve come to know from Micromilspec. Rounding out the package is an orange rubber strap with a microblasted steel buckle or a matching microblasted stainless steel bracelet. I love the look of the sturdy rubber strap, though, as it’s part of the story and creates a distinct look.
Sellita inside
Powering the watch is the Sellita SW330-2. This automatic GMT caliber operates at 28,800 vph and offers a 56-hour power reserve. As most of you will know, this is a caller-style GMT movement that lets you independently adjust the 24-hour hand. I own a watch powered by the caliber, and it has proven very reliable and easy to use, despite it not being a much-desired flyer-style GMT. The movement lies hidden behind a special case back that also reveals part of Black Badger’s next adventure.
Final thoughts on the new Micromilspec × Black Badger Broken Hour
All the little details that make this watch a whimsical take on the Dualtimer are more than just fun visual cues. They are a physical part of the Broken Hours story. As mentioned, it is presented in a 12-page printed comic book that comes with the watch. Consequently, the comic is not merely a nice bonus that comes with the watch; rather, it’s the reason the watch became what it is today. The story was illustrated by Norwegian comic artist Henri, with story development by Micromilspec and character creation by James Thompson.
Overall, I love this new chapter of the Black Badger character’s story. It’s not just a watch but also a true collector’s item for Black Badger and Micromilspec fans. As a fan of comics, I support this unique project wholeheartedly. On top of that, I hope we will see a lot more adventures added to this universe.
For now, the Micromilspec × Black Badger Broken Hour is the perfect second part of the story. The watch will be available through a one-time 24-hour sales window, opening on May 29th at 18:00 CEST and closing on May 30th at the same time on the official Micromilspec website. On a rubber strap, the Broken Hour will cost US$1,950, and on the microblasted stainless steel bracelet, it will retail for US$2,200.
If you are interested, you can sign up now on the official product page to be notified when the sales window opens. All orders placed during the sales window will be honored. Once it closes, the Broken Hour will never be offered or produced again.
