By Steve Huyton
Over the last decade, I’ve dealt with many talented craftsmen worldwide. Mostly, fine watchmaking is associated with Switzerland. However, I recently connected with a gentleman named Andrey Shishov who is located in Riga, Latvia. His brand Enera is very popular on social media watch forums, and I was intrigued to discover what motivated Andrey to establish a cool micro-brand.
Very kindly he agreed to unpack his back story, which is absolutely fascinating.
Shishov is a certified bodyguard and shooting instructor. He is also a member of the EBSA which is an organization for security professionals. This experience inspired the conception of many of Enera’s models.
Since 2018 Enera has released six models: the Marine, Bodyguard, Pilot, Asymmetrix, Samurai and Desert Rose. All of these timepieces have oversized cases and are designed for people who like to make a bold statement.
Enera also offers a ten-year guarantee on all their watches. Additionally, any damage to the case (including crown and glass) incurred during the warranty period is repaired free of charge. This is a pledge unheard of in the industry and it certainly illustrates how confident Shishov is about the overall quality of his watches.
Another notable point is each timepiece is assembled by hand in Riga from components entirely sourced in Europe.
Custom work
When I initially spoke to Shishov, he explained his individual approach for each of his customers.
Effectively clients can choose dial color, strap (from handmade collection) and even personalized engraving. This gave me the idea to create a particular unique watch with Enera called the ‘Purple Skull’.
For this collaboration, we decided to use Enera’s Bodyguard model as it is synonymous with the brand. The initial concept of the Bodyguard is inspired by the design of armored vehicles. This is reflected in the brutish geometric angular 48mm 316L stainless steel case.
To accentuate the industrial façade I felt a gothic purple dial with an engraved skull would be highly effective. On the case side is a bronze plate with the initials of my brand Paolo Mathai Horology in Malayalam script. 
Powering the watch is an ETA Swiss automatic movement, Caliber 2824-1, with 25 jewels, which oscillates at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour. The caliber is visibly showcased via the sapphire crystal exhibition case back. 
Functionally the Purple Skull features hours, minutes, seconds and a date indication (located at 3 o’clock). The watch also has a power reserve of 40 hours and is water resistant to 100 meters. As a perfect finale, the Purple Skull is presented on an exquisite handcrafted grey leather strap (plus an additional NATO strap) with a complimentary engraved stainless steel buckle.
Enera’s Bodyguard series is priced starting at about $1,685.
Steve Huyton is an industrial designer, illustrator and author who publishes Total Design Reviews.
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