Studio Underd0g Opens First Limited Gen 2 02Series as Mantis
On 28 August 2026, Studio Underd0g announced the 02Series “Mantis,” the first limited edition on the brand’s second-generation 02Series platform. Hodinkee reported that the full-lume green dial is the brightest the London independent has used.
Gen 2 hardware under a new dial
The standard 02Series Gen 2 launched less than two months earlier. Mantis keeps that case and movement package. Diameter is 37.5mm, half a millimetre larger than Gen 1. Thickness is 11.5mm versus 12mm previously; 2.1mm of that stack is a domed sapphire crystal. Lug-to-lug remains 46mm. The steel is 316L. Water resistance is 10 ATM.
The calibre is a modified Sellita SW200-2 M with the automatic winding train removed, running as a manual-wind movement at 28,800 vph with a stated ±7 seconds per day and 63 hours of reserve. Assembly is in-house at the D0ghouse workshop. According to Hodinkee, the construction is an evolution of the brand’s Horologium approach.
Sapphire sandwich and the Mantis colour
Like most Underd0g watches, the dial is a sapphire sandwich: a transparent sapphire disc printed with the minute track, hour markers, and branding, screwed to a base plate that carries colour and lume. Mantis uses a light-to-dark green gradient modelled on a praying mantis. In darkness the base becomes a full-lume field. Hands are also lumed. The strap is an “Herb” suede from The Strap Tailor.
- Case: 37.5mm × 11.5mm, 46mm lug-to-lug, 316L steel
- Crystal: domed sapphire, 2.1mm of the total height
- Dial: green gradient, full lume, printed sapphire disc
- Movement: Sellita SW200-2 M, manual, 63h, 4 Hz
- WR: 10 ATM
- Price: $1,200 / £875
- Order window: 1 September 2026, 9 hours (15:00–00:00 BST / 10:00–19:00 EDT)
- In-person allocation: D0ghouse workshop
The brand said every order placed in the nine-hour window will be fulfilled. That is a change from drop models that sold out in minutes and then traded at a premium. An in-person slice remains at the workshop.
Independent production and lume as the product
Underd0g’s recent limited pieces have drawn queues and secondary-market spikes. Mantis is closer to the brand’s core look than some conceptual colourways. The commercial story is still the dial: a full-lume treatment marketed as the brightest in the catalogue. Hobbyists who swap Super-LumiNova on aftermarket hands and indices will recognise the same trade-off between print, sandwich layers, and glow; a lume upgrade overview covers how those layers are applied on Seiko-style builds.
The Gen 2 case also tightens tolerances and thins the profile. Crystal choice is part of that stack. Builders comparing dome height and scratch resistance on similar 37–40mm cases often look at a sapphire crystal upgrade path before they change the dial.
Pricing at $1,200 sits well below Swiss independent sports watches and above most fully assembled Seiko mods. The nine-hour open window is an attempt to reduce lottery dynamics while still capping production to orders received on the day.
FAQ
Is Mantis a new case? No. It uses the Gen 2 02Series case introduced earlier in summer 2026. The limited element is the mantis-inspired full-lume gradient dial and matching strap.
Why is the Sellita listed as manual? The SW200-2 M is modified to remove automatic winding. Power reserve is quoted at 63 hours at 4 Hz.
Will unsold pieces be made after the window? The brand described the run as limited production in which all orders placed during the nine-hour window are fulfilled. A separate allocation is for in-person sale at the D0ghouse.