Review: Ricochet by Mr Jones Watches – Art meets horology, is it a masterpiece or disaster-piece?
Review Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ (4 Out of 5)
It’s always great when a watch brand breaks the mould of conventional timekeeping, finding inventive ways to rethink something that is usually uniform and standard. Most brands might tweak a case shape, skeletonise a dial, or add a complication, but the fundamental premise remains the same: an hour hand and a minute hand sweeping across a dial.
Enter Mr Jones Watches, an independent, design-led brand based in London. Head to their website and you’ll instantly see their core philosophy front and centre: “We make unforgettable watches.” It couldn’t be more true. Once you discover Mr Jones, you don’t forget them.
Their concept is unique: they invite artists to design timepieces that push boundaries—not just breaking from the norms, but completely ripping up the script.
The Ricochet is a brilliant example of how to make watchmaking fun while keeping craftsmanship and quality intact. Is it easy to read at a glance? No. Is it going to be for everyone? Probably not—but it isn’t meant to be. While it certainly tells the time, it’s primarily an art piece, a conversation starter, and sheer fun on the wrist.
Besides, what’s not to love about three robots playing pinball?
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Jump Hour Movement: A super-fun and different movement at a reasonably affordable price point.
- Artistic, Fun Dial: One of the most unique and interesting dials out there, combining time and art.
- Excellent Finishing: Despite being all about the dial, the case finishing and strap still feel premium.
Cons
- Too unique for some: The quirky dial and artistic dial are not going to appeal to fans of traditional watches.
- Legibility: The Jump hour time is small, so it will be hard to read for some, especially in low light conditions.
- Small crown: Makes it hard to adjust the time, plus there is no quick-set method.
Summary
The Mr Jones Ricochet is a fun, design-first timepiece that swaps traditional hands for a charming pinball arcade scene featuring three hand-gilded, metallic-foil robots.
Its standout feature is an automatic jump-hour mechanism displayed on the pinball scoreboard, delivering a rare and tactile mechanical complication at an affordable price point. It’s designed to be fun and enjoyable, rather than focusing solely on the time. Like all Mr Jones watches, it’s an artist’s interpretation of what a watch should be. But that doesn’t mean a compromise on quality.
While its 37mm case, small crown, and 5-minute-interval minute disc mean strict legibility and quick time-setting take a back seat, the sapphire glass, comfortable Milanese bracelet, and sheer visual character make it an unforgettable, unique conversation starter for any collection.
It’s designed to put a smile on your face and, for me, it does that well. Whether it’s an interesting and well-executed dial or waiting eagerly to watch the jump hour. It’s the kind of watch every collection should have the one you put on when you want that something different.
Specifications
| Movement | TY2709 20 jewel automatic |
| Case Diameter | 37mm |
| Case Thickness | 11.6mm |
| Lug to Lug | 47mm |
| Lug Width | 18mm |
| Case Material | 316L Stainless Steel |
| Crystal | Sapphire Glass |
| Water Resistance | 50m |
| Bracelet | Black Milanese Style Stainless Steel (but can be bought with an array of straps) |
| Lume | None |
| Complications | Jump Hour Movement |
Design
The most interesting part of the Ricochet is the dial. It’s designed by artist Ryan Claytor and inspired by old-fashioned pinball arcade machines.
The dial features three robots engaged in a game of pinball—one is at the table playing while his two mates watch on intently.
It instantly took me back to my teenage years. Okay, we weren’t playing pinball, but we spent many years crowded around a pub quiz machine: one person pressing the answers while several others crowded around to shout out the answers.
Each robot has been individually hand-gilded in a metal foil—one in palladium, one in citron gold, and the final one in rose gold. This gives each one a distinct look, and they react differently depending on the lighting conditions. This isn’t just a printed flat dial, either. The robots, along with the pinball machine, are elevated above the rest of the dial, giving it an almost-3D look.
The time-telling mechanism is represented by the scoreboard of the pinball machine. It’s a jump hour mechanism that displays the hour and minutes in multiples of 5. It’s surrounded by the design of the pinball machine, and the Mr Jones name is subtly included as part of the pinball machine design.
It’s a joyful design—every element carefully considered and well thought out. Yes, the time display is small and at times hard to read, and it doesn’t track the exact minutes, so if it’s 7 minutes past the hour, the minute dial sits in between the 5- and 10-minute markers. But all that is rarely noticeable thanks to the unique and interesting dial, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll constantly find yourself trying to catch sight of it when the hour jumps!
It’s all packaged up behind a sapphire crystal and enclosed in a highly polished stainless steel case.
If I had to pick one criticism of the design, it would be the lugs on the version I have; the lugs are quite long. However, Mr Jones has already addressed this, and newer models now have shorter, more compact lugs.
The watch comes with the ability to select your strap. I chose the black Milanese-style one, which really complements the watch and looks great in contrast to the silver case.
Performance
The standout feature of the Ricochet’s mechanical interior is its jump hour complication. It’s powered by the automatic Seagull TY2709 movement; the mechanism replaces traditional hands with custom-printed discs that integrate seamlessly into the pinball scoreboard design.
There is a genuine tactile joy when the top of the hour hits. Watching the hour numeral instantly “snap” forward to the next digit never gets old—it brings a delightful mechanical flair to an already playful artwork.
The visuals are clean because the hour disc jumps rather than slowly creeping. The hour marker on the score display stays crisp, legible, and centred throughout the full 60-minute cycle; the minute disc, however, moves in multiples of 5, so it can disappear when the time is between two markers.
I’ve talked a lot about the character of the watch’s design, but it has mechanical character, too! The watch costs £295, making it an affordable automatic. Having a functional jump hour disc gives it a unique mechanical complication you rarely see at this price point.
There are, of course, some drawbacks. While the jump hour mechanism is a triumph once it’s ticking on your wrist, interacting with it directly through the crown reveals its main drawback.
The crown on the 37mm case is on the smaller side; offering minimal surface area and grip, it feels small and is sometimes difficult to operate.
Once set and on the wrist, the automatic rotor keeps things ticking smoothly, and precise timekeeping takes a back seat to sheer mechanical fun anyway. However, if you rotate your watches frequently, keep a watch winder handy—or be prepared for a bit of a thumb pinch when setting the scoreboard after a dead power reserve!
On The Wrist
On the wrist, the watch is a pleasure to wear. The Milanese bracelet is lightweight and comfortable to wear. It has a quick-adjust mechanism in the form of a sliding adjustable clasp that doesn’t require any spring bar tools to adjust; simply pop it open, slide it to your ideal fit position, and snap it back down, and the job is done.
One slight drawback is that the clasp closes via a sort of hook-and-latch method (I’m sure there’s a more technical name for it). It’s sometimes fiddly to get right, and on a couple of occasions, it’s not been clipped down properly, so the watch comes loose.
But overall, it’s a great wear and sits nicely on the wrist. The case size at 37mm means the watch wears small, and that might not suit people with larger wrists.
Overall, if you are looking for a conventional time-teller or traditional-looking watch, this won’t be for you. However, if you want a statement piece that stands out, or if you are looking for something different for your collection, a jump hour movement, or even if you just like robots playing pinball, this is the watch for you!
Don’t believe me? Check out Time Drops detailed YouTube review for more information about the Ricochet by Mr Jones Watches
