Today, The Time Bum brings you another offering from Szanto, the new
watch company from Barry Cohen, co-founder of Luminox. Like all models
in the Szanto line, the 1103 reimagines early 20th century time pieces into a modern design at an affordable price.
The 1103 is similar in many respects to the model 1002 I reviewed previously. They
both have a black dial (a green dial is also offered) and a black IP
coated stainless steel case on a canvas strap with a nicely engraved
buckle. Inside, a Miyota quartz handles time keeping duty. They share a
similarly decorated case back and a flat mineral crystal. Water
resistance is 100m. The price is identical as well, both listing for
$225. After that, their paths diverge as the 1103 eschews its cousin's
more spartan design and trades it for a bit of flair.
The case is decorated with a deeply
fluted bezel and an engraved, bun shaped crown. It is not often that you
see these dressier features rendered in black, but I like it. It gives
the watch a sinister edge, like it might be up to something. The lugs
are relatively short in relation to the case and meet the barrel at a
hard angle, creating a square-shouldered look. At 42mm diameter, the
1103's case is larger than the 1000's 40mm, but as you can see in the
photo, the difference is not dramatic. Rather, the element that jumps
out at you on the 1103, and which changes its personality most
significantly, is the size of its markers.
The watch has a 24-hour dial with
central seconds, and all three of its hands are off-white. Oversized
grey numerals through 12 are accompanied by far smaller digits
indicating hours 13 through 24. A raised chapter index surrounds them
both. After soaking up plenty
of sunlight, those big numbers pop with lume, as do the baton minute
and hour hands. This was a surprise, as darker luminous paint tends to
provide a lesser glow, and I found the khaki markers on the 1002 to be
somewhat difficult in low light. It won't burn all night, but it
provides a sufficient boost for most low light situations, and the size
of the numbers helps considerably.
A white-on-black date complication
peeks through a white framed window at 3 o'clock. The window replaces
both the 3 and the 15 on the dial, thereby avoiding what I consider one
of the unforgivable sins of watch design, a date that cuts into or
awkwardly crowds out a numeral.* The fact that is a black disc behind a
black dial also appeals to my sense of symmetry and the white printing
coordinates with the hands. It is an all around attractive and legible
dial. The 22mm strap is made
of grey canvas that matches the numerals. Its pronounced texture and
slightly washed color give it a hard-working character that suits the
retro aesthetic. Like other Szanto straps, it is 75/125mm, leather
backed, and secured with an engraved buckle. It was a shade long on me,
but that is to be expected when you have wrists the size of pencils. The
watch head itself fit comfortably on my wrist and under most shirt
cuffs.
I would consider the 1100 series to
be a casual watch, but not too casual. With 100m water resistance, it
could certainly handle a bit of mud, but there are plenty of
rough-and-tumble watches suited for sports and yard work. With its coin
edged bezel, the 1103 is too nice for that. I'd wear it where folks can
appreciate its handsome details. It will work just as well with jeans
and t-shirt, as with an oxford and blazer, but I'd suggest leaving it
behind when you put on a suit and tie. The dial is too sporty for
business wear, even if you were to swap out the canvas strap for
something more polished.
The 1100 series does not look like
any one particular style or model of watch. Rather, it appears to be
more of a pastiche. When I asked Szanto's Barry Cohen about the design,
he agreed, describing it as "a melding of design elements from a bygone
era that we combined to arrive at the proper feel for the design." This
emotional reaction is essential to the creative process at Szanto. "We
work from feel for the design development used in Szanto timepieces," he continued. "It is really no different from how I've worked on Luminox for almost 25 years. I always
go with my gut on design, and thankfully it usually seems to work out
well in terms of how he finished product ends up looking."
The 1103 certainly captures a feeling. The dial has the 24 hour layout
we might associate with military watches but also railroad watches. In
fact, the large grey numerals look as if they might have been borrowed
from an old railway clock. The fluted features would normally dress up a
watch, but on this one they are doused in a wicked black, then paired
with rough textured canvas. All around, there is a bit of coal fired
steam engine in this piece, and maybe something a bit rakish as well.
This does not strike me as your grandfather's watch, more like his
dashing ne'er-do-well brother who gained and lost a fortune before
running off with his mistress.
Alright, maybe I got carried away, but you get the picture. The watch
has character, and character with wearable proportions and useful specs
for $225 makes for a pretty appealing package.
Pro: May inspire you to conjure fanciful tales.
Con: May inspire you to grow a handlebar mustache.
Sum: A handsome watch with a villainous streak. The Time Bum approves.
* J'accuse, Hamilton Khaki Field Titanium Automatic! Both offenses on the same watch.
Ispirato al "spirito del classico trasporto aereo" e orologi degli anni 1950 e '60, Breitling ha aggiunto un nuovo signore orologio alla sua linea di Transocean , la Transocean 38.Prende il nome dal caso 38 mm di diametro dell'orologio, la Transocean 38 è significativamente più piccola rispetto allo standardTransocean , che ha un diametro di 43 mm.
