When it comes to new watches being released, we generally have a pretty long line of sight with brands that we’ve established a relationship with. Sometimes we get to see fun things (under an NDA) that we can’t tell you about for a while, other times we’re given enough notice so we can prep an article or review for a launch. Then, every now and again, we get a mystery. That’s what happened to me here – I received a shipping notification, but with no brand attached – just a fellows name, and origin address. Fortunately my contact-searching fu was in working order, and I realized something was inbound from Aevig. But what could it be? Well, opening the box showed some something quite vintage and fun – the Aevig Thor.
There are a lot of watches out there that claim to have a vintage look and feel, but often those claims are… well, let’s just call them generous. Then you have something like the Aevig Thor that is hitting all the right notes, at least for me. Give that case a classy and classic profile, but don’t be afraid to up the dimensions a bit for modern tastes (40mm in this case, with a 48mm lug-to-lug), put a domed crystal on it of some sort (boxed sapphire here), and then drop a manually-wound movement (a new one for me, the Miyota 8N33). That gives you the bones of something that is going to be fun.
At least, that’s a good starting point. You really need the dial in there to seal the deal, and with the Aevig Thor, you’ve got three different ways to take it on. There’s a flat black, a sunray blue, and then an oh-so-amazing white linen dial that instantly dethroned the blue from being my favorite. This is a texture you really don’t see on modern watches, so it reinforces the vintage vibes. The baton hands and stick indices do so as well, while the applied Aevig logo at the 12 o’clock position gives you a pop of color, almost like a poppy on the dial.
On one hand, the Aevig Thor presents as a dress watch – it’s fairly thin, has a simple profile, and there’s no date. And the brand bills it as a vintage dress watch as well. I think it’s more than that, though. Drop the lights down low, and you see the hands light up. But, unexpectedly, you also have lumed pips at the outboard of each indice, including double pips at the 12 o’clock position. This takes it from the realm of “just” a dress watch in my book, and gives it some solid everyday cred. Also worth noting, the different dials have different lume colors.
Also breaking from a more traditional dress watch look is the crown of the Aevig Thor. It calls to mind the top of a crenelated tower, and makes for a quite easy to grip crown. It’s not screwed down (the watch only carries a 50m WR rating), but that’s ok, as you’ll likely be using the crown regularly. You see, the watch has a manually-wound movement, as noted earlier. This is the Miyota 8N33, a movement I’ve not experienced before. In my time with the watch, it wound smoothly, and kept accurate time. It’s also not a bad-looking movement as viewed through the exhibition caseback.
Rounding out the Aevig Thor is the strap. This is a German-made calf leather strap with heavy graining. The end of the strap has an angled cut (making for a bolder look), and the strap itself tapers from 20mm at the lug to 18mm at the signed buckle. The buckle here shows some attention to detail, as it’s not just a standard thumbnail buckle. You’ve got the Aevig logo showing up, and it just makes the watch feel more complete.
All that was left was to strap the Aevig Thor on and wear it around, and wear it I did. While the look itself is fairly modest, this makes for a watch that blends in just about anywhere. While the black leather strap helps to lend some formality to the watch, it’s not super glossy, so it doesn’t feel out of place with jeans. It just melted away under the cuff, and popping it out for a quick check of the time was just that – quick, as the dial is easy to read. Of course, once I had that linen dial uncovered, I didn’t mind looking at it for a bit longer.
If you’re wondering if I came away as a fan of the Aevig Thor, the answer is a definite yes. The three variants are available now, with a price tag attached to them of $545 (depending on the currency conversion from €579), and all come in the clever metal tin and leather travel wrap. The Aevig Thor provides a modernized vintage look, in a package that can easily shift from dressier to casual occasions. Manually-wound movements are less common in this day, but they do give you something to fiddle with (and keep the watch running) throughout the day. This was an unexpected surprise to cross my review desk, and a delightful one at that. aevig.com
Review Summary
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Brand & Model: Aevig Thor
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Price: $545 (€579)
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Who’s it for? You find yourself dressing a little more formally these days, and want an everyday watch that will fit in without feeling stuffy
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Would I wear it? Indeed, indeed.
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What I’d change: Stealthily luming the “poppy” at 12 would be fun
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The best thing about it: The linen dial, of course
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Material: 316L stainless steel
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Dimensions: 40mm width x 48mm length
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Lug width: 20mm
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Thickness: 11mm; 12.5mm including box sapphire
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Movement: Miyota 8N33 manual wind
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WR: 50m
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Crystal: double domed box sapphire with AR on inside
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Lume: Swiss Luminova
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Strap:
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1. custom, made in Germany calf leather strap 80 x 115mm
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2. two piece grey Perlon included
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