Olto-8 Infinity II Review
Olto-8 has made an “interesting” addition to the steady stream of crowdfunded watches. The Infinity II boasts a striking multi-layered dial and is available in a series of vibrant colors. But, is it worth buying, or considering?
Design and aesthetics
Olto-8 Infinity II Colors
The Infinity II emphasizes design. The case is a square with rounded edges. For most models, it has a ceramic coating, which aims to increase durability This is available for the green and white models. The blue and black models have PVD coating. In my green model, this creates a matte finish. The matte finish is attractive. But, it does not always sit well with the dial, which features bright and vibrant colours: there is a contrast in tone and hue.
The dial is interesting but not especially legible. The hour markers are in the top half of the dial. The minute hand moves much like it normally would. The second hand has an interesting design: It has three “hands”. Though, in essence, this is an aesthetic change to the second hand look.
The hands all have different designs. The hour hand has two ends to it, both of which have broad arrow heads. The minute hand is significantly longer. It is a completely different design and is partially nested within a circle. The second hand, as indicated, has three points to it. The hands function as noticably different layers.
The dial is somewhat skeletonized. It is possible to see part of the movement. But, it is not entirely possible to see the movement.
The dial has some issues. First, legibility is a problem. It is quite difficult to make out the different hands without staring closely. The dial is busy. In some ways it looks a little too fussy and somewhat over the top. It will not be to everyone’s taste. Second, some of the colors do not work together. The matte green case does not flow with the vibrant colours in the dial. The colours are of a different hue. Olto-8 definitely deserves credit for trying a new eye-catching design, but, to my mind, future iterations could address some of these issues.
Movement and specifications
The movement is a slightly reconfigured Miyota 82S5. It has 21 jewels and 42 hours power reserve. The movement has been customized to allow for the semi-circular dial design. In essence, this appears to involve configuring the movement to work as a 24 hour dial, with 12 hours in the upper half of the dial.
The Infinity II has some additional interesting traits. The case is 316L stainless steel. The case has a ceramic Ceracote coating (on the white and green versions) and a PVD coating (on the blue and black versions). It is nice to see smaller manufacturers using interesting materials. The case is also water resistant to 5ATM (i.e., 50 meters). This compares favorably with other watches.
Packaging
Pretty packaging is always nice to have. However, pretty packaging neither makes nor breaks a watch. Tere, the packaging is pleasant. The box is an attractive dark green. It has pleasant gold lettering on the box.
Inside the box, the watch is recessed within a firm foam alcove. The packaging also comes with a warranty notification card. This then contains a QR code to refer people to an online instruction manual. This makes sense commercially: printing and shipping manuals can be expensive. The packaging is pleasant overall. It is relatively unremarkable. But, it is professional and competent. It is perfectly adequate for the watch.
Overall thoughts
The Olto-8 Infinity II is a striking and interesting watch. The design will not be to everyone’s taste. It can be a little busy and fussy. Legibility is sometimes difficult. But, if legibility is not a concern it can ben aesthetially interesting. Olto-8 also deserves credit for trying something new: reconfiguring a movement, using interesting materials, and creating a multi-layered dial design. If one is looking for an avant-garde styled watch, the Olto-8 Infinity II is certainly worth considering.