Vannen Art Watches has just released Season 2 of its artist watch line, featuring four new designs from Bigfoot, Blaine Fontana, Travis Lampe, and Thomas Han. Vannen was kind enough to send us the watch designed by Han, which is a candy-colored gem that we really like! Continue reading for unboxing photos and full review….

Vannen is a fairly new company that has so far released twelve artist-customized watches by some of the biggest names in “lowbrow” contemporary art. All of the watches are limited editions, most running in editions of 500 pieces, but some releases are even more limited; at 40 or 100 pieces depending on the design. The size of the edition dictates the price, with normal 500 piece editions running a solid $65.00.

I must admit, I am a watch man. I have a few more expensive timepieces made of solid steel, so I am used to heavy wrist straps and bulky watch faces. Vannen watches are currently made mostly of lightweight plastic, but with an engraved steel back plate, which features a piece of artwork and the artist’s name, along with the watch design title and the year of creation. This makes the timepiece quite light, and after a while, you can even forget you are wearing it, that is, until someone compliments you on it.

The straps have a decent thickness and are a bit stiff at first, but as you wear the watch, they loosen up and form to your wrist. The outer face of the strap is adorned with a glossy, high-quality print of artwork by the artist, while the back side of the strap features a Vannen pattern and has a ‘fogged’ finish. The generous length of the straps allow for even very thick wrists to wear the watches without modification. Some models have alternate strap designs, and you can purchase replacement straps for all models for only $9.99. This should allow you to keep your watch looking shiny and new for a good while.

Each watch comes packaged in a nice sturdy cardstock box, bubble wrap and a few layers of plastic wrap. You also get an instruction sheet with details on how to set the time. Along with the watch you usually get a Vannen Sticker or two.

Front of the Thomas Han “Pill Finder” watch box and Vannen Sticker.

Backside of the Thomas Han “Pill Finder” watch box and Vannen Sticker.

Lots of protective plastic wrap keeps the watch safe in-transit.

The face of the watch features a high-quality print and 3-hand Japanese quartz mechanism.

The back of the watch features a stainless steel plate engraved with the model information and artwork. This is a very nice touch. The red line in the back plate is part of the protective film applied to the back at the factory. You can remove this with ease.

The straps are glossy and very colorful. Impressive image quality in the strap printing. The closure is lightweight plastic, which might be my only complaint. So far it has held up remarkably well.

The back of the strap has a foggy appearance and a logo pattern. It’s in the details with Vannen.

One thing I’ve noticed while browsing the Vannen website and reviewing their product, is the attention to detail. The website and product packaging are really well put together, with clean, strong designs across the board. Vannen is a great new company and it will be exciting to see what they have planned for the future.

You can find high-quality product photos and all the information about the Thomas Han “Pill Finder” watch and other Vannen releases at the Vannen Website.