Let’s start this review off with a disclosure; I was a consultant to the 32º brand about two years ago during its initial planning stages. I did not do any design work. This is brought up only because I try to keep my reviews objective and so it seems fair that you the reader should be aware. That stated, it hoped that my positioning at that time may provide at least a bit of background insight.

At the onset 32º had a stated goal of producing a line of well made heavy sport watches with some eye catching high-end inspiration, yet at an affordable price level. Even a casual tour around this particular model and its readily apparent that they have succeeded on all points.

In addition to some great design work, what 32º brings to the table is wisdom born of experience. As discussed in an article found elsewhere on this site, “China is not necessarily a bad word,” the key (or at least one of them) is knowing the pitfalls. Knowing not only who the best players are, but often at least as important, who to avoid! 32º has used their considerable experience in the watch manufacturing world to ferret out or forge relationships with the best, including factories that produce cases for some well known brands often thought of as Swiss. In so doing they are bringing high-end craftsmanship standards to the table while at the same time doing it for something less than an opulent price tag.

The watch we’ll consider today — the 32º Swiss Scimitar — seems to be drawing from both the 32º Driver and Impulse series, two very successful models in the current (07/09) lineup. I think one of the lead features of this series is the case, so let’s start with that.

This model case is in and of itself a complication. One of the reasons I know this is that I have met with this case builder at both the Basel Watch Fair and the Hong Kong Watch and Clock Fair, both times on business independent from 32º, and can tell you that their case manufacturing and design capabilities are nothing short of impressive. This case is built to high end specs indeed, and consists of numerous pieces, each finished to exacting measurement. All bolts and screws that you see are fully operable and serve a key function; nothing is molded or embossed just for show. Even the strap suspension assembly is done with bolts in lieu of the more commonly found pins. Every line in this case is razor accurate, and you will see the same attention to detail when the finish changes from brushed to polished.

The case is beautifully curved both front and back, with matched custom executed mineral crystals. The lugs themselves appear to be machinery (adding greatly to the aesthetic appeal) and indeed they are hinged at both the case and strap ends, thus assuring a comfortable fit despite despite the watch’s size and weight (see below). It also bears mentioning that the yellow gold finish on this case is excellent! I’ve seen a lot of layering work over my career and can share that this work is high quality indeed, both in color temperature and application.

One of the key visual components (and technical challenges in construction) is that this design boasts a case within a case. As you can see the outer case in turn houses a smaller steel enclosure suspended in space between the twin crystals and outer case, via sturdy brackets at both the the six and twelve o’clock positions. In turn the smaller suspended case houses a Swiss quartz movement, delivering both accurate maintenance free timekeeping as well as a true double rotor Big Date complication situated at the twelve o’clock position. The date is set via the push crown.

This “inner case” also contains all dial work and related decoration.The dial itself is crafted in several pieces, with the focal point being a beautiful circle of smoke blue mother of pearl making up the center. A graceful and precise folded fan texture radiates in black down across the dial expanse from the Big Date display at the twelve o’clock position. The dial’s frames, halos, and hand applied numbers are all finished in yellow gold, as are the hands which are treated with luminous material down the center. A lighter blue enamel is used to highlight the hour markers and roman numerals machined into the brushed bezel. The finished ensemble is presented on a thick single stitched genuine leather strap that has been embossed with an ostrich motif. I think the blue black color selected for this model beautifully pulls from the spectrum found in the mother of pearl.

Watch Specs Overview:

Weight:
finished watch (strap model) 119 gms

Movement:
Swiss Ronda 6004.B quartz

Case:
46mm x 14.5mm stainless steel, finished in yellow gold
Curved custom executed mineral crystals
Water resistant up to 3 ATM

Dial:
Mother-of-pearl center
Folded fan radiant texture
Double rotor Big Date window
Subsidiary seconds dial
Luminous hands

Strap:
200mm x 22mm thick single stitched genuine leather strap with ostrich embossing
Stainless steel buckle, finished in yellow gold

As to cost, I don’t have an exact MSRP from 32º but similar watches in the lineup are compared as high as $1395. 32º has been known to offer generous discount at times so you may well be able to acquire it for less.

Pros: Very well made. Aggressive design and construction based on high end concept. Beautifully engineered case assures comfortable fit. Looks great (and expensive) when worn. Gold finishing is outstanding. Fans of complex mechanical inspired case design will love this production.

Cons: May be too large for some dress cuffs (in fairness it’s not designed to be a sleek classic dress watch). Would have liked to have seen a water resistance higher than 3 ATM, but am sure the engineering challenges of the complex case design factored here.

Bottom Line: If you are looking for an aggressive large production in a dress-sport watch based on very high end design concept but at an especially attractive price, buy this watch immediately. For dollar spent it’s got to be one of the best choices out there.

So..  another BaselWorld, as it’s known, has come and gone.  I thought I would take a moment to report on what I’ve learned so far, and also explain the event a bit for the benefit who may not be familiar with its significance.

The Basel Watch Fair, or BaselWorld, has been hosted by Basel, Switzerland for many a year and is simply put, the single most important gathering of watch enthusiasts, manufacturers, and industry leaders in the world.  Nothing else even comes close.  This is where all trends start or fizzle, and dreams and innovations are both made and broken.

The show is divided among six halls which vary in size but several are the equivalent of a medium size sports arena, and are spread over several city blocks.  Opulence is the name of the game in Hall 1 (known as the Hall of Dreams) where Patek’s booth (”booth” in this Hall equates to two and three level buildings) is a scaled down version of the MOMA museum with the front area built of Lalique crystal, Tag Heuer’s is a three story black iceberg, and Breitling suspends a 27 ton fish tank in midair, among many other showcases.  Other halls will contain less high profile brands, accessories, boutique luxury brands, OEM manufacturers, manufacturers providing the gear used to make watches and components, etc.

You cannot see the entire show in a day; you cannot see it in two.  I have always spent the better part of a week when I have attended and still would never claim to have seen everything.  I have attended 9 of the last 11 (for the record I have missed this years and the year of the SARS issue) and the knowledge and insight gleaned from the experience is invaluable.  Getting to meet, interview, and even take instruction from some of the finest watchmakers in the world is surely a treat for any watch guy.  Having missed this year (the first in years), am especially grateful to have attended nine of the previous ten.  I can’t imagine how far out of the loop of real and credible info someone in the industry would be having missed two or even three years running.  Reading reports is nice, but obviously there is nothing like being there.

That stated, having yes, missed this years myself, I am going to give what insight I can based on talking extensively to trusted colleagues who did attend, either as a journalist, exhibitor, or  buyer, not to mention fan.

The overview seems to be this; attendance was definitely down, as was exhibiting.  Not in the big power halls, such as One, or the boutique high end brands, but definitely so in the more mainstream brands.  Many companies that I work with and know either curtailed their visit, or eliminated it.  The reason of course is the current economy.  It was noted at the show that US attendees at the show were down dramatically, though attendance was definitely down from around the world.

Almost in anticipation of this, multiple sources tell me that innovation, specifically investment in such, was held back, at least at the relatively affordable level, though there were definitely some nice mechanical releases unveiled.  Once you crossed the line into the “recession proof” ultra high end the story was apparently a bit different, though as yet I’ve yet to hear of a must see star achievement of the show being named.

It is interesting to compare BaselWorld to the Geneva show.  Geneva hosts a lesser known but exclusive show that coincides with Basel, a show made up of mid-level (for the most part) luxury brands that for whatever reason prefer the Geneva venue over Basel.  There the traffic was down even more, which am told is attributed to the price range of 5000-20000 dollar retail being the predominant spread for Geneva participants.

So… what does all this mean?  In a nutshell, it means change.  It means that the industry at large with have to move and adapt.  I’ll blog more on that at a future date.  In the meantime, I trust this gives you at least a bit of insight into the 2009 show, and as always, I thank you for visiting!

Tim