In Review: Briston Clubmaster Classic Acetate Chronograph

Today, we’re going to introduce you to a brand we’ve recently become familiar with – Briston. They’re a French brand that started up in 2012, focusing on sporty styles in a variety of materials and colors. Today, we’re going to go through one of their entry-level models, the Briston Clubmaster Classic Acetate Chrongraph.

What is it?

The Briston Clubmaster Classic Acetate Chronograph is a cushion-case chronograph that relies on the quartz Miyota OS21 to keep things running. I’ve seen a number of cushion case watches over the year, but this is the first time I can recall seeing it done up in tortoise-shell acetate. Sure, the material may not be as robust as, say, steel, but it does give a rather unique look to the watch, allowing color to be introduced without relying on coatings that can scratch or come off down the road.

What do we like about it?

First and foremost, it’s that acetate case. We’ve seen a few brands use the material before, and it never fails to delight once I’ve got it on the wrist. Here, it brings a deep warmth to the watch, that is both offset by the crisp brightness of the chromed bezel, pushers, and lugs, and further enhanced by the 20mm khaki NATO-style strap.

The second thing we really enjoy about the watch is also from the case – the dimensions are excellent. At a 40mm “diameter”, it’s quite wearable and allowing easy readability of the dial. The height of things comes in at under 12mm, which is also quite nice. It gives you a solid view of that acetate case, as well as the chromed accents.

What would we change?

If there was one shortcoming of the Briston Clubmaster Classic Acetate Chronograph, it would be with the lume application. It’s great on the main handset – but that’s the only place the lume is used. With the sandwich-style dial, having the numerals and indices clearly lumed (perhaps even with multiple colors) seems like it would be an easy thing to do.

The other thing we might suggest would be to enlarge the date window. With a single digit, it is legible, but when you get to double-digit numbers, things can be a bit cramped. We’re not suggesting a two-disc solution with large digits, as that would throw off proportions on the dial. But if it were, say, 10% larger of an opening and date-disc, that could help a bit.

What’s it like wearing the watch?

It’s quite easy, as it turns out. Between the quartz movement and acetate case, the Briston Clubmaster Classic Acetate Chronograph is extremely light, and it just disappears on the wrist. When it’s time to check the time, the white-on-black color scheme means checking the time is a cinch, and can be done quite quickly.

How can I get one?

That’s another great thing about the Briston Clubmaster Classic Acetate Chronograph. With the usage of the Miyota movement, this is a chronograph that will not break the bank. It comes in at just $320, and is available directly from briston-watches.com.