Look at an ATOWAK TARANTULA for the first time and your eyes go looking for the hour hand. There isn't one.
Instead, the hour is a small numbered satellite that travels around the dial, and its position tells you the minutes as well. It takes about ten seconds to learn. Here is how it works on the TARANTULA, and what you are getting inside the case.
How a wandering-hour watch tells the time
A normal watch gives you two hands on one dial. A wandering-hour watch gives you one moving object that carries two readings. The numeral on the satellite is the hour. Where that satellite stands on the minute scale is the minute. Once you see it as one object doing two jobs, the dial stops looking puzzling.
You do not see many of these, because the movement has to drive the display itself, which is hard to engineer. It is also why collectors like them. The time is the mechanism.
Reading the TARANTULA
Find the satellite sitting on the display arc. Its number is the hour. Now look at where it stands along the 240° arc. That is the minute. The display is ATOWAK's patented satellite wandering-hour system, and the numerals and carousel parts carry Swiss Super-LumiNova, so it still reads in the dark.
The dial
The dial is built in layers: 3D copper pieces, a hollow honeycomb underneath, and the open 240° display above. The satellites move across all of that, so the picture changes with the time. Photos flatten it. This is a watch to see move.
What is inside, and what to know before you buy
The module is ATOWAK's own, built on the Japanese Miyota 9039 automatic. Power reserve is 38 hours, so if you leave it in a drawer for a weekend, expect it to stop and need setting again. The case is 316L stainless steel with a sapphire crystal that has an anti-reflective coating.
It is a big watch at 49 × 42 mm and 13.5 mm thick, so try the size on your wrist if you can. Water resistance is 5 ATM (50 m): fine for rain and splashes, not for swimming. Two quick-release NBR rubber straps come in the box, and you change them without tools.
| Specification | ATOWAK TARANTULA |
|---|---|
| Movement | ATOWAK self-developed module based on Miyota 9039 automatic |
| Power reserve | 38 hours |
| Case | 316L stainless steel, 49 × 42 mm, 13.5 mm thick |
| Crystal | Sapphire, anti-reflective coating |
| Water resistance | 5 ATM / 50 m |
| Dial | 3D copper, hollow honeycomb layer, 240° open display, Swiss luminous printing |
| Straps | Two NBR rubber straps, quick-release |
Colours
The TARANTULA comes in Sapphire Blue, Jungle Green and Twilight Red. If you want the story behind the design first, we wrote about it in The Dance of the Spider and Time. The rest of the range is in the ATOWAK collection.
Buying from Malichus
Malichus is an officially authorized regional ATOWAK partner and service provider in the Middle East. Eligible ATOWAK watches bought through us carry 5 years of coverage: 2 years from the manufacturer plus 3 more under the Malichus extended service program, subject to the warranty terms. You can verify our authorization and read the warranty policy. Questions about sizing or a closer look before you order? Talk to us.
Quick answers
Does the TARANTULA have an hour hand?
No. Rotating satellites show the hours, and you read the minutes on the 240° arc.
Is it automatic?
Yes. It runs on an ATOWAK module based on the Miyota 9039 automatic, with a 38-hour power reserve.
Can I swim with it?
No. It is rated 5 ATM (50 m), which covers rain and splashes.
Can I change the strap myself?
Yes. Both NBR straps in the box are quick-release and need no tools.
