Xeric Regulator 1968: How to Read It and Choose Your Color

You are getting dressed for dinner, and the plain watch on your dresser suddenly feels a little too plain. The Xeric Regulator 1968 Automatic is for that moment: a mechanical watch with bold color, a sculpted dial and an unfamiliar way of showing the time.

Our take: consider it if you want your watch to be part of the outfit and enjoy learning a different dial. Choose a more conventional layout if instant, familiar reading matters most. The appeal here is visual character and mechanical timekeeping, rather than a longer list of functions.

How do you read the Xeric Regulator 1968?

At first glance, those separate displays can look like a stopwatch. They are the ordinary hours, minutes and seconds, each given its own position. The long central hand shows minutes, the upper-left subdial shows hours, and the lower-right subdial shows seconds. To tell the time, combine the hour reading with the central minute reading.

The hour display is a 24-hour arrangement divided into light and dark sections for AM and PM. That gives the smaller display a second job: distinguishing day from night. It is not a second time zone. The seconds display is also part of normal timekeeping, rather than an elapsed-time counter.

That separation is what makes the watch interesting, but it is also the buying decision. If you enjoy studying the little details on your wrist, the layout offers plenty to look at. If you want to glance down while rushing for a train, ask yourself whether learning this pattern sounds enjoyable or annoying. We would choose it for the design, without assuming it will be faster to read than the watch you already know.

A quick guide to the choices that matter

Retro styling you can see from across the table

Xeric takes its inspiration from the bold graphics and colors of the 1960s. The rounded, angular case frames a dial with raised and recessed elements, so the design has physical depth as well as contrasting colors. The minute track runs around the outside while the two smaller displays interrupt the center.

The raised box-shaped crystal is part of that construction. Xeric specifies custom hardened K9 mineral glass, shaped to accommodate the hands and elevated subdials. This is not a sapphire-crystal specification, and “hardened” should not be read as scratch-proof. The practical attraction is the way the crystal makes room for the layered dial.

There are six named colorways: Steel, Caution Yellow, Deep Sky, Burnt Orange, Vintage Mint and Spumoni. Our styling preference would be Steel for someone who wants the unusual layout without a strong color commitment, or Burnt Orange and Vintage Mint when the watch itself should be the accent. That is a matter of taste, not a performance ranking.

Check the shape, not just the 42 mm number

The case is 42 mm wide with a stated 39 mm lug-to-lug distance. Those are different measurements: one describes the width across the case, the other the span between the lugs along the wrist. Together they are more helpful than treating “42 mm” as the whole fit story.

Xeric calls the design unisex and presents the short lug-to-lug dimension as a comfort benefit. We have not worn it, so we would compare those measurements with a watch that already fits you well rather than promise comfort on every wrist. The hand-held campaign photo is useful for judging the shape, but it cannot establish how the watch will sit on your arm.

The published water-resistance rating is 3 ATM. We would approach this as an everyday style watch, not choose it for swimming or diving. Its sportier appearance should not be mistaken for an aquatic-use specification.

Leather for warmth, steel for a different look

The ribbed strap reinforces the period styling. Xeric explicitly compares its padded ribs with vintage car-seat upholstery. The campaign describes full-grain American Horween leather for the straps except the sesame color, so the Horween claim should not be applied indiscriminately to every strap pictured. The listed strap width is 20 mm, with a stainless-steel buckle.

If you prefer an all-metal look, the optional straight-link stainless-steel bracelet changes the presentation substantially. Xeric specifies a quick-release springbar system, a two-pusher butterfly deployant clasp and built-in expansion end links. The quick-release feature concerns attaching and removing the bracelet; it does not establish that adjusting its length is tool-free.

For an evening outfit, we would lean toward the ribbed leather because it emphasizes the retro theme. For someone who prefers the visual continuity of metal from case to wrist, the bracelet is the more appealing option. Neither choice needs to be framed as an upgrade in timekeeping.

Mechanical interest, with model-specific night visibility

Inside is the self-winding Miyota 82S7 movement. Xeric says its customized rotor uses your movement to wind the watch, without a battery. The exhibition caseback lets you see the mechanism and rotor, making the back another part of the watch to enjoy. That explains its operation; it is not a measured accuracy or running-time guarantee.

Night visibility depends on the version. The campaign describes Super-LumiNova mixed into paint on selected models, covering parts of the dial or the full dial on Mint. The luminous photo is appealing, but it does not prove identical brightness across colors or a particular glow duration.

Xeric also specifies 999 pieces per colorway, with an individual edition number engraved on the caseback. Treat that as a stated production limit, rather than a reason to expect resale value.

Who It Is For

The Regulator 1968 makes most sense for someone who already likes expressive watches, enjoys mechanical details and wants color to be part of daily dressing. It could be a change of pace alongside a simpler everyday watch. It is less compelling if you want familiar reading at a glance, uniform night visibility across every version, or a watch selected primarily for water activities.

Summary

Start with the dial: do you enjoy the separate hour and minute reading? If so, choose the color you would actually wear, compare both case dimensions with your current watch, and decide between leather and the optional bracelet. The Xeric Regulator 1968 is most persuasive as a playful mechanical accessory whose personality comes from the way it displays ordinary time.

Editorial note: This article is an independent BackerRock analysis based on publicly available campaign information. It does not represent the position of Kickstarter, Indiegogo, or any crowdfunding platform, and should not be treated as investment, purchasing, or market advice.