Upon looking at the listing for the Heritage, we noticed that it’s mentioned the design of this watch is based upon a previous model that Rotary had released decades ago. After some digging in the archives, we uncovered a watch made in the 1950s that bears a striking resemblance to the modern Heritage. It features the same handset, similar markings, an identical font for the numerals and a case akin to the new release. Learn more about it here.

SPECS

• Case diameter: 40mm
• Case thickness: 12.5mm
• Lug-to-lug: 50mm
• Lug width: 20mm
• Case material: Rose Gold Plated Stainless Steel
• Crystal: Bubble domed mineral
• Dial: Silver White
• Movement: Miyota 821a
• Water resistance: 50m
• Weight: 58g (approx)
• Warranty: 2 Year
• Price: £249
• Buy here: https://www.rotarywatches.com/en/the-rotary-collection/timepieces-watches/gs05144-70

Given the diameter and style of the Heritage, one would assume that it would wear nicely on most wrist sizes, however, with the longer lug-to-lug measurement of 50mm that is unfortunately not the case. The lugs do slope down in typical vintage fashion though it doesn’t help on a wrist as thin as mine – six-inch to be precise. Because of this, we can’t recommend this watch if you have thin wrists unless you don’t mind a slight overhang from the lugs. Those with larger wrists could accommodate this better, and it would have a nicer wrist presence as a result. I would have liked to have seen a watch with a diameter and lug measurement that was more in-keeping with vintage dimensions though given this watch is new, this is is just how most watches of this style are now. The thickness of the watch is also slightly more than you might expect, coming in at 12.5mm it is thicker than most watches of this style. We can attribute that to the period-correct bubble mineral glass and the automatic movement.

There’s no question as to where the Heritage draws it’s inspiration, the aesthetic is undoubtedly vintage. From the slender tapered handset to the Arabics, this exudes vintage charm but with a modern twist. Around the dial, you’ll find a mix of polished Rose Gold numerals and circular markers that beautifully contrast against the Silver White sunburst finish. This all fuses in a fashion that is very pleasing to the eye and is remarkably legible too. Around the perimeter, you’ll find a simple minute track done in a style similar to the watch upon this is based. Under the twelve you’ll find the cleanly printed Rotary branding with the model name printed in Red underneath. Above the six – again printed, you’ll see it simply says ‘Self-winding’ and ‘21 Jewels’ referring to the movement. Surrounding the six numeral are the words ‘Limited Edition’ rather than Rotary’s usual ‘Since 1895’.

The case of the Heritage is made from Stainless Steel though there is no mention as to the grade, however, given the £249 price tag, we can assume it’s likely to be 316L. The case is then specially coated with a Rose Gold PVD finish which is very well done. The case profile and shape invokes that of a vintage watch with the three-tier design and lugs that are a perfect match. The lugs I have to say are often overlooked, but I appreciate the extra craftsmanship that has turned ordinary into something far elevated. The twisted nature of them is not only elegant, but it also blends with the aesthetic so seamlessly and adds to the appeal. I do, however, wish that they weren’t stepped and flowed from the mid-case in a more refined manner, that would be the icing on the cake. The fit and finish are great with very nice thanks to tight tolerances and a solid well-constructed feel.

Travelling to the right-hand side of the watch you’ll find the crown; this is a standard push-pull affair though the texture is well done and provides plenty of grip. The size is well proportioned and fits the design to a tee. On the crown, you’ll find that it is signed with the Rotary logo, which is a nice touch.

The caseback of any watch is where you can tell that corners have been cut, many will leave this area blank, some will have their branding and the specifications, whereas some will go the extra mile and decorate it. Rotary has gone down a different route and opted for an exhibition style caseback to expose the movement. This area is high polish and has the specifications subtly engraved around the window. The caseback is a simple press-on which is perfectly acceptable as watches of this design are not meant for adventures near water. Given that, the water-resistance is 50m which is more than some in this field.

At the heart of the Heritage you’ll find a Miyota 821a which is a modified variant of the Caliber 8215, this was not mentioned in the listing which is an inconvenience for those that like to know the inner workings of their watch. We discovered it was a Calibre 821a after researching into the 8215 and uncovering this modified variant.
As for the movement, we do wish that Rotary had gone the extra mile and added a custom rotor, though the original one does allow you to see the extra detailing done. So it’s a swings and roundabouts thing meaning it’s down to personal preference.

In terms of specifications, the 821a has a power reserve of 42 hours which is approximately what I uncovered during testing. The accuracy is stated at between -20 to +40 seconds per day which is broad, and I would say that the Heritage has been better than this as it is keeping time very well. Unfortunately, I can’t measure the accuracy to a high degree, but I know that it’s a few seconds behind my phone and easily within the tolerances. The beats per hour is 21600 giving it a nice sweep, though not as smooth as higher beat movements. We are okay with this as higher beat movements tend to need servicing more regularly due to the extra friction. The 821a also hacks meaning it’s a lot easier to set the time to a higher accuracy as the seconds hand stops once the crown has been pulled. The movement is also handwinding and it takes approximately 40 turns to give it a full power reserve.

We’d also like to note, this is a movement that has a date complication meaning it does have a ghost date which can be heard engaging, though not a deal-breaker, it makes me wonder why they didn’t opt for a no-date movement.

The Heritage arrives on a genuine leather strap with a croc pattern, this I think was the right call as it fits the watch perfectly. At the top of the long side of the strap, it starts at 20mm and then gently tapers down to 17mm at the end giving a classy look. It measures in at 124mm length and has 8 adjustment holes that have been very well done and look clean. The croc pattern is slowly starting to wrinkle and is ageing quite well. In terms of comfort, the strap has a soft inner side that feels nice against your wrist, it’s also reasonably supple and isn’t too rigid. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough adjustment holes for me to get a perfect fit, though it was still comfortable to wear.

The top part of the strap is around 85mm and houses two leather keepers, one of which is free-floating and both are well made. The stitching throughout looks uniform, neatly done and is colour matched to the strap as to not detract from it. The buckle design is very elegant and features some prominent branding that is still tasteful. The buckle feels solidly made and is nicely secured in place. I appreciate that they haven’t simply gone with a standard ‘off-the-shelf’ buckle as it shows care and thought has been applied.

As a whole the Rotary Heritage is a timepiece befitting of the name, the design is classy, elegant and refined which is further bolstered by the strong build quality and extra flourishes like the beautifully done lugs and dial. One of the slight drawbacks is the use of the Miyota 821a as it has a ghost date position, here we would have liked to have seen Rotary opt for something different just to add that extra fine touch to the watch as a whole. However, given the choice, we are glad they opted for the 821a over the 8215 as it is far more attractive movement to look at through the exhibition caseback and it has the hacking seconds function. I am also personally not a fan of how the red on the second’s hand and dial work with the colour scheme, though that is a personal preference, and you might have a differing opinion as this is how it was done on the watch it is based upon.

One other minor complaint is the extra-long lugs, yes the design is striking and stunning to look at, though it means that it sadly wears too big on my slimmer wrist and could likely on yours if you have a similar wrist size too. To combat this we would have liked to have seen a variant with dimensions more in-keeping with that you’d expect from a timepiece from that era – though that is not what was delivered.

So, even with all the above in mind, this is still a well-done timepiece that almost perfectly blends its vintage elements with its modern design traits into a compelling well-done watch.

The post Rotary Heritage Watch Review appeared first on 12&60.

There’s no doubt about it, it’s a seriously beautiful watch – and it is Swiss Made, and has a great automatic chronograph movement in the Sellita SW500. Their pricing of it, however, is surely going to ensure that no-one will buy one; if it was priced at around the £1000 mark then I’d have a completely different viewpoint of it.

The specs

The video review

The post Thomas Earnshaw Longcase Watch Review appeared first on 12&60.

They have since sent me a couple of extra models for comparison: so here we have the Premier, Classic and Sports. The primary difference between each model is the strap, however, what’s most impressive is how the different colourway is utilised throughout the timepiece.

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Watch the below video for an in-depth comparison

The Carrnegie Premier

Let’s start with the Premier; their most expensive offering starting at $239. This comes fitted with a crocodile stamped leather strap, and the quality is very good and comfortable. This model is the rose gold version; which has the same colour throughout the case and also on the clasp. It’s not available with the standard tang buckle – you can only get the butterfly clasp with the Premier.

The Carrnegie Classic

Next, we have the Classic – and this iteration is the gold with the blue theme. This is where we really see the Carrnegie range come into its own. The gold plating is used for the main case section, and also the butterfly clasp.

However, the blue “theme” is not what you’d expect. Usually, when a brand offers a few different colourways, all that is changed is the dial. Not here. Not Carrnegie.

I’m very impressed to see the blue not only used on the dial, but also on the bezel, crown, and caseback. This must result in a lot of extra effort and cost, but boy does it make a difference, especially when you consider there’s 3 different bases (steel, gold and rose gold) and 3 different themes (white, black and blue).

Thinking about the base, it also changes the hands and applied indices on the dial – so they also change to steel, gold or rose gold depending on the case. Again, a lovely display of a great way of offering different colour schemes for a model.

The Classic has a smooth leather strap and starts at $179 (for the tang buckle, add $20 for the butterfly clasp). That $40 is quite noticeable in the quality of leather. Personally, I’m not usually too fussed by alligator print, but if I was to choose, I’d definitely go for the Premier based on the better quality strap. It’s also good to note that there are 3 coloured straps that match the theme; blue, black, and brown (which is for the white dial).

The Carrnegie Sports

The model I have here is the Sports Black Rose Gold. There’s something about black and rose gold that just goes so well together – immediately it’s a winning combination.

As is their custom, the black theme runs through from the dial to the bezel, crown and caseback.

The Sports is identified by the rubber strap – which is available in black (which is used on the black and white), and blue. It costs the same as the Classic – starting at $179 (for the tang buckle, add $20 for the butterfly clasp). The quality of the rubber strap is lovely – it’s not stiff or hard, which some can be – but rather, it’s supple and malleable. It’s very comfortable on the wrist, with some interesting “0” grips on the underside to keep it from spinning. There’s also a central raised channel on the top which keeps things interesting and draws the eye.

Final comments

Carrnegie has done a remarkable job in creating an excellent range of watches that are truly different. It’s not just a change of dial colour for them, it’s a change of hands and indices on the dial, and a different bezel, crown and caseback. In reality, this is a way of “theming” that works very well indeed – they create a very different look (just compare the Premier and the Sports for instance) – and it’s one that I’d love to see more of.

All things considered, they are great value for money and the amount of work that must go into each iteration is impressive. Yes, naming an entire model based solely on the type of strap is a slightly bizarre way of working, but there’s no doubt that these are an impressive collection that provides a wide range of styles.

The post Carrnegie Watches Range Overview appeared first on 12&60.

The specs

• Dimensions: 44mm diameter x 14mm (16.5mm to top of crystal) height x 52.8mm lug to lug
• Weight: 100g
• Water resistance rating: 10ATM / 100m
• Movement: Seiko NH35
• Accuracy: +4.9 s/d
• Lug width: 24mm
• Warranty: 1 year
• Price: RRP $349 (£250), offer of $249 (£175)
• Buy here: https://www.advisorwatches.com/product-page/astrohelm-v1-antique-automatic

The case

The case is IP plated rose gold, highly polished which is not what this style of watch is associated with – it’s either brass / bronze (a much more rugged, rustic look) or polished stainless steel. The shape is a traditional Panerai inspired pillow.

Sitting on top of the case is a ridiculously tall double domed sapphire crystal, which is one of the main talking points of this watch for me. The main issue is that the sheer height makes it a reflection magnet, and there also doesn’t seem to be any effective anti-reflective coating. It’s thick and reassuringly good quality however, resonating a deep thud when tapped.

The screw-in crown has no markings, which is a shame; it looks a little plain / bland. It has decent thread, which is easy to use thanks to size and grip,

The caseback is stainless steel, which doesn’t quite match the gold case visually. The details are deeply engraved surrounding the exhibition window, impressively so and neatly done. The exhibition window has the logo printed on underside.

The dial

This dial layout is known as a California dial – identified by the half roman and half arabic numerals. The style was first introduced by Rolex and then Panerai, so it’s fitting that Advisor have chosen it.

It has a very interesting base – it has a brushed antique plating to it. I find it matches the case really well, but is certainly an acquired taste.

The lume is described as “Old Radium”, definitely referring to the light gold colour mimicking an aged dial. The printing is fine and well done; with the logo within the top half and “automatic” in bottom half – which is red, and hard to read.

The date wheel is white and appears to be the stock wheel. The date window is cut straight out of the dial; I personally like to see some detailing (printed or applied border), but I appreciate the simplicity here in this situation.

Surrounding the outer edge of the dial is a vintage style railway minute track which frames everything well. The colour is inspired by an aging process, matching the lumed numerals.

The hands are straight, with arrow tips and a divider in centre. They are polished gold to match the case, and catch the light well. The seconds hand is a straight stick.

The strap

The leather strap is 24mm wise at the lugs in traditional Panerai style, very wide creating impressive wrist presence. It’s made of crazy horse brown leather, which is very soft to the touch. It’s a little bit matte on top, but that helps make the watch a little more rugged in appearance than it actually is.

It’s clearly very well made, is nice and thick, with good edging and more or less flawless construction. It also smells great which is always a plus for leather items.

It has attractive white stitched detailing surround the outer edge, keeping ones’ interest whilst viewing it.

It comes fitted with a chunky pre-V buckle, which is polished gold to match case. It’s likely to scratch, but I’ve actually and surprisingly not experienced that just yet. It has the Advisor logo deeply and accurately engraved toward one side.

The movement

The movement powering the Advisor Astrohelm is the Seiko NH35. A movement I’ve seen countless times, and there’s little wonder why. It’s affordable, hard as nails, and easy to regulate. This example has clearly been regulated well, as it’s coming in at a sensational +4.9 seconds a day – that’s within COSC specs.

It’s completely stock – there’s no customisation whatsoever – but we do have the Advisor logo displayed over the exhibition window with makes things a little more interesting.

Final comments

Is it for me? Probably not, mostly due to the unexpected polished gold case just not being for me. However, it sure is a lot of watch for the money at $249, as it’s clearly a well made timepiece with a great solid automatic movement.

The sapphire crystal is so ridiculously domed, the reflections are so vast it made it difficult to photograph – which is a shame and a but frustrating; as it does effect legibility a bit.

I find the dial very interesting, however – vintage inspired and different to anything else I’ve seen. If it catches your eye, then it sure is a good watch for the money.

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When I first saw the advert for the Thomas Earnshaw Cornwall Bridge, I was rather excited. At a glance, it’s hard to deny that it looks a stunning timepiece and Bridge movements are used few and far between.

First things first, the watch is marketed as the “Cornwall Bridge Automatic”. I’m sure you’ve come to realise that it’s a hand wind only watch and is not automatic in the slightest – so that’s a bit embarrassing for them.

Let’s take a closer look to see if it’s a decent watch for the money and overlook that.

The specs

• Dimensions: 42mm diameter x 9.5mm height x 49mm lug to lug
• Weight: 55g
• Water resistance rating: 50m
• Movement: PTS JQ-005
• Lug width: 20mm
• Warranty: 2 years
• Price: £410

The dial

What’s there to say really about the dial apart from there isn’t one? The bridge / baguette movement provides a pleasing and unusual backdrop to this timepiece.

There is technically a dial, but it’s a transparent disc which the logo is printed on and the applied hour markers at 12 and 6 are connected to.

These applied hour markers are very well done indeed, accurate and finely finished. There is the double E logo at 12, and 6 in Roman numerals at the base of the dial.

The pitched dauphine hands are gold to match the movement. They have a brushed finish and are very well executed, however it can prove to be difficult to read the time when they’re sitting on top of the movement – such as 9:15.

Surrounding this void is an elegant blue rehaut, which sets the tone nicely and works well with the yellow gold case and movement.

The case

The case is yellow gold plated and definitely provides wrist presence – whilst it is on the large size at 42mm in diameter, due to the transparent nature of the watch it doesn’t wear that big.

As is their custom, they have Earnshaw engraved down the side of the case, which is deep and neatly done.

The screw-in caseback is steel, with a large exhibition window with details surrounding it. It’s a shame it’s not gold plated to match the case.

I believe mineral crystals have been used on the top and bottom. For a watch costing £410, personally I think they should be no less than sapphire.

Now we come up to the worst part of the whole watch – the crown. It’s simply unusable. Of course, it’s a hand wind only watch, which naturally means you need to wind it every two days at least – but it’s just too small to use. It’s a nightmare getting any sort of grip on it, it’s even difficult to pull out to change the time. I’ve developed a technique to wind it – sort of pushing my thumb flat on top of the town and twisting it. It’s not really ideal as it’s putting strain on the movement but it’s the only way to easily wind it. I’m pretty perplexed by this – surely they would have tested something like this. It has the double E logo engraved on the end.

The strap

The strap is thin, but lovely and supple. The thinness of it helps it to be very comfortable on the wrist, but it still feels good quality in the hand.

The strap has another slight flaw  – the buckle. Whilst it looks good as the top bar is in a shape of the E logo, that usually ends up wrecking the centre of the strap due to the strain on it. The brushed top bar has the Earnshaw logo engraved, with polished flanks.

The movement

The movement powering the Thomas Earnshaw Cornwall Bridge is the PTS JQ-005. It looks nice and certainly creates a luxurious appearance, but under close inspection there’s a few marks and signs of budget finishing.

It has a 36 hour power reserve once fully wound, and runs at 21.6k bph (6 ticks per second).

Final comments

It’s not too often that I’m critical of a watch. But, I strongly feel that Thomas Earnshaw should have though about this a little more. It’s constructive criticism, not just a good ol’ moan. Firstly marketing it as an automatic makes them look unknowledgeable, and then the crown is so small it makes the entire watch hard to use.

The RRP of £410 seems to be too much for a watch with a Chinese mechanical movement and mineral crystals.

However, there’s no denying the Thomas Earnshaw Cornwall Bridge does really look the part and if you’re happy to overlook the issues and can get it at a bargain price then it’ll be a watch that fits in well on the wrist in any smart situation.

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James McCabe is very much a smart, classy brand – their timepieces all aim to go well with a suit. This watch, the Heritage II 24hr is fairly middle of the ground with a price tag of £280. Lets see how it fares for the price.

The specs

• Dimensions: 39.5mm diameter x 12mm height x 45mm lug to lug
• Weight: 72g
• Water resistance rating: 5ATM / 50m
• Movement: Miyota 8215
• Lug width: 20mm
• Accuracy: -0.2 s/d
• Warranty: 2 years
• Price: £280

The dial

I find the dial design to be classy and elegant. The silver champagne colour works well with the gold hands and applied elements.

It has some gentle depth thanks to the linear pattern on the base and also the surrounding disc on a higher level.

It also has some texture, due to the light concentric circular pattern located in the subdials and around the outside edge containing the minute track.

There’s a fair amount of applied elements which I like. There are pitched batons as hour markers, apart from 12 and 6 which have Roman numerals. There are also applied borders around the subdials which are a nice extra. They are all yellow gold, and very nicely constructed.

The hands are classy and antique themed, reminding me of a grandfather clock. Despite their thin nature they provide good legibility.

The dial has “Assembled in the U.K.” printed at the base – now I’m not entirely sure if this is true. I highly doubt it as the watch wasn’t sent from a UK address so it’s actually pretty risky to print this.

The case

The case is a really good size at 39.5mm in diameter – it’s very easy to wear on my 7 1/4″ wrist. It’s not too large, whilst being decent enough to look classy and provide wrist presence at the same time. The weight of 72g is gentle on the wrist but provides you with the feeling of quality.

The case has a pleasant curvaceous, bulbous shape. Due to this, the bottom which makes contact with wrist is not as wide as top – so it actually feels smaller on the wrist when wearing it. This is a key point to why it’s a good wear.

The crystal has a nice dome to it to continue the fluid shape of the case. It’s a shame it’s mineral though and now sapphire.

The logo is deeply engraved along the opposite side of the case to the crown. The flat onion type crown has the logo laser etched on end which is disappointing – it’s a shame it’s not engraved.

The screw-in caseback has various watch specifics engraved around the exhibition window, which shows off the movement very well.

The strap

The leather strap is a dull shine black with matching stitching, which works well with the yellow gold.

It’s surprisingly supple – to be completely honest, I was expecting worse quality. But, it’s proved to be comfortable and breaks in quickly.

The strap also has the positive addition of quick release pins, making changing straps a doddle.

The butterfly clasp is well made and is also yellow gold, with the James McCabe logo deeply engraved on the top bar. I find it digs in a little if I wear the watch for a while though, but that’s the nature of a butterfly clasp.

The movement

The movement used is a Miyota 8215. It’s low beat (21.6k bph, 6 ticks per second) but as it has a small seconds hand you still get a smooth action.

The movement has a lovely custom rotor added. This is a very good thing as the stock rotor on this movement is really ugly and plain. It is gold to match the case and has the JM logo cut out, which is a pleasant touch. It also has pearlage to match the bridges of the movement.

Using my Lepsi Watch Scope to track the accuracy, this one in particular runs at a simply ridiculous -0.2 seconds a day out. That’s absolutely superb, no doubts about that.

Final comments

I was dubious if I was going to like this watch when it was being sent. I’m never one to go for yellow gold so that was a concern, but also I had no experience with James McCabe so I didn’t know the level of quality to expect. As soon as I opened it, however, I was pleasantly surprised.

Bearing in mind the RRP of £280 is reasonable to start with (plus you can usually get offers and discounts on top of this), the general quality of the timepiece is much better than I anticipated. The finishing of the case, dial construction, movement accuracy and the custom rotor, are all very good indeed.

Really the only negatives to mention are the mineral crystal instead of sapphire, and the dubious claim of being assembled in the U.K. Other than that, it’s a solid watch that looks the part.

The post James McCabe Heritage Automatic II 24hr Watch Review appeared first on 12&60.

I’m happy to share with you all the Deutsche Uhrenfabrik (Dufa) Walter Gropius DF-9001-02. It’ll cost you €260 / £190, so immediately that’s a pretty good start. Let’s take a closer look to see if it’s a decent watch for that price. 

The case

The case is a rather minimalist affair, weighing in at a slight 35g. It measures 38mm in diameter, with a height of 8mm, and a 45mm lug to lug length. For my 7 1/4 inch wrist, it fits very well as a classic / vintage style timepiece. The low profile means it is extremely easy to wear, and coupled with the light weight it is also very comfortable. 

The case is completely polished, and has a very good level of finishing and machining. The finish is mirror-like, and the shape of the case is nicely executed. It has a bulbous, curved edge if you’re looking at it lug-on, and this actually makes it wear and feel a little smaller than the size suggests. Another reason why it’s an easy wear.

The push-on caseback contains a very detailed design, which is deeply engraved with impressive precision. There’s a nice drawing of a building of some sort, surrounded by a well-engraved spiral guilloche pattern. Around the outer edge is the Deutsche Uhrenfabrik name, and various watch specifics such as the model number, water resistance, and model number.

The Walter Gropius has a push-pull crown, which provides excellent grip. It’s just the right size – it’s the right proportion to the case, and is easy to use. It features the Dufa logo deeply etched on the end, once again quite impressively done.

The watch has 30m water resistance, which means it’s just about acceptable to go swimming in very shallow water with it on, not that I would personally do that. But it’s certainly fine to wear everyday and not worry about moisture getting in.

The crystal appears to be mineral, although I can’t be 100% certain. There’s no mention on the website, and I’ve asked but heard nothing back. It is a lovely shape, flat with a curved edging. This distorts the very edge of the view of the dial, especially the numerical hour markers – which I love. It keeps viewing the watch interesting, as at every angle something unique is happening. It’s also very vintage by design, working well with the rest of the watch.

Whilst the case in essence is simple, and actually very minimal, it’s very well made – and I especially appreciate the high quality of engraving found on the caseback and crown.

The dial

The dial really keeps the vintage theme going, and in fact is the key inspiration. This is thanks to the thin hands and Bauhaus numbers. The golden colours used on these also aid this.

The main dial plate is a black, shiny / polished finish. This provides a bit of reflection to the dial, in particular you can see the underside of the hands, and along the edges of the applied hour markers.

The small seconds is found within a subdial located at 6, set into the main dial body. It’s extremely neatly done, the edging between the two layers is completely flawless and smooth as you like.

One thing that I always love is applied hour markers. And I’m happy to say that the Sufa Walter Gropius doesn’t disappoint in this area. The numbers are in a stunning Bauhaus style font, tall and thin. They are the same gold / bronze colour as the hands, and look terrific against the shiny black dial when they catch the light. They’re all impressively made, even though they’re reasonably complex, and application is spot on.

The hands are thin, elegant, and simple. They have a light pitching to them, and are shaped as a baton with a small point at the tip. Just like the hour markers, they reflect the light well and look the part against the black back drop. They’re made with the same German accuracy as the rest of the watch.

The printing on the dial is all a golden colour to match the hands, numerals, and to contribute to the vintage vibe. It’s all accurate and precise, with no smudging.

The dial in total is really well made, and is also excellently designed.

The strap

The strap measures 18mm wide at the lugs, reducing to 16mm at the buckle – that’s fairly thin, but it matches the vintage feel and also suits the size of the case well. The leather feels very soft – it’s thin, but feels high quality – not like your usual thin leather that can be found on cheaper Chinese brands.

The straps is very soft and malleable, meaning it’s super comfortable on the wrist – you can barely feel it.

It’s a medium brown colour with slight oaky tones to it, with matching light brown stitching. The colour goes well with the vintage aesthetics, especially the golden hands and hour markers.

Regarding the buckle, the logo is the key design feature and is excellently made and engraved, just like the one found in the crown. The brushed central band is flanked by polished bars either side, and I really like how the logo is almost like a badge, overflowing the usual domain of the buckle.

It’s a comfortable strap, that matches and works perfectly with the watch.

The movement

To be completely honest, I have no idea on the movement. It’s quartz, but that’s all there is to know. I’ve asked, but not been informed. I would hazard a guess of it being something Japanese, such as a Miyota. 

The competition

If the vintage, Bauhaus look of the Dufa Walter Gropius catches your eye then there’s a couple alternatives, both of which look rather alike. 

First up is the Rodina R005, which has gathered quite a following in various watch forums. It’s blatantly Chinese (it says China Made on the dial), and boasts seriously impressive specs for $120 – sapphire crystal, automatic movement, and just generally pretty well made for the price. I don’t think it’s quite as well made as the Dufa, and a watch made in Germany will get you a little more street cred.

On the opposite end of the scale is the Nomos Tangente, the watch the Rodina is actually based on. They start at £1200, but are completely Made in Germany – including they’re own in-house movement. They’ve also got a reputation of being beautifully built.

Final comments

The design of the Dufa Walter Gropius really sings out to me personally. Whilst I love the idea and design behind vintage watches, they’re a whole other realm and world to new watches. So a vintage inspired, well constructed watch made in Germany for under £200 is a hit in my opinion. It’s a shame that there’s no mechanical option available, as that would complete the vintage check list. 

Still, if you like it, you can be certain that you’ll be getting plenty for your money. Not forgetting that you also get a 2 year warranty, it is a stunning little watch that is very refined and well put together. If you like it, go for it.

The post Deutsche Uhrenfabrik (Dufa) Walter Gropius DF-9001-02 Watch Review appeared first on 12&60.