Getting colorful with the Liv Rebel AR

To my eyes, the Liv watches are very recognizable, particularly their Rebel lineup. I first went hands-on with one here, so that may contribute to my recognition of it. With their latest version – the Liv Rebel AR – they’ve made some adjustments and brought things to a more affordable level.

You might be wondering how, exactly, this is changed from their previous Rebel Swiss automatic. Well, Chaz, the fellow behind the brand, has that summarized nicely for us:

– We changed the proportions of the case and made it thinner.
– We enlarged the dial and hands, so viewing the time is easier. And just look at those racing stripes!
– We added another layer of BGW9 Swiss Luminova for extra super brightness at night. The hour and minute hands are now 25% larger with 30% more luminescent surface.
– We added a screw-down crown for additional water resistance protection, as well as making it easier to wind and change the date and time.
– We removed the LIV logo from the case back sapphire crystal to make the gorgeous Swiss automatic movement more viewable.
– The redesign is inspired by classic sports cars, so we added the Rebel logo to the side.
https://www.livwatches.com/blogs/stories/introducing-the-liv-rebel-ar

While the Liv Rebel AR is indeed slimmer – by comparison – to what preceded it, it is by no means a small watch. 13.3mm is what we more normally associate with a diver, and at 48.5mm on the case “diameter” measurement, you’ve got a big watch. It helps that it’s primarily a lugless case, so the straps can drop off at the edges of your wrist. For me, however, that size and weight was definitely noticeable while I had the watch on.

One thing a larger watch allows, however, is detail in a dial. Not that small watches can’t have detail, but it can get lost. Here, you’ve got the sublimely bold dial that many Liv watches have, here embellished with racing stripes (these are Le Mans) to further reinforce the racing theme they’re going for with the watch. Personally, I’ve been a fan of racing stripes in things. And with them being set outboard of the where the lugs fall, you won’t be stuck trying to find a strap that matches the lineup of stripes – you can find yourself a textile strap with the right color combo and call it a day.

That is not to say the included leather strap on the Liv Rebel AR is bad – by no means. It just feels like it’s trying to make the watch a bit dressier than the overall design would tend it to be. Here, I think a colorful textile or nylon strap could fit in very nicely, and give an additional splash of color. Speaking of color…

The Liv Rebel AR is available for $480 in one of five colors – black (Gulf Racing), white (Le Mans), green (Monza), blue (Sebring), or brown (Valencia). For each of the five colors, only 770 will be created, so if you think you’re interested, you’ll want to check them out sooner rather than later: livwatches.com

Review Summary

Brand & Model: Liv Rebel AR
Price: $480
Who?s it for? You liked the look of the earlier Rebel collection, but don’t really want a chronograph

Would I wear it? Every now and again – but overall, the case size was a touch larger than I’d prefer (though this was slimmed down from the last one I reviewed)
What I?d change: Getting some colorful textile strap options in there coordinated to the different dials
The best thing about it: I do rather like the dial design, and how the hands stretch to the appropriate marks on the dial.