A Matt V. Watch Review
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Watch Review By: Matt V. <mattv@mailcity.com>
WATCH REVIEW COMMENTS A Japanese automatic movement with date function and GMT hand (can be set individually), 42 hours power reserve, 21600 bph, can be hacked; not really a classic ETA but does the job! I haven't opened it up yet and therefore can not attest to the number of jewels (if any) or decoration (unlikely). Anyhow, even though an automatic GMT movement at this (affordable) pricelevel is rare, I wish the second hand would move just a little smoother and not constantly remind me of the dreaded Miyota automatic movement. However, a quick "flip" of the watch doesn't result in the "pausing second hand" syndrom so I guess at least the second hand seems to be a true center second hand.
Case, Crystal and Crown The 40mm diameter case (44mm with crown) is about the same size as the original Sub and GMT (or the less expensive versions by Invicta, Sandoz, O&W etc.) and looks nice on the wrist. With 13mm height, the watch is substantial and sits nicely on the wrist. The stainless steel case is beautifully polished on the sides, brushed on top. The back isn't treated as nicely and the inside area between the lugs (which on a positive note have the holes for the springbars drilled all the way through) reminds me of the original Oyster case with only very basic surface treatment. All corners and edges are crisp, the top corners are smooth and rounded. The screw back is bezeled like on the original Oyster case and polished /brushed with no markings and the 6mm diameter screw down crown fits nicely between the crown guards leaving no unsightly gaps. However, the crown is not that easy to grip and operate as it doesn't extend over the crown guards and the space between the turning bezel crown is limited. The thick mineral crystal with no AR coating and a magnifying lens over the date extends about 1mm on top of the bezel and might be prone to scratches. The screw down crown/thick tube looks better than what I have seen before on similar watches and feels reliable in providing a watertight seal. A water resistance of 200m confirms that this should be a rather rugged watch.
Bezel Uni-Directional Divers Bezel, adjusted in 60 positions, in chromed aluminium with blue/red 24hour GMT inlay (I still left the translucent protective plastic sticker on the bezel): but no luminous dot in the "0/24" triangle! Looks OK, is easy to turn and feels cheap as the ratchet spring which normally avoids that the bezel turns in both directions is loose enough to allow about 1 degree tolerance in both directions. Lines up nicely due to this large tolerance but has no quality "feel" to it. Extends over the edges of the watch enough to allow for a secure grip even with gloves or under water.
Dial and Hands Cheap dials that are blatantly trying to imitate Rolex but don't quite achieve that quality are my biggest pet peave with Invicta and Sandoz Sub's. The dial of this GMT takes pretty much follows the same approach: a matte black dial with printed markers and a printed, outer 60 seconds track looks like just another failed attempt to achieve the looks of the original. The name "Chronomat GMT"is printed in white/silver on the top half together with the designation "Automatic" and an encirceled "T", "Perpetual Calendar" and "660FT=200M" is printed on the bottom half together with the Broad Arrow symbol usually pointing out a military heritage. "Swiss" is printed proudly on the bottom to confirms a highly suspect origin. Markers and hands have luminous material in a light green color applied and while the markers seem to work well, the hands in the classic silver mercedes style seem to glow only very dim as if the luminous material was different.
Accuracy Gains about 12 seconds per day (haven't had a chance to put it on the Vibrograf yet). That seems to be in line with other new watches I got. In my experience, that should slow down after a few weeks of wear so I won't bother timing it until it had its run-in period.
Strap, Buckle or Bracelet While most of the time I prefer straps on my watches, I am a sucker for a nice, thick and hefty bracelet that matches the style of a watch. If it is comfortable to wear and looks good, even better. So far I found e.g. the Invicta bracelet to be a great value and once the shiny middle links were brushed, the looks were good too. Breitling bracelets in my opinion define the upper class (their Pilot bracelets are a dream) however they do come with a hefty pricetag as well. In the case of this watch, the 20mm factory Oyster style bracelet is an interesting attempt. Rather thick (3mm) solid links (not cheap folded metal) using screws (not cheap pushpins), rather flexible even though the middle "link" only made to look like a separate piece of metal and not even really comfortable. Highly polished on the sides and neatly brushed on top..if only the clasp and endpieces were a match! The double foldover deployant clasp is only 16.5mm wide, thinner metal imitating the looks of the "invisible" clasp of the original. It's construction is poor, the mechanism to hold the clasp down without the safety clasp on top rather pathetic and easy to bend out of shape resulting in a failed clasp. The endpieces are made of thick, bent metal and looked like solid endpieces at first: remarkable however is the different look with the center sticking up a little. Two thumbs down for this attempt of a bracelet and clasp!
User Manual and Packaging None! The watch came with protective plastic around the bracelet and on top of the crystal / at the bracelet, simply thrown into a postal container together with some bubble wrap. I wish it had come with at least some basic info on the movement, winding direction etc. No points here....
Comfort A substantial watch and solid bracelet. Due to the classic shape of the case it sits rather low on the wrist. The original bracelet can be adjusted in 7 positions at the clasp, individual links can be removed for sizing (screws, not pushpins!) however no divers extension takes care of quick adjustments. After only about an hour I decided to replace the bracelet with an Invicta Oyster bracelet and am considering a rubber strap for summer usage as well!
Value The watch sells on an auction site for around $100 plus shipping. I haven't seen this particular watch or style selling anywhere else so far. The price puts it in the same category as other entry level automatic watches, for example an Sandoz Sub with automatic ETA movement. As the Sandoz lacks the GMT function but has the (better) Swiss movements, the GMT probably compares more to a less expensive Invicta, also without GMT function. I consider this watch an interesting novelty item with an automatic GMT movement at a reasonable price and it will find its place as a beater in my collection, but really nothing more! If you're looking for a horological find you might want to move on and pass on this one...
Copyright © 2002-2004 Matt van Doorn, All Rights Reserved
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