A few months ago, I brought a new brand to your attention, SISU Movement. While my original post took a look at their Guardian A3 model, today we’ll be looking one of their flagship models, the Bravado A1.
When I first got the A1 in, I was struck by a few things. First off, I’ve never seen a display case quite like this one. It’s made of some seriously heavy steel, with a correspondingly heavy-duty latch on the thing. In short, if you tuck the watch away in this case when it’s not on your wrist, it will be plenty safe.
Of course, when the watch IS on your wrist, you’re not going to forget it’s there. This is a big watch, measuring in at 55mm wide by 17.5mm thick. Perhaps it comes as no surprise, but it’s also on the widest bracelet I’ve ever experienced as well – 32mm – with one of the best push-button releases I’ve seen. So, what’s hiding in that massive case? The ever-present ETA 2824 automatic, which is visible through the exhibition caseback.
You can also see some of the movement through the cutouts on the dial. Unfortunately, it’s not over any of the parts that are moving rapidly, so it’s not something (the cutouts, that is) you’ll be gazing at for an extended amount of time. What I did get a kick out of staring at, though, was the bezel and the crystal.
The fixed bezel is in a rounded octagon shape, that almost looks like it should on a massive fastener on, say, a tank or a battleship. This is surrounding an AR-coated sapphire crystal. Here again, this is the biggest crystal I’ve ever seen, and it’s fun to tilt your wrist just to see see how it bends the light.
The crystal itself is protecting the lumed hands and the black-and-polished dial. In daylight, it’s got an interesting look, given the numerals used (and the layout). I do wish there was some lume to be found on the dial – with the expansiveness, seems like this is something that could really light up at night.
Rounding the specs out, you’ve got the screw-down crown at the 10 o’clock position contributing to the overall 100 meter water resistance rating. The case and bracelet are made from stainless steel, and you’ve got two pins in each link keeping the bracelet together. Last, but not least, we’ve got the price – for the A1, that sticker comes to $1,495.
So, is this the watch for you? If you’ve got the build for a watch of this size, this is one of the more striking pieces you’ll find. And, of course, if you want to save a few bucks, you could drop to the Bravado Q1, which comes in at $695. For me, personally, it’s not a great fit. There’s a lot I like about the design, but it’s just too big for my wrists, and at the asking price, it’s not something I could really spring for to add to the collection.
