I first came across Red 5 Watch Works when StrapHabit was tagged in an Instagram post. Red 5 posted its Butters Jump Hour watch on a StrapHabit FlexHook strap. The watch looked very cool, so I visited the brand's website. There I found the work of Ron Elkins, who began modifying watches around 2000 and later moved into custom dials. His engraving work includes the dial of a unique Sartory-Billard SB04 auctioned by Phillips for TimeForArt. Project Butters is his own jump hour watch.
After learning about the person behind the watch and seeing a very reasonable price, I decided to buy one. The watch in the post was the Admission model with a vibrant orange dial. Orange (called Admission) was my preferred color, but the preorder had already sold out, leaving only Night Blue models. I messaged Red 5 to confirm, and Ron told me someone who had ordered an orange one had just swapped to blue, so I was able to buy that watch! He told me that it wouldn't be ready for a few weeks, but he overdelivered and got it to me in less than a week. When I told him I'd be writing a blog about it, Ron offered to loan me a blue watch too, so that I could photograph both versions.
Red 5 Project Butters First Impressions
Although the 4.85mm tall numerals are the same color as the dial, they cast interesting shadows against the radially brushed finish. The flat crystal features aggressively tall, boxed sides, giving the jump hour mechanism a really cool "under glass" feel. Because it's sapphire and has an anti-reflective coating, you can view the three-dimensional hour disc at extreme angles.
Red 5 Project Butters Details
While 11 of the hours blend into the dial, we still need to see the current time. At the top of the dial (it's not always 12 o'clock), a white painted section highlights the current hour.
A short minute hand then advances as on a traditional watch. The inside of the hour disc features hash marks for minutes. There is no second hand.
The center section of the dial is removed, while the hour disc is supported by six thin spokes. Underneath sits the jump-hour module. This allows wearers to see it retract before snapping to the next hour.
At first glance, the watch is devoid of any text. Look closer, and you'll see the brand name hidden on the hour disc. The word "red" is painted in red on the top of the five numeral, referring to the brand's name (it's easier to spot on the Night Blue model).
The case itself is satin-finished with polished chamfers down the lugs, and an impossibly thin polished bezel.
Wearing the Red 5 Project Butters
The case is 41mm wide and 48.2mm lug-to-lug. With so little bezel and such an expansive dial, it appears larger on the wrist than other 41mm watches. I'm fine with the size, but keep it in mind if you typically shy away from larger watches.
The brand lists a 6.7mm case height plus a 4.8mm crystal. I measured the total thickness as 11.0mm. Because it's mostly crystal, the watch appears thinner than 11mm might indicate.
The hour display is large and easy to read, although in low light the darker blue numerals have more contrast against the white background, so the Night Blue model is slightly easier to read.
A similar description works for the minute hand. In direct light, it's intuitive and easy to check the time. But the silver hand can blend into the silver movement underneath. Something larger and/or a more contrasting color would be easier to spot, but the watch looks cleaner with the simple silver hand.
The white paint used is also luminous. It's not the thickest application, but it makes it possible to read the time in the dark (and looks cool in lume shots).
Red 5 Project Butters Strap and Replacement Straps
The Butters normally comes with a light gray leather strap, but Red 5 lets you buy the watch only and save $40. If you own a watch strap company, as I do, this is especially awesome, but I think it's a great option for any enthusiast, since so many people end up removing the factory strap and keeping it in the box. The lug width is 20mm, so you'll have plenty of options.
The lugs also have two sets of holes, one for straight-end straps and one for curved-end straps. I found that most thinner straps fit in the closer set of holes, but I installed a set of curved spring bars in an FKM Deployant strap to complete the look.
Ron wears his orange Butters on a gray/orange Flexhook strap, which I also found to be a great combo.
Here is a list of some more straps that would look great with this watch. At the end of the article, you'll also find photos of some of my favorite combinations. You can also view our Guide to Choosing a Watch Strap.
-Ridge Rubber
-Smooth Rubber
-Premium Sailcloth
-Beads of Rice Bracelets
Red 5 Project Butters Movement
Project Butters is based on a Japanese Miyota 9039 automatic, with a unidirectional jumping-hour module. The base movement runs at 28,800 vph, has 24 jewels, and offers a 42-hour power reserve. Unlike the jump hour on the M.A.D.2, the Butter's hour disc snaps forward instantly, rather than creeping for a few minutes before jumping. Because of this, you can't set the time backward, but it's not a big deal, since this watch doesn't have a date complication.
The closed caseback is undecorated, as it is intended for personalized engravings. This, along with the unsigned crown, gives the watch a bit of a prototype feel, which I find cool.
Red 5 Project Butters Conclusion
Inflation is a big topic these days, but it is becoming harder and harder to find innovative watches with interesting complications at affordable prices. While $950 is not a small amount of money, jump hour watches can cost three to four times that much. Additionally, most use a tiny hour display with a slow creep that starts minutes before the hour changes.
With the Red 5 Watch Works Project Butters, you're getting a watch that has an interesting yet intuitive time display that also looks super cool. When I brought it to the recent Intersect watch show, it also got a ton of comments from other collectors. Buying one also supports a small and growing brand based in the US. While the orange Admission model is sold out for good, a limited run of Night Blue is available for purchase now on the Red 5 Watch Works website.
Red 5 Project Butters Specifications
Name: Red 5 Watch Works Project Butters - Admission / Night Blue
MSRP: $950 (without strap), $990 (with strap)
Diameter: 41mm
Height: 48.2mm
Thickness: 11.5mm (6.7mm case + 4.8mm crystal
Lug Width: 20mm, with two sets of lug holes
Movement: Miyota 9039 base with uni-directional jumping hour module
Power Reserve: 42 hours
Water Resistance: 50m
Crystal: Sapphire with AR coating
Crown: Push-pull
Bezel: Fixed
Bracelet/Strap: Gray leather (optional)
