The Behrens Consteller: Modular Mechanics With An Attainable Allure

I've always had a soft spot for ambitious independent watchmakers pushing boundaries. While the big Swiss maisons rely on heritage and bloated marketing budgets, the indies rely solely on mechanical integrity and design bravado. Behrens encapsulates this plucky ethos, carving out their own distinctive niche since 2012 founder Lin Bingqiang registered the brand.

Open-worked dials that expose the beating regulator heart of the movement are a Behrens signature. Technical yet artistic, these multi-layered engines evoke a spatial, contemporary edge missing from the dial decor of many established manufacturers. The regulator format - with separate subdials for hours and minutes - has its adherents among high horology connoisseurs, speaking to watchmaking purity rather than mere time-telling. 

Behrens' in-house modifications display welcome creativity within the classic regulator framework. Avant-garde case shapes add further dynamism, from the sleek convex contours of earlier collections to the stark angularity of recent releases. The defiance of round conventionality shows a willingness to experiment shared by other envelope-pushing indie creators. I admire the ambition - after all, the industry thrives on those bucking orthodoxy.

While THE complication specialists use six-figure price tags to justify R&D costs, Behrens' more modest valuations testify to efficient engineering. The bang-for-buck ratio impresses me given the intricate, modular mechanics. Building so much in-house and keeping prices reasonable is no mean feat for an independent startup.

If foundations are anything to judge by, expect more envelope-pushing designs leveraging mechanical ingenuity and contemporary styling. The Consteller regulator model epitomizes the distinctive Behrens signature thus far. 

The Consteller's intricate starry dial immediately grabs my attention - Behrens made a bold choice with that cosmic dark blue aventurine sparkling with applied metal constellations. It lends an artistic, modernist look you rarely find from established brands stuck rehashing old designs. I also love the three-dimensional layering effect from the raised subdials. That 12 o'clock moonphase display stands out too - stylish simplicity revealing the mechanics.

But the real ingenuity lies in that regulator format. Splitting hours and minutes across those 7:30 and 4:30 subdials creates intrigue while allowing focus on the sweeping central seconds hand. Behrens tweaked the module to integrate a second 24-hour hand for day/night indication - clever complication! The way the constellation dial syncs to the date via crown adjust reveals real engineering ambition within this stellar 42mm package.

As a fan of open-worked watches that expose the movement, I admire how Behrens finished the sapphire caseback for maximum mechanical voyeurism. That custom Miyota caliber on show deserves appreciation! What impresses me most though is that despite the exotic engineering, Behrens' efficient production has maintained reasonable pricing - remarkable for an independent startup.

The Consteller symbolizes the creative envelope-pushing designs I’ve admired about Behrens. It’s a moonshot product worthy of attention from watch connoisseurs. More innovations like this could propel them into the horology big leagues.

You could view these watches at Rose- The Watch Bar in Mumbai.