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.
In this review we’ll take a look at a relatively rare watch (only 1500 made) and one sought after by collectors despite its quirks; the Yema Bipôle Duopoly.
The Yema watch company, or “YEMA Maison Horlogère Française” was founded in Besancon, France, in 1948. An early major achievement was the 1953 offering of wristwatches made water resistant to depths greater than 200 meters. For you watch trivia buffs, it was neither Rolex or Omega, but rather Yema that produced James Bond’s first movie watch; Dr. No, 1962. This French founded company was at one point owned by Seiko, is was re-acquired by Louis-Eric Beckensteiner in 2004.
The Bipôle Duopoly wristwatch, also known as the Yema Transantarctic Bi-Pole (Transantarctica Polar Navigational) or the BiPole, is one of only a handful of see-through watches I’ve come across, and realistically the only see-through sport model. It is quite visually captivating, especially given the red velcro strap and bright day-glo colors used on hands and dial.
At the time it was built (1990) this wristwatch pushed the edge of high-tech rugged construction with the goal of surviving extreme sports, and went with what at the time was rarely heard of materials for building a watch; titanium, carbon fiber and kevlar, with the addition of adding sapphire crystals to a sport watch.
The genesis of the timepiece was a commission by explorers Dr. Jean-Louis Etienne and Will Steger for their 1989 International Transantarctic Expedition. Dr. Etienne was the first man to reach the North Pole alone, pulling his sleigh and walking for 63 days over the 800 kilometers, from the northern edge of Canada, while Mr Steger was the fourth person ever to reach both poles. The key was creating a timepiece that would stand up to the rigors of rough handling in a freezing environment, while at the same time aiding the explorers with navigating via the sun, since traditional compasses don’t work near the poles due to the proximity of either magnetic north or south. the watch displays mean as well as sidereal time, which is a method of telling the time via positions of celestial bodies versus earth rotation (and no, I don’t know how to do that). Am told it is similar to the use of a sextant, in fact it is this function that required the watch to be built in the see through style. The user would sight through the watch in one direction at the north pole but would use the reverse at the south as unlike the northern hemisphere, in the southern the sun makes its 360° transit from right to left. Note the opposing dials labeled accordingly.
The watch is a large 47mm, which while not sounding particularly outlandish in current era consider this being produced in 1990, a time when 40mm was considered huge. The case is solid titanium and matte finished into a rich dark gray, with compass points engraved in lieu of traditional indexes, finished in black. The dials are done in a flat charcoal finish, which really pops the bright orange, green and yellows used on the hands and markings. Both crystals are of sapphire, treated to be fog resistant. They were also supposed to be glare resistant, but they seem quite bright and polished to me.
The housing sandwiched between the dials contains a French FE7020 quartz movement, which sadly has been discontinued. Am told the FE7021 can replace it, but does not have the gmt function. It is worth noting that the engine drains battery life quite quickly, and you may well be looking at changing the battery once a year. The original Yema warranty stated that they would give free battery changes for life, but they have abandoned this policy, and to my knowledge no longer support this watch at all. Finding parts will prove very difficult indeed.
The original packaging is a very cool see through pyramid, housing in addition to the watch both a red kevlar/velcro band and a brown stitched leather strap, as well as a small box of spare screws and changing tool (screwdriver). The hinged lugs use a bolt system, so straps using quick change pins are basically out.
case width 47mm (48mm including recessed crown)
case thickness 11.5mm
case length with lugs 57mm
weight 62 gms (with velcro strap)
lugs 22mm
water resistance 100m (330 ft) with screw-down crown
As to cost, the original retail price was $1500 in 1990, obviously considered a pricey watch at the time. They were available in the mid hundred dollar range in the late nineties but have very rarely found one for sale since, though the NON see through related models (there were several produced) seem to be commanding the 800 dollar range at the time of this writing. If you do find one, I highly recommend taking special care of it and not testing its mettle.
Pros: Considered rare (only 1500 ever made). Unique purpose and design. Very eye-catching. Durable. Highly collectible.
Cons: Completely abandoned by manufacturer, including original lifetime battery program. Parts and accessories expensive and difficult to come by. Short battery life, and battery difficult to access and change. Movement no longer built. Sapphire crystals bring into question durability in the field.
Bottom Line: A collector willing to work through the significant “cons” associated with this watch will possess a truly special sport watch with both real bragging rights and special needs.
