So why do we wear watches? The obvious answer is that we want to know what time it is, but that begs the follow up question, why do you want to know what time it is. Maybe you have a date, a meeting, your parking meter is going to expire in an hour… But what if you just want to know the approximate time? Say, plus or minus 10 minutes. Like, when you are driving. It does not matter what time it is, you will get there when you get there. The Ferro Distinct Single Hand Watch, with it’s motoring look, is the perfect watch for those times in your lives.
I have been hankering to check out a single hand watch for a while, and when I wrote up the latest Ferro Watches project on Kickstarter, the brand reached out and offered one of the single handers for a hands on review. I actually wrote up that watch last December, and as much as I liked he watch, I did not pull the trigger at that point. From the original images that went out with the campaign, the only major change I see is that the cyclops is gone and the date was moved to 4:00. I am not a fan of small date windows in general, so I could have done without it at all, but it is not a big deal where it is.
The look of the watch is spot on for a sports car instrument gauge look. Take your pick of speedometer or tachometer, the thin solo hand with the triangular counterweight nails the look. As I mentioned in my first look at the watch, that is a good thing, because it helps with being a bit more precise with the time. The chapter ring has markings for every 5 minutes, and the hand extends all the way out, so if you look, you can get the time to a few minutes. If you glance, you can easily tell the time to the nearest 15 minute increment. It would not be the watch I am going to wear when I have a lot of meetings in the office, but otherwise, it is precise enough.
The watch design is attractive, with a round case and a good curve in profile, with wire lugs. The case is in stainless with a matte finish (though a copper is available as an option) and you have your choice of white and black dials, though the white dial comes with a black hand. I am checking out the automatic, but to be honest, this is probably the one watch where opting for the quartz is not going to be something you notice. Sure, you lose the exhibition caseback, but there is no second hand (nor is there a minute hand), the hour hand is going to sweep every bit as smoothly with the quartz as it will with the automatic. In either case you are getting a reliable movement, either a Ronda 505 quartz a Miyota 8215 automatic. Both wathes are 44mm in diameter, with the quartz a thin 10mm and the automatic an ever so slightly thinker 11.5mm.
The crystal up front on the watched is sapphire and the automatic provides a mineral glass exhibition caseback. Both watches are rated to 100 meters. Both the black dial quartz on a black leather strap and the white dial quartz on a brown leather strap are on sale for $200 (a $30 discount), and the white of black is sold out (at least for the time being). The white on brown automatic is also out of stock, but the black on black is marked down $50 to $400. The copper case is available with either black or white dials on a brown strap, marked down $100 to $550. You can check out the options through this link.
The one thing that I have not really mentioned yet is the strap, and this (or at least the buckle) is the watches sole weak spot in my mind. I actually like the leather strap. I think a perforated leather would have looked good with it, but the included strap is comfortable and pliable. The butterfly deployment clasp is a different issue. I really applaud Ferro for using a deployment clasp, and maybe it is just me (I spoke with the brand about this, and they have no other similar complaints, so maybe it really is just me), but I had a heck of a time getting it to stay adjusted and close easily. It is very secure once it is on, and the pinch release makes it easy to take off, but the clasp would slip when I would put the watch on and I found the buckling to be awkward, not really an improvement over a basic clasp for me. Again, maybe it is just me, but I think I would be shopping for a different strap.
So that is really my lone issue with the watch. I could do without the date, but I have a feeling I am in minority on that feature. Otherwise, it is a really cool watch. I have had several compliments from coworkers (here at my real job), and it is certainly attractive and slim enough to wear as a dress watch (my phone will keep me abreast of meeting times). If I am on a road trip, however, this is the perfect watch. The look is perfect for the open road, and at a glance I know about what time it is, and I need no more precision that that; I will get there when I when I get there. ferrowatches.com
Watch Overview
- Brand & Model: Ferro Distinct Single Hand Watch
- Price: $200 (quartz) / $400 (automatic, stainless steel) / $550 (automatic, copper)
- Who we think it might be for: Anyone who loves sports cars.
- Would I buy one for myself based on what I’ve seen?: Yes. The black dial with the red hand.
- If I could make one design suggestion, it would be: a different clasp on the strap.
- What spoke to me the most about this watch: I elicits a feeling of driving, even at my desk.
Tech Specs from Ferro Watches
- Movement: Ronda 505 quartz a Miyota 8215 automatic
- Functions: Single hander with date
- Case: Stainless steel or copper
- Crystal: Sapphire crystal with mineral glass exhibition caseback on the automatics.
- Water resistance: 100 meters
- Lug width: 22mm
- Straps: Leather with butterfly deployment clasp.
- Diameter: 44 mm
- Case Height: 10 mm (quartz) / 11.5 mm (automatic)
