Yesterday, we started taking a look at the Vintage watch from the Molarity Watch group. Today, we’ll wrap up our review, point out some areas for improvement, and give you our conclusion.
First off, let’s take a quick look at the remainder of the relevant specs we didn’t cover yesterday:
- 48mm 316L stainless steel case (yeah, this is a BIG watch)
- 15mm thick
- Screw down crown guard
- Miyota OS21 movement
- IP black plating
- Mineral glass crystal, curved
- Sandwich dial
- 100m water resistance
- 22mm lugs holding a leather strap with buckle matching case finish
- 2 year international warranty
So, all in all, we have a pretty solid watch, right? Well, there were a few problems that I found with the watch – at least one of which we’re told will be improved in the next production batch. First off was the lume. While the sandwhich dial illuminated nicely, the hands (none of them) did not. When I reached out to MWG on this, they stated it was an issue they’re aware of, and will be correcting in their next run.
Second, I found the strap to be rather noisy. While it was perfectly comfortable, there was an interaction between the side of the strap and the case lugs. What things means, in daily wear, is that you get a creaking noise coming from your wrist as you move around. Not a deal breaker, to be sure, but it’s still an annoyance.
And finally, especially given the style and function of the watch, I think it could have really done with a subdial at the 6 o’clock position to track the current seconds. Without it, something seems just a little lacking, with the various other chrono designs it references.
So, as you can see, this watch was a mixed bag for me. I really wanted to like it (and, in some ways, I still do), even with the issues noted. And certainly, on their own, the three items I noted above may not knock the watch out of consideration on their own (aside from the lume), but when you add the price in ($476), it becomes much harder to recommend. Perhaps if MWG can improve on the design, and bring the price down (or perhaps switch to an automatic movement), then we’d have a contender on our hands.
