CIGA Design’s Warmer Take On Its Most Industrial Line — The Hunter Vintage
The Chinese watch brand CIGA Design expands its most industrial line, the Hunter, with warmer tones. New Sand Gold, Rose Gold, and Brown Gold configurations allow the new Hunter Vintage to soften and bring warmth to the collection’s openworked design. The three colorways draw on visuals recalling the grand clock faces of the machine age, when exposed mechanics were celebrated as avant-garde. As with the Hunter Steel, the skeletonized design remains intact. The 43 × 48mm case is still 316L stainless steel, with micro-sandblasted surfaces to add a richer touch to these new warmer tones.
CIGA Design was founded in 2016 and is based in Shenzhen, China. Focusing on original industrial design, it’s one of the very few Chinese brands to gain international recognition for design rather than value. CIGA won the GPHG Challenge Prize in 2021 for the Blue Planet. All of this is to say that we are in front of a name that is very comfortable and experienced in design direction. In this instance, “changing colors” is not a minor step but a calculated upgrade to complement a seriously technical collection. More on that in a bit.
The Hunter lineup grows and expands
CIGA Design offers an impressive collection of Hunter variants. The Hunter Titanium comes in Blue, Carbon, and Silver configurations. Case material is obviously the main character here. Meanwhile, the Hunter Tourbillon keeps the same configurations but flexes its technical capabilities. Housing the CD-011 caliber equipped with a skeleton tourbillon and twin barrels, it offers more to look at and talk about. The Hunter Vintage is about balance through aesthetics. It’s the first warm-toned Hunter line, with Sand Gold, Rose Gold, and Brown Gold colorways.
These colors are not randomly chosen. This is a throwback and homage to machine-age clocks, known and celebrated for their avant-garde exposed mechanics. These new configurations let the Hunter collection get closer to the wearer. The previous palette was one of precision and edge; this new one is for versatility, self-expression, and warmth that encourages you not to be intimidated by the industrial and architectural face.
The Vintage line isn’t “nostalgic”; it just has a more approachable personality now. CIGA is not going back to the past here or making that tacky move of aging the watch to look, well, vintage. Because the design is modern, the form is angular and heavy, and the technical aspects are impressive.
An industrial project with charm
The Hunter Vintage features a 43 × 48mm lugless 316L steel case. Its three-layer design, paired with the grooved crown and curved sapphire crystal, demonstrates why CIGA is known for its design efforts. But since a watch is worn, not just looked at on screens, finishing is crucial. The Hunter Vintage is micro-sandblasted, which perfectly complements the warmer tones. Silver and gold accents pop against the sleek base, and the polished chamfers contrast with the matte surrounding. This allows the skeletonized movement to catch ambient light and accentuates the depth of each part. The H-link bracelet continues the case’s geometry and does not feel like an independent part that CIGA threw in to complete the package. Fashioned from 316L steel, this bracelet is as rugged as the case.
The in-house-developed CD-07 skeletonized automatic movement remains the same, with a 28,800vph (4Hz) frequency, 40-hour power reserve, and 24 jewels. A compact rotor with a 120-degree arc winds the watch efficiently while it swings in full view through the display case back. Swiss Super-LumiNova enhances nighttime legibility and adds lots of charm against the industrial design and new colorways. The skeletonized design extends past the dial and movement to the case and decoration. And since the movement is visible from both sides, these little aesthetic details make it less intimidating.
CIGA Design Hunter Vintage — Thoughts and takeaways
The Hunter Vintage feels much less “cyberpunk” than its predecessors and other configurations. The watches are still as brutalist and industrial as it gets, yet the Vintage pieces are more wearable, versatile, and approachable, especially at such a price point. At US$599, similar to the Hunter Steel, they sit at the most accessible price point in the collection. The new configurations allow the Hunter to oscillate between loud and expressive and tailored, easy-to-wear, and even warm. The new Vintage line is much more wearer-oriented, even though the only change is color. So again, the Hunter collection is a serious collection of watches. Now collectors will actually get to enjoy it daily.
Would you wear this new softer take on the CIGA Design Hunter? Do you think the Vintage line does what it was designed to do? Does it really offer “warmth” to a cold industrial design? Dear friends, let’s chat in the comments section below!
