Horological Meandering

Movement wise, the watch comes with a Sellita SW210-1 hand wound movement. While the basic specs of 4Hz and 42h power reserve (mine seems to easily exceed that so far) are relatively straightforward, the movement does offer a handful of surprises. Including a hacking function, in spite of lacking a running seconds hand. In addition, it gets tested in five positions for 250h to ensure a high level of accuracy. 

The crown is finely knurled, making winding easy and pleasant. Certainly not a watch failing to give adequate feedback on what you are doing. I can definitely see the morning winding routine turning into a pleasant part of my life with the piece. Fortunately the three gaskets on the crown also allow a 100m WR without necessitating a screw down design - the latter being anything but a joy on hand wound watches IMHO. 

Another very refreshing feature is the strap choice. Not that you will get countless options supplied from the brand at the moment. What you will get, though, is three straps with every watch - a honey coloured one, a burgundy and a navy blue one are all part of the package. All three come with pin buckles attached and with quick change pins, making switching between them quick and simple - and something that one can practicably do on a daily basis, if sartorial choices so require. This is especially pleasant, since the straps are curved case side, which might be much more of a bother with conventional, non-quick change pins.

Lastly, my wearing impressions. The 38mm have not been a problem at all for me - the watch fitting just right. It easily dresses up or down, and I am sure you could extend its versatility even further with a croc or a rubber strap, to cover events all the way from formal to a dip in the pool (the WR is certainly adequate enough for the latter). And I have to say it definitely provides pleasure and fascination way beyond what one would usually expect from the price, while offering a very respectable quality from the very first batch - something we rightly expect from long established brands but which is a testament to some true dedication, when talking about the first product from a start-up company. 

While the value for money is definitely spot on, the question remains what this means in absolute terms. At this price level a bespoke, in-house movement is of course out of the question. The case finishing - of a titanium case here - will easily compare to Swiss brands costing several times as much (especially the polished part), while the brushed part will not be quite up to Grand Seiko, zaratsu levels. But then again - very different price range. 

The dial is unique and difficult to compare, while the hands, in spite of being nicely made will not quite stack up to what you may be used to from PP, VC or the like. 

Finally the straps. The three strap package (with three pin buckles) is a great idea, and in my opinion a correct choice. The fact that at this price level you cannot add three straps of haute horlogerie provenance should be kept in mind, though - and is fully logical. 

Overall I still feel this to be a watch I will gladly wear without a feeling of having settled. Maybe not to the opera but then I would not wear my divers there, either. And overall I find the quality good enough to compare the watch with competitors costing several times as much - but naturally it cannot be the same as in watches costing ten or more times so.

So at least this curve ball resulted in quite a positive surprise. In a way I could describe this as my first independent, even if we are not quite talking AHCI level here. And it has been an unexpected addition to my watch stable but certainly one I am very happy with.

Thank you for reading!