Spinnaker and Seconde/Seconde/ Make a Watch That Ain’t Afraid of No Ghosts

The Setup

Just in time for Halloween, Spinnaker and Parisian artist Seconde/Seconde/ have reunited for their third collaboration: the Fleuss Automatic 2025 Edition. Available in 40mm “Phantom Steel” and 43mm “Phantom White,” the watch revives their cult “Fifty Phantoms” concept with a spectral gray dial filled with tiny glowing ghosts, a scalloped bezel, and a steel bracelet built for everyday wear. Each piece comes with hidden surprises like a ghost-eyed date window and an engraved rotor marked with fifty tallies, echoing the watch’s haunted humor.

This collaboration turns craftsmanship into character. Spinnaker and Seconde/Seconde/ remind collectors that not every mechanical watch has to look serious to be taken seriously. By pairing classic dive design with playful storytelling, they’ve made a collectible that feels both artful and alive. The ghosts may glow in the dark, but the real light comes from the personality behind the design.

The Breakdown

Brand Positioning and Identity

Spinnaker positions itself as the accessible, design-forward face of dive watches, while Seconde/Seconde/ brings in art-world irreverence. Together, they create limited-edition pieces that treat the dive watch not as a technical tool but as a piece of cultural storytelling. The collaboration stands as a blend of craft, concept, and humor. It turns the mechanical watch into something collectible, expressive, and a little subversive.

Target Segment and Audience

The audience is design-savvy watch enthusiasts and collectors who value narrative and originality over luxury status. It also attracts younger buyers who grew up on collaborations and limited drops and who now want to enter mechanical watch culture through creativity, not hierarchy. This watch is for people who collect stories, not logos.

Messaging and Storytelling

The story plays on spectral humor. The “Fifty Phantoms” idea riffs on Blancpain’s “Fifty Fathoms,” turning homage into a joke that still respects tradition. Each detail, from glowing ghosts to tongue-in-cheek engraving, tells a story about finding joy in what was once overly serious. The message is that fine design can laugh at itself and still be taken seriously.

Experience and Journey

The buying experience is built around anticipation and discovery. Each release comes in limited batches that sell out quickly, followed by a second wave for latecomers. Every watch feels like a hidden-world artifact, with numbered engravings, glowing straps, and playful surprises on the rotor and date window. The journey from announcement to delivery feels like joining an inside joke made for those who get it.

Community and Culture Insight

Spinnaker and Seconde/Seconde/ speak to a culture that values collaboration, creativity, and character over prestige. The watch world has learned that collectors now crave connection and humor as much as heritage. The ghost motif captures that tension perfectly: nostalgia for classic design mixed with a wink toward the absurdity of taking it too seriously.

Differentiation and Unique Selling Point

Where most collaborations rely on hype, this one relies on charm. The watch combines solid Japanese movements with surrealist design and subtle storytelling. It stands apart because it is approachable, funny, and still beautifully made. It shows that you can have craft without the pretense.

Design Language

The design blends classic diver proportions with art-school mischief. The gray “phantom” dial, luminous ghosts, scalloped bezel, and engraved rotor give the watch depth and texture. It plays with light, reflection, and glow to create something that feels more like a collectible art object than a standard timepiece. The packaging continues the story, marked by edition numbers and visual wit.

Marketing Pitch

A dive watch with a pulse and a sense of humor. The Fleuss Seconde/Seconde/ 2025 Edition keeps the craft, adds personality, and proves that design can still make collectors smile in the dark.