Shanghai Watch looks to the architecture of its home city for the Originate · Fangyu, a 38mm mechanical watch that finds something new in an old Shanghai landmark.
There is something fitting about Shanghai Watch taking inspiration from Shanghai itself. For the Originate · Fangyu Collection (致敬·方隅), the brand turns its attention away from conventional watchmaking references and towards the city's architecture. More specifically, the historic Bund City Hall Plaza, whose enclosed courtyard and distinctive geometry provide the starting point for Fangyu. The result is a square watch. Although calling it simply square doesn't quite tell the whole story.
The Great Square Has No Corners
Fangyu is built around an interesting contradiction. Its 38mm case appears distinctly geometric from a distance, yet the closer you look, the less conventional that geometry becomes. Straight edges flow into softened, inward curves, while the layered surfaces give the case an almost structural quality.
Shanghai Watch describes the idea as “The Great Square Has No Corners.” It is an appropriate description. Fangyu sits somewhere between a square, cushion and octagonal watch without completely belonging to any of them. And at 38mm, Shanghai Watch has resisted the temptation to make the unusual shape unnecessarily large. The architecture provides enough presence on its own.
Shanghai in the Details
The architectural influence is quieter on the dial. A finely textured surface sits beneath slender baton markers, sword-shaped hands and a distinctive lollipop seconds hand. There is a certain neo-classical quality to the arrangement, creating an interesting contrast with the more contemporary case.
Then there are the colours.
Green gives Fangyu a richer, contemporary character. Grey is quieter and more architectural, allowing the shape and surfaces to do most of the talking. White, paired with a beige Alcantara® strap, feels particularly clean and understated.
Burgundy is the outlier. Its deep dial is surrounded by a warm rose-gold-tone case and paired with black Alcantara®, transforming the same 38mm architecture into something noticeably more expressive.
It is a good reminder of just how much colour can change a watch without changing the watch itself.
Still a Mechanical Shanghai Watch
Turn Fangyu over and there is another side to the story. Inside sits Shanghai Watch's ST2130 automatic movement, visible through the exhibition caseback and offering approximately 42 hours of power reserve. There is sapphire crystal up front, 5 ATM water resistance, and Alcantara® straps across the collection. Nothing particularly excessive. Nothing needs to be. Fangyu's appeal is primarily in its design.
Looking Beyond the Archives
Perhaps the most interesting thing about Fangyu is not its unusual case or even the building that inspired it. It is the direction Shanghai Watch has chosen to look. Heritage brands often return to their archives when searching for their next watch. There is nothing wrong with that — particularly for a manufacturer with decades of history to explore.
But Shanghai Watch has another archive available to it: Shanghai itself. Its architecture, streets and changing skyline offer a visual language that feels naturally connected to a brand carrying the city's name.
Fangyu is one interpretation of that idea. It doesn't place a famous landmark on the dial or make its Shanghai connection overly literal. Instead, the reference is embedded into the proportions, curves and geometry of the watch.
From across the room, it is an unusual square watch. Look a little closer, and it becomes something more interesting: a small piece of Shanghai architecture, reduced to 38mm and worn on the wrist.
Shanghai Watch Originate · Fangyu
38mm · ST2130 Automatic · Approx. 42-hour power reserve · Sapphire crystal · 5 ATM · Alcantara® strap
Available in Green, Grey, White and Burgundy at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur and 1 Utama Shopping Centre, and online at redarmywatches.com.my
