After a thorough internet search with very few hits -this is not a very well-known brand beyond the mag of the same name- I ended up purchasing this watch on looks alone. I wanted a cool retro watch with a dressy, sporty, techy look to it powered by a modern engine.It surpassed all my expectations upon arrival. Not only do photos on Amazon don't do it enough justice; this is one of the most handsome watches I've ever seen !! Everything advertised is true except for the strap colour that is not black but a very dark brown; from the dimensions to the functions and the materials it's made of :
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br /1- Real stainless steel case, not just the caseback.
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br /2- Genuine, supple leather wristband doesn't look too durable but hey, that's leather like, doesn't it ?
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br /3- Real solar movement ! It's like an Eco-drive with an actual lithium Ion accumulator. The black fascia is a silicon panel that transforms electricity into juice. It can work for 6 months in the dark once it's received 3 hours worth of sunlight.
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br /4- It has an old-fashioned, built in slide rule that actually works and a manual that even an idiot would understand that explains how to use it, with a second crown commanding the inner rotating bezel.
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br /It's not too heavy, not too light, not too big, not too small, it's extremely comfy to wear and has only minor drawbacks typical of watches in this price range :
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br /1- The hourhand hand is late some 3' respecting the minutehand, it's hard to find a watch in which they coincide perfectly; I've seen Tag Heuer chronos with this problem but then again only a geek like me will notice that. Both hands have radium on them but it's not enough to make them visible in the dark because of the dagger-like shape and honestly, these things work for 10' average on any conventional watch anyway !!
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br /2- The secondhand jumps from one secondmark to the other but doesn't coincide with them, EVER, nothing to worry about, though.
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br /This watch is 50M water resistant, suitable for swimming, not 30M like Amazon claims. I don't think the padded leather strap would take water too keenly though since it's not treated against water.
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br /I picked this one over the model " B " which has 3 cool subdials and a beautiful stainless link bracelet at a mere U$8 more dollars because that one was out of stock at the time but that one is not nearly as elegant or has the solar movement this one features so I'm cool with my choice. I wonder if I could get that bracelet as a replacement though.
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br /A good watch at a reasonable price for those who don't need a chronograph I'd recommend this one over any Citizen or Seiko, it even has a Miyota engine which is a state-of-the-art, japanese-made used by the finest watches around.
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br /And of top of it all, keeps incredibly accurate time.
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br /Hope it helped
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