As we’ve seen in a few different reviews here as of late, there are some rather intriguing items in Jorg Gray’s catalog. Today, we’ll have a look at another from their collection that has some dressy aspirations.
Our example is the simply-named 5100-32. As an aside, it’s refreshing to not have to try to remember some convoluted name for a watch model, isn’t it? Any which way, back to the watch. As you can tell from the pictures, the glossy ionic-plated 44mm steel case, along with the dial, puts us into a piano black sort of scheme.
This classier look is carried forth as well with the dark sub-dials and grey lume applied on the hands. Where it breaks down a bit is with the silicone band. On one hand, the matte finish is a nice complement. On the other hand, if I’m strapping a watch on to go with a suit, I’m thinking bracelet or leather strap, not silicone or rubber. That said, I did wear it with a suit one day, and it worked reasonably well, and those who noticed it were complimentary.
Now, back to those sub-dials. Seeing those, and the pushers over on the side, you might be thinking, “Hey, it’s a chrono!” And that’s where you’d be incorrect. The subdial at 3 o’clock is for the date, and the one at 6 o’clock is a 24 (GMT) indicator. These are controlled / set by the pushers that flank the crown (upper for date, lower for GMT).
Another problem crops up here is that they just advance their respective subdials, and do not screw down (or otherwise lock). In practice, this means that it can be quite easy to accidentally bump either, knocking the date or 24 hour time off the mark, rendering it less useful. This is definitely one area that could be improved on future iterations of the model.
In the end, this watch was a mixed bag for me. While I do like the dressy styling of the watch, the silicone strap seems an odd choice, and the non-locking pushers make the functionality more of a liability, in my book. And, even with a sapphire crystal, the $495 asking price just seems high for this quartz-driven model, given my reservations. If you’re looking for a dress watch from JG, I might instead direct you towards their presidential watch, the 6500 model.
