Vincero Chrono S Blue – Vincero means #winning

Vincero has done the uncommon; they’ve caused me to consult the dictionary, so that I can support a conclusion that’s sure to get some comment: Vincero Chrono S Blue is an attainable classy watch.

Luxury requires that a good is expensive or hard to obtain, and that it be non-essential. Class, on the other hand, is about stylish excellence. The old social divisions based on social or economic status (the rich, the educated) are listed as an archaic definition. Ryan Lochte could be said to be in a class of elite swimmers, but he shows a lack of class in his hair and behavior from here to the horizon and beyond.

Vincero, then, has taken a combination of parts, and put them together in a way that quietly whispers of stylish excellence. The sample provided for review here is the stainless steel case equipped with sapphire crystal and a blue sunray dial. The case back is engraved with “VENI VIDI VICI” and has marble inlaid in the case back. All of this is worn on a black strap made of italian leather.

It is important to note that first impressions matter, and the first impression was imperfect. The watch shipped with the chronograph seconds hand set to stop at the 53 minute mark on the dial. I’m accustomed to seeing chronographs stop at the 60 minute mark. I had to download the manual from the Web site and where I learned that it’s possible to change the stop position of the seconds hand through opening the crown to its second position while the hand is running. This isn’t a feature on every chronograph, and I imagine it’s seldom used. Fair point, that they made me learn about it, but it was off-putting seeing the hand set wrong out of the box.

On the upside, there’s something very nice feeling about wearing a good looking watch knowing that it didn’t cost the world in the process. The dial is a rich blue that looks great in the sun. The hands are long enough to reach the hour indices of the dial where they belong. The lume reaches to the beginning of the hour indice. The lugs are the twisted variety commonly seen on Omega watches.

Making a watch is a series of compromises, because you have to start with an existing movement. This already guides the placement of the subdials and the distance from the edge of the case that the date window will be. Even so, I wish the date window had been closer to the perimeter, or that it had been placed closer to 4 o’clock, not crowding next to the bottom subdial and that the minute and chronograph seconds hand had been longer, extending to the minute track at the edge of the dial.

On the whole, the Vincero Chrono S Blue is a watch that fits under the cuff of your shirtsleeves, and wears as well with jeans on the weekend. The old days of, ‘save the chronograph for the yacht on the weekend’ are gone.

Even with these choices and compromises, the watch isn’t wrong. There are some watches that you look at and love. There are others you look at and hate, but you can identify why you hate them. The worst are the ones that just elicit indifference. Vincero is one you can look at and like. It’s quiet, confident, and when you wear one, you can feel the same on a budget.

Watch Overview

Brand & Model: Vincero “The Chrono S Blue”
Price: $159 USD

Who we think it might be for: You like a dress watch that can be worn with jeans.
Would I buy one for myself based on what I’ve seen?: It’s an easy buy, and it’s grown on me.
If I could make one design suggestion, it would be: reconsider hand length and date window placement.