In Review: The Retrovivo RV02
You know a watch is going to be cool when the entire website is in Italian.
Retrovivo makes the RV02, a beautiful dress diver that looks like a cross between a Breitling and a Rolex. The watch has a standard diving bezel in black ceramic and features tropical-style colors that make you think of Aperol Spritzers, linen suits, and an iron chair on a terrazzo in Firenze.
The company started with the RV01 in 2025, and this is their second product. Priced at an amazingly reasonable $230, the piece runs a Seiko VH31 Mecha-Quartz movement with a smooth-running seconds hand, a surprising addition to something so thin and elegant. The movement itself is a true delight. The sweep seconds hand makes you think this thing is an automatic, but you’ll notice that after a few days without wearing the watch, it’s going to keep ticking and keeping correct time.
The watch has a signed crown and caseback and comes with a lovely “beads of rice” hybrid bracelet. The clasp is especially nice because it features a micro-adjustment system that lets it expand and shrink over a wrist that might have gotten a bit too plump on a diet of pasta and good steaks.
The nicest part of the watch is the clever design. Again, the green lume has been topicalized so it’s a light tan. This makes the watch look like it’s been under the sun for decades. Couple that with the very nice bezel design with lumed numerals, and you’ve got something special. The only complaint I’d have is the bold numerals at three, six, and nine o’clock. I’d honestly prefer if they just did triangles or other markers at those points since the bold numerals seem a bit anachronistic. That said, however, there is no accounting for my (bad) taste.
The watch is a smallish 39mm, but it is also 12.5mm thick, which makes it ride the wrist quite comfortably. It has a screw-down crown for safety, making it a great vacation watch for some poolside enjoyment.
The RV02 comes in orange, blue, brown, and grey and, again, is $220 on a steel bracelet. It’s a great entry-level diver for someone who doesn’t want the hassle of winding their watch every day, and the design and size are perfect for someone who isn’t used to wearing pie tins on their wrist. The bottom line? Retrovivo has done a great job making a decidedly classy and dare I say sexy watch for folks who don’t want to spend too many Lira on a truly mechanical movement.