Z
Zach Weiss
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In the world of affordable watches, there’s a lot of variation in terms of design and concept, giving us lots of watches to be interested in, talk about and occasionally pursue for purchase. But within those watches, there is little variation in the mechanical movements driving them. Under $1,000 is dominated by Seiko and Miyota these days with the occasional Swiss or Chinese offering. Over $1,000 and you see the Swiss regulars, ETA and Sellita, with the occasional Soprod, and the rare in-house movement. Nothing wrong with any of them, but seeing the same movements over and over can get a bit stale, if only from my perspective as a reviewer.
So, when I heard that a new brand called Ophion was using a TechnoTime movement I had never seen before, I was immediately very excited. Based out of Spain, Ophion decided to really do something interesting, manufacturing their watch in Germany, using a Swiss TechnoTime manual wound movement with a 5-day power reserve, and charging a remarkable 1,305 Euros or about $1,430. In fact, when I truly first heard about these, I put together an article called Introducing the Ophion 960: Accessible Luxury Done Right which goes over the watch, brand and movement a bit, but I knew I had to get one in for a review.
That’s all well and good, but you might be asking, who is TechnoTime and why should I care? Based in Switzerland, TechnoTime is a very small manufacture of movements with some impressive capabilities. They aren’t a “clone” company, but rather one that makes their own calibers for brands looking for a real ETA alternative. They also manufacturer their own balance springs, something few brands can do as well as tourbillions. And when I say small, I really mean it. According to an article in Europastar from August of 2014, they had 25 employees and make only 12,000 movements annually (they also manufacture 300,000 balance springs for other brands annually). Compare that to Sellita’s 500 employees and 1.2 million movements (built and/or assembled) and you get the picture.
TechnoTime is a real bespoke manufacturer and as such, isn’t one whose movements you typically will find in our price range. In fact, according to the same article, their movements start at 575 francs, making them considerably more expensive than ETA, Sellita or Soprod 2824 equivalents, and many times more than Seiko or Miyota. So, you should care because the Ophion 960 gives you an opportunity to have something more exotic, a bit more “high-end” and a bit more luxurious than usual, should you be interested in such things. Regardless, with a 5-day power reserve, it’s worth making note of.
Of course, the movement isn’t the only star of the show in the Ophion 960. The design has an immediate appeal, with a reserved aesthetic and a hint of vintage flair. It’s a simple looking watch at a glance, but it’s full of little details that make it stand out, even further belying its price tag.
Ophion 960 Review
Case: Steel
Movement: TechnoTime TT 718
Dial: Anthracite Grau
Lume: Yes
Lens: Sapphire w/ ar
Strap: Genuine Alligator
Water Res.: 50M
Dimensions: 42.9 x 51.7 mm
Thickness: 10.35 mm
Lug Width: 22
Crown: 6.5 x 3.5mm
Price: 1,305 Euros + Shipping
Case
With smooth, flowing lines and a thin profile, the case of the 960 is clean and elegant. The sides of the case and bezel are all rounded and polished, creating a smooth overall appearance. Sharp, near-straight lugs jut out creating contrast and adding a touch of masculinity. It’s an attractive design that is at once familiar, yet not quite standard. With that said, the case is likely to be the biggest and perhaps only point of contention on the 960, due to its size. Coming in at 42.9 x 51.7 x 10.35mm with 22mm lugs (to the top of the domed sapphire) it’s a large watch, especially for the style. Neither vintage or dress watches are typically this big, being most comfortable around 38mm, making the 960 feel oversized.
That’s not to say unwearable or uncomfortable, far from it, but it’s definitely larger than I would have preferred. This is likely in part due to the size of the movement. At 13.25 ligne, or about 30.4mm, wide, it has the same diameter as a 7750, granted it’s much thinner. That said, something more along the lines of 38mm should have been achievable.
With that out of the way… at 3 is a very nice looking crown that is a sort-of squashed onion shape. It’s all rounded, mimicking the case, with a couple of layers for something surprisingly intricate. Measuring 6.5 x 3.5mm, it’s fairly easy to grasp and comfortable to turn, something you’ll be doing a lot to wind the 120-hr movement. The only negativee to be found is that the crown is unsigned. Not a bit deal, but the outer surface seems a bit naked, and they have a nice “O” based logo that would fit.
Flipping the watch over, you have a display case back with a wide window. Around the glass are various simple markings, with “Made in Germany” standing out. In my mind at least, watches that are made in Germany have a certain air of quality and precision that, honestly, Swiss watches at the same price don’t seem to have. Looking into the window you are treated with a view of the TechnoTime 718. It doesn’t look like any other movement you’ve seen, with strange, almost organic apertures and large plates. We’ll get more into the decoration below.
Dial
The dial of the 960 is very simple, made interesting through some stylish details and great execution. The surface is a gorgeous anthracite gray with a light metallic quality giving it more life than a simple gray field would. Adding to that, the surface domes gently, creating a subtly shifting surface. The primary index consists of long, but thin tapering applied markers in polished steel. Their shape is elegant and attractive, and while hinting at vintage designs, have a more modern shape. Because of the domed dial, they sit in a curious way, angling down towards the edge of the dial. It’s one of those little details that adds some character to the stripped down design. The polished finish of the markers also add a nice point of contrast to the more satin dial.
The post Ophion 960 Review appeared first on worn&wound.
Continue reading...
Let us know your thoughts and impressions.
In the world of affordable watches, there’s a lot of variation in terms of design and concept, giving us lots of watches to be interested in, talk about and occasionally pursue for purchase. But within those watches, there is little variation in the mechanical movements driving them. Under $1,000 is dominated by Seiko and Miyota these days with the occasional Swiss or Chinese offering. Over $1,000 and you see the Swiss regulars, ETA and Sellita, with the occasional Soprod, and the rare in-house movement. Nothing wrong with any of them, but seeing the same movements over and over can get a bit stale, if only from my perspective as a reviewer.
So, when I heard that a new brand called Ophion was using a TechnoTime movement I had never seen before, I was immediately very excited. Based out of Spain, Ophion decided to really do something interesting, manufacturing their watch in Germany, using a Swiss TechnoTime manual wound movement with a 5-day power reserve, and charging a remarkable 1,305 Euros or about $1,430. In fact, when I truly first heard about these, I put together an article called Introducing the Ophion 960: Accessible Luxury Done Right which goes over the watch, brand and movement a bit, but I knew I had to get one in for a review.
That’s all well and good, but you might be asking, who is TechnoTime and why should I care? Based in Switzerland, TechnoTime is a very small manufacture of movements with some impressive capabilities. They aren’t a “clone” company, but rather one that makes their own calibers for brands looking for a real ETA alternative. They also manufacturer their own balance springs, something few brands can do as well as tourbillions. And when I say small, I really mean it. According to an article in Europastar from August of 2014, they had 25 employees and make only 12,000 movements annually (they also manufacture 300,000 balance springs for other brands annually). Compare that to Sellita’s 500 employees and 1.2 million movements (built and/or assembled) and you get the picture.
TechnoTime is a real bespoke manufacturer and as such, isn’t one whose movements you typically will find in our price range. In fact, according to the same article, their movements start at 575 francs, making them considerably more expensive than ETA, Sellita or Soprod 2824 equivalents, and many times more than Seiko or Miyota. So, you should care because the Ophion 960 gives you an opportunity to have something more exotic, a bit more “high-end” and a bit more luxurious than usual, should you be interested in such things. Regardless, with a 5-day power reserve, it’s worth making note of.
Of course, the movement isn’t the only star of the show in the Ophion 960. The design has an immediate appeal, with a reserved aesthetic and a hint of vintage flair. It’s a simple looking watch at a glance, but it’s full of little details that make it stand out, even further belying its price tag.
Ophion 960 Review
Case: SteelMovement: TechnoTime TT 718
Dial: Anthracite Grau
Lume: Yes
Lens: Sapphire w/ ar
Strap: Genuine Alligator
Water Res.: 50M
Dimensions: 42.9 x 51.7 mm
Thickness: 10.35 mm
Lug Width: 22
Crown: 6.5 x 3.5mm
Price: 1,305 Euros + Shipping
Case
With smooth, flowing lines and a thin profile, the case of the 960 is clean and elegant. The sides of the case and bezel are all rounded and polished, creating a smooth overall appearance. Sharp, near-straight lugs jut out creating contrast and adding a touch of masculinity. It’s an attractive design that is at once familiar, yet not quite standard. With that said, the case is likely to be the biggest and perhaps only point of contention on the 960, due to its size. Coming in at 42.9 x 51.7 x 10.35mm with 22mm lugs (to the top of the domed sapphire) it’s a large watch, especially for the style. Neither vintage or dress watches are typically this big, being most comfortable around 38mm, making the 960 feel oversized.
That’s not to say unwearable or uncomfortable, far from it, but it’s definitely larger than I would have preferred. This is likely in part due to the size of the movement. At 13.25 ligne, or about 30.4mm, wide, it has the same diameter as a 7750, granted it’s much thinner. That said, something more along the lines of 38mm should have been achievable.
With that out of the way… at 3 is a very nice looking crown that is a sort-of squashed onion shape. It’s all rounded, mimicking the case, with a couple of layers for something surprisingly intricate. Measuring 6.5 x 3.5mm, it’s fairly easy to grasp and comfortable to turn, something you’ll be doing a lot to wind the 120-hr movement. The only negativee to be found is that the crown is unsigned. Not a bit deal, but the outer surface seems a bit naked, and they have a nice “O” based logo that would fit.
Flipping the watch over, you have a display case back with a wide window. Around the glass are various simple markings, with “Made in Germany” standing out. In my mind at least, watches that are made in Germany have a certain air of quality and precision that, honestly, Swiss watches at the same price don’t seem to have. Looking into the window you are treated with a view of the TechnoTime 718. It doesn’t look like any other movement you’ve seen, with strange, almost organic apertures and large plates. We’ll get more into the decoration below.
Dial
The dial of the 960 is very simple, made interesting through some stylish details and great execution. The surface is a gorgeous anthracite gray with a light metallic quality giving it more life than a simple gray field would. Adding to that, the surface domes gently, creating a subtly shifting surface. The primary index consists of long, but thin tapering applied markers in polished steel. Their shape is elegant and attractive, and while hinting at vintage designs, have a more modern shape. Because of the domed dial, they sit in a curious way, angling down towards the edge of the dial. It’s one of those little details that adds some character to the stripped down design. The polished finish of the markers also add a nice point of contrast to the more satin dial.
The post Ophion 960 Review appeared first on worn&wound.
Continue reading...
Let us know your thoughts and impressions.