Hands-On Debut: Limited-Edition Amida Digitrend Open Sapphire Watch


Editor’s note – the watch photographed here is a pre-production prototype model, and several refinements will be made to final production examples. More details on this in the article below.

One of the great benefits of unorthodox layouts and exotic complications is spectacle. Rearranging the display of time into something other than the standard three hands and a circular dial offers limitless possibilities for creativity and visual drama, but many brands keep these exotic creations as conventional as possible. Amida does not have that problem. Since the wild, retro-futuristic Digitrend relaunched the company in 2024, the company has been eager to dial up the space-age ‘70s vibes even further, and its latest release certainly delivers. The new limited edition Amida Digitrend Open Sapphire adds an automotive targa top-inspired sapphire case window to its streamlined driver-style jump-hour design, creating a fun and truly one-of-a-kind visual statement for the wrist.

Although the overall shape of the Amida Digitrend Open Sapphire’s 39.6mm wide stainless steel case is carried over from the previous Digitrend, the impression this seatbelt buckle-esque form leaves on the wrist is drastically altered. The sloping, polished cutaway on the 6 o’clock case side still acts as a window for the prismatic jump hour dial, but here, the actual time display is thoroughly overshadowed by the larger sapphire display window taking up much of the upper case surface. This window (display front? As this isn’t technically a display caseback, the enthusiast community will need to decide on proper nomenclature) arcs seductively in a compound curve around much of this smooth, flowing case form, creating an automotive-style “greenhouse” that calls to mind both early Porsche 911 Targa models and Corvettes ranging from the C2 Sting Ray to the C6. In addition to emphasizing the smooth, streamlined overall shape here, this massive wraparound crystal also offers a nigh-on unimpeded view of the Digitrend Open Sapphire’s digital jump-hour complication at work. Both the vivid orange hours wheel at 9 o’clock and the matching minutes wheel at 3 o’clock are visible from nearly any angle, and their mirrored printing makes the workings of the watch’s side-view prismatic display far more intuitive for the wearer. Outside of the new display crystal, the remaining stainless steel of the case takes on a dramatic, distinctive form of its own, with strong linear brushing across most surfaces to further reinforce the smoothness of the shape. At a full 16mm thick, the Digitrend Open Sapphire is a deliberate attention-grabber during wear, even as its 39mm lug-to-lug length makes it accessible to a wide variety of smaller wrists (including my own modest 6.75-inch wrist). Given the unusual shape and complex construction here, the Digitrend Open Sapphire’s minimal 50-meter water resistance rating is perhaps unsurprising, but Amida makes up for sheer durability with character. The caseback sports yet another unusual sapphire display window, with a broad asymmetric cutout to expose the movement within.



Technically speaking, the dial of the Amida Digitrend Open Sapphire is identical to its predecessor. Like the case, though, the new display window heavily reframes this familiar display. Much of what’s visible through the 6 o’clock dial display is a simple black decal on the prismatic crystal, creating display windows for the digital jump hour and minutes displays while adding a printed Amida logo in between. The display works in the same way as a submarine periscope or the classic Pepper’s Ghost illusion, with a triangular prism that mirrors and redirects the image of the flat hour and minute wheels to face vertically against the outward pane of the prism. Like the standard Digitrend, the blazing signal orange and sharply angular, italicized typeface of the time display adds to the retro science-fiction feel here, but unlike its predecessor, these numerals are significantly easier to read. One of the great challenges of the original Digitrend (especially when trying to capture the display in hands-on photography) is that the closed-off case and narrow crystal window made directing light into the dial genuinely difficult. At certain viewing angles, the dial would appear partially shaded or simply dim, limiting what should have been an easily legible time display. The Digitrend Open Sapphire’s half-sapphire case allows copious amounts of light by comparison, making the numerals bright and easy to read in nearly any conditions. Of course, the side-on viewing position still takes some getting used to, but after a day of wearing the watch, reading the time feels instinctive and natural.

Amida powers the Digitrend Open Sapphire with the Soprod Newton P092 automatic movement, topped with an elegantly simple in-house digital display and jump hour module. In total, this module only requires nine components and six screws, but manages to fully reframe the movement’s time display. Overall performance is solidly middle-of-the-road, with a 44-hour power reserve at a 28,800 bph beat rate. Unlike the standard Digitrend, though, so much more of the P092 is visible here. From the upper side, the view is dominated by the aforementioned digital hours and minutes wheels, capped with radially brushed conical centers. Just above these at 12 o’clock, Amida adds a decorative bridge, shaped like the stylized Amida “A” emblem and topped with a signed, polished plate. This bridge sports Côtes de Genève across most of its surface, which appears visibly rough on our hands-on prototype. But Amida has assured us that the production model’s finishing is greatly improved (we’ve included a side-by-side image of the two bridges in our photo gallery below). Around the caseback side, the movement finishing is crisp, bright, and pared-back, with Côtes de Genève for both the three-quarter plate and the balance bridge. Meanwhile, the cutout rotor finishes off the layout with light arabesque brushing.

To complete the design, Amida pairs the Digitrend Open Sapphire with a textured black Alcantara strap. Besides deepening the automotive theme started by the case, the rectangular raised pattern and suede-like matte texture of this strap give the Digitrend Open Sapphire a sporty, futuristic edge that fits the overall design well. In addition, this strap is flexible, comfortable, and lightweight on the wrist.



So many watch designs with unusual layouts or complications nonetheless aim to be demure or reserved. The new limited edition Amida Digitrend Open Sapphire, on the other hand, welcomes the wild, bombastic possibilities of its layout with open arms, creating a vivid, memorable retro-futuristic statement design in the process. Only 150 examples of the Amida Digitrend Open Sapphire will be made, and the watch is available now through select authorized retailers. MSRP for the Amida Digitrend Open Sapphire stands at 4,500 CHF as of press time. For more details, please visit the Amida website.

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