Deutsche Uhrenfabrik (Dufa) Bayer Watch Review

This isn’t my first Deutsche Uhrenfabrik (Dufa), but I believe it’s the best looking I’ve come across yet. I’m not the only one to think that either – as the Bayer was a finalist in Design Watch of the Year at the 2017 Inhorgenta Awards.

Not only does it looks great, the specs are up there too – mainly due to the Sellita SW200-1, a rugged, Swiss Made automatic which is loaded with a custom rotor. There’s a minor niggle at a glance: the K1 hardened mineral crystal rather than a sapphire. Let’s take a closer look to see if we can overlook that.

Video review

The specs

• Dimensions: 40mm diameter x 11mm height x 44mm lug to lug
• Weight: 63g
• Water resistance rating: 3ATM / 30m
• Movement: Sellita SW200-1
• Accuracy: +7.1 sec/day
• Lug width: 20mm
• Warranty: 2 years
• Price: €699 / £620 / $815
• Buy here:
  • Dufa site: https://www.deutsche-uhrenfabrik.de/collections/bayer-automatic-swiss-9016/products/bayer-automatic-swiss-df-9016-03
  • Amazon: https://amzn.to/2OnuGc0

The case

The case comes in at a 40mm diameter and feels the perfect size on. It wears much smaller, thanks to the curvaceous rear – the bulbous shape of the case means that the caseback is smaller than the top, and thus less is in contact with the wrist. The rose gold finishing throughout is spotless, and much more sumptuous than I imagined.

There’s a very thin bezel; the dial does most of the talking. The case is primarily polished, with a small brushed ring at the outermost edge; at the base of the bezel. This will prove to be quite functional as it will provide some protection to minor knocks and scratching. It also breaks up the design / construction of the case and catches the eye.

The caseback continues the flow from the rear of the case, where an exhibition window showcases the movement and has details engraved around the outside.

Sitting on top of the case is a K1 hardened mineral crystal. As I mentioned previously, this is quite the travesty considering how everything else is so splendid, and the fact that the watch has an RRP of €699. It’s double domed, so there’s no distortion at the tightest angles, and the blue anti-reflective coating is very effective indeed.

The push-pull crown is really easy to use, and has a very accurate Dufa logo engraved on the end.

The dial

There’s a porcelain base to the dial, with a reflective surface that catches the light well.

What’s really lovely and clever is the channel within the dial, and how the hour markers are bridged over it. There are numerals at 12, 2, 4, 6 8, and 10 – whilst all the others are batons. These are excellently manufactured with a neatly brushed finishing.

The applied logo is equally as accurately and impressively crafted, despite being delicately designed. I really love it when an applied logo is decent quality and I’m pleased to see it here.

The printing across the dial is fine and minimal – I like the rehaut with a gentle texture to it at a higher level providing a deep depth to the entire dial.

The date window is circular with a matching white date wheel. It has a lower border which is a lovely bit of detail, whilst keeping it simple.

The hands are super simple straight sticks with a small pointed tip. They are blued (possibly chemically as up close they have some spots on) which provides a splash of colour to the dial, working well with the rose gold through the dial and case. They are very thin, and because of this, it’s quite easy to confuse the seconds and minute hand at a glance, so legibility is effected and makes way for nice design.

The strap

The strap is made of vegetable-tanned Italian leather. It’s lovely and supple, and obviously good quality whilst you’ve got it strapped on.

It’s a sumptuous dark, chocolate brown colour with matching stitching, complimenting the rose gold case to a tee.

There are curved ends to fit the crescent of the case, which is visually seamless. The strap is also loaded with quick release pins so it’s easy to replace if you want.

The buckle is the same as usual for Dufa, with an angular polished top bar which has the badge logo applied on top. It’s really delicate and great quality in terms of manufacture.

The movement

The movement powering the Dufa Bayer is the Sellita SW200-1, which is basically a new full-Swiss alternative to the classic ETA 2824-2. It has all the usual specs you’d expect: 28.8k bph (8 ticks per second), 38 hours power reserve, 26 jewels, hand and automatic winding, and a hacking seconds hand. I believe it’s the standard grade used, as the bridges aren’t particularly well finished – no pearlage or Geneva stripes to be found.

What is cool, however, is the custom rotor – with a beautiful gold brushed base to match the case. The black section looks to be a sticker, with the Dufa lettering applied as gold leaf or similar. It’s very striking and looks great when you flip the watch over.

Final comments

I can honestly say that the Bayer is well and truly the best Dufa yet. It looks that great on the wrist that it’s easy to overlook the K1 hardened mineral crystal. The design is impeccable, and it oozes quality from every facet.

I personally probably wouldn’t pay the full RRP, but often Deutsche Uhrenfabrik watches are available for less than the RRP so I’m sure you can get it lower than the €699 price tag. Either way, if you were to go for one – you seriously will not be disappointed.