The return of Timor. WWW homage.
Been following this one since the chap behind the project first discussed it over on MWRforum. I think it's coming along brilliantly and can't wait to see it on kickstarter early next year, could be the first project I back(as long as not overpriced).
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Link to the site... https://timorwatch.com/?fbclid=IwAR2...ToN13PIIwQCmto
What do we think, any fans here?
My only slight disappointments, no fixed bars which I would have preferred and I would have been happy with an acrylic instead of sapphire to keep cost down and at the same time more inkeeping. Also the sub seconds isn't correct but hey beggers can't be choosers and overall the guy listened to criticism and came back with a great result on the prototype.
My ‘real-life’ review of this watch.
Timor in Real Life
Today, over a coffee, I had the absolute pleasure of meeting Benjamin, the man responsible for bringing back the Timor brand. I also got to see and try the watch….more of that in a bit.
Benjamin is a very knowledgeable, passionate and skilled watch enthusiast. He’s also a very pleasant and likeable bloke which, for me, is always important. Ex British Army personnel, he has a long-standing interest in military watches. Like myself, his interest in watches goes back to his primary school days with old manual wind pieces and cheap quartz.
Benjamin is an experienced designer and engineer who has made an incredible effort to bring back this iconic ‘Dirty Dozen’ watch from virtual extinction. His desire to produce a Swiss-Made watch has been at the forefront of this project and has seen several visits to Switzerland to access Timor (or rather the parent company) archives and meet with movement and parts manufacturers. He talks with such passion about the brand and the watch that you can’t help but be impressed.
His attention to design and manufacture detail is incredible and I’ll explain as I share more about the watch.
So, the watch.
It’s beautiful.
Case
At 36mm it’s simply perfect for the design and heritage. He’s made the lugs slightly shorter than the original (which I also saw today) which I think is an improvement. He believes the watch should be worn on a fabric strap which also influenced the lug length so to minimise the ‘gapping’ on a nato strap.
The bead-blasted finish on the model I saw was flawless and suits the watch perfectly, as it did with the original seventy year old watch. If the finish on the original has stood up to 70 years of abuse, why change it?
The lugs at 18mm are perfectly proportioned.
Now I said he had an incredible attention to detail. The crown-side profile shot below shows that there’s a stepped profile from the crystal to the case body and that’s in-keeping with the original. Benjamin wanted the case to look and feel symmetrical on the profile edge so has very subtly replicated that stepping on the underside of the case. I didn’t notice it at first but it works so well.
Fixed bars were considered and dismissed due to not adding sufficient value to the watch when shoulderless bars will work very well (I know this will be contentious here).
Movement
Benjamin has worked with Sellita to produce this movement. On this thread there has been some challenge to his claim that the movement has been created for this watch but actually ithas. Not only has the dead date setting been removed but other movement mechanisms have been removed or altered at Benjamin’s request. So this movement is unique to this watch.
The watch will have automatic and manual-wind options when purchased. I saw both today. The winding of the crown is lovely; smooth with just the right amount of resistance. A slightly wider crown than the original is a deliberate choice as he, like me, enjoys the daily ritual of winding a watch and this crown makes that experience easier (not as tricky to grip) and more tactile.
Dial & Hands
The majority of the dial is matt black with both white and creamy markings / plots. Again, this is how the originals were released and the MWR members provided that input. It works well in creating a very legible dial.
The sub-seconds dial has also been the subject of a few comments here. Due to the position of the hand in the movement it absolutely has to be there on the dial. On the website images it looks as through the sub-dial nibbles the 7 and 5 more than the original. This in fact is correct and by less than 0.5mm. In reality, it’s unnoticeable (at least to me).
The hands are lovely, reflecting the design and dimensions of the original with the critical triangular ends done immaculately.
My personal preference would have been for the sub-dial to have the same matt finish as the rest of the dial but it does give a nice contrast when you wear it.
The second hand is currently parallel however the actual hand will be tapered as per the original.
Straps
The black nato is very high quality and will be improved by having a blasted finish to the hardware when you buy the watch. The A 0210 is a fantastic touch that really adds authenticity and is also of excellent quality.
Kickstarter
The aim is to have the kickstarter open in February 2020 with watches being available in November 2020. The first batch of purchasers will get a significant discount compared to the price.
I’m currently checking with Benjamin whether I’m at liberty to share the price structure yet.
Conclusion & Disclaimer
The watch is stunning and designed and manufactured with such passion and commitment to doing justice to the original.
I’m not involved in this project, nor did I receive payment or incentive for this review. I’m volunteering my time to help a fellow enthusiast realise his dream.
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The return of Timor. WWW homage.
As the bars are not fixed I would have preferred it with drilled lugs.