Editor’s note: Just need a quick watch fix? This preview of the new Alexander Shorokhoff Crazy Balls is a GET TO THE POINT (GTTP) review with all the info you want /need to know QUICK. This is not a sponsored post. For our detailed hands-on reviews, please head to our dedicated reviews section here.
What is it: The new Alexander Shorokhoff Crazy Balls comes in two colour variants — ref. AS.CB01-1 (silver dial) and ref. AS.CB01-2 (rose-gold dial) — and is a 50m water-resistant brushed and polished stainless steel cased timepiece measuring 39mm x 10.6mm with a 20mm lug interhorn spacing.
Why: As part of the brands’s 30th anniversary celebrations, after the Alexander Shorokhoff Crazy Eyes from 2021 — which was dedicated to Gustav Klimt — now comes yet another avant-garde masterstroke, the new Alexander Shorokhoff Crazy Balls. Before you get your mind in the gutter, the watch boasts of a sports ball and globe and other circular colourful enamelled objects on the dial
When released: Announced on 13th July 2022 as a limited edition release of only 88-pieces per colour
Where: As with all Alexander Shorokhoff watches, preorder directly from their website here with pre-payment of 346€ incl. VAT. The deliveries start in September when the remainder amount from the total 1730€ incl. VAT would be required
Who is it for: For anyone who likes to live in an eclectic world where art and horology intermix with unbridled fun. Plus, for anyone immature like me to say that the watch I am wearing is called Crazy Balls
How does it do: Off the bat, it’s not your everyday timepiece. The thing I like about Alexander Shorokhoff is that their watch designs are out there, different and avant-garde. Even the nomenclature can be very interesting like Crazy Eyes or Balls. But their pricing is not crazy. They make watches for enthusiasts and collectors who would like to walk away from the oft-beaten track but also not feel the burn in their wallets.
As for the design, it’s as fun and colourful as one could want their timepiece to be. From the burst of bright green at 6’o clock housing the date aperture to the shimmering mother-of-pearl at 9, from the bright blue at 12 that complements the blue stingray leather strap to the enthusiastic orange at 3, there is enough dose of life here even for the most morose of individuals to perk up.
Unlike the Alexander Shorokhoff Crazy Eyes that featured the manual winding calibre 3133.AS — which was essentially a Russian Poljot 3133 movement — under the hypnotising dial of the Crazy Balls beats the automatic-winding SW200-1.
The SW200-1 measures 25.60mm in diameter and is 4.6mm in thickness. This self-winding movement features 26 jewels, beats at the frequency of 4Hz (28’800 A/h), and offers a 38-hour power reserve. Nothing extraordinary about it per-say besides being a workhorse movement, but in true Alexander Shorokhoff style, it features a hand-engraved and refined oscillating weight (with blued screws).
The new Alexander Shorokhoff Crazy Balls will be an excellent addition to any collection, one that not only will spark random conversations but also bring a sense of cheerfulness to your wrist.
To find out more about the new Alexander Shorokhoff Crazy Balls and other AS timepieces, please head to their website here. All images unless otherwise specified are ©2022 Copyright Alexander Shorokhoff Uhrenmanufaktur GmbH.
