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Regia Brass Watch

5K views 6 replies 5 participants last post by  mdlevin 
#1 · (Edited)
This is the first review I have posted on WUS go easy on me folks.

The review/opinions express below are my own impression of the watch and they are just that, other more experienced members please chime in.

I was first introduced to Regia watches, by posts on Facebook. Many new boutique brands have turn to Facebook as a mean of introducing themselves or their new models due to Facebook's global reach and most important of all for small capital business: free. However it also means that you need a truly special product to stand out from the crowd. The first pic I saw on Facebook of Regia watch I did not care much for it. I immediately thought here is another brass/bronze Pam homage! Exciting (NOT). Regia start getting my attentions when my good friend Eric keep tagging me in their release updates. I was drawn to the R-series, because I have not yet seen the welded lug design been done in large scale before and I don't currently own a watch that share the same DNA. However I was on the fence due to the engraving on the bezel. I finally gave in after and ordered one in blue numerical dial after a few days. Below is my quick review after having the watch on my wrist for a few weeks.

Basic specs of the watch can be found on the official website: Regia-timepieces.myshopify.com so I will give it a miss. However I am glad to see the use of a robust seiko automatic movement.

I received the watch three days after ordering. The watch was shipped via DHL. The shipping is included in the purchase price which I thought was a nice touch. The watch box was nicely bubble wrapped to prevent damage during shipping. Once you rip through the bubble wraps you are greeted by a white cardboard outer box and a white Regia branded wooden watch box encase inside it. The watch sits nicely inside the wooden box along with the extra strap, spring bars, screw driver and warranty card.

Case: The case itself is loosely based on ref3646 welded lug edition and is machined nicely with no sharp edges. Yes you read right MACHINED. It is the first time I seen a machined case inside this price range. The brushings seem deeper and more uniform compared to other brass watches I have owned or handled in the price range. Even the space between the lugs is nicely brushed. This is an area that often overlooked in lower end watches. The crystal is a flat sapphire although it is not as cool as double domed crystal it does minimise the chance of it being banged and scratched. (However I believe a slightly domed crystal can be requested for a small extra) There is a serial number between the bottom lug to warranty purpose and if you email Regia watch to request certain serial number.

Bezel: Perhaps the most controversial part of the whole watch. As mentioned previously I love the look of the watch, however the engraved bezel was holding me back. I can safely say once you got the watch on your wrist the engraving seems to fade away you don't really notice it unless you are looking for it. In my opinion the engraving adds character to the watch. However Regia have just introduced smooth bezel variant which I will add to my collection in the future. From the pictures the smooth bezel also tseem thicker, which could be an optical illusion.

Dial and Hands
There are two different sandwiched dials offered by Regia: number dial and regia's own twist on Cali dial. Each style of dial also comes in three colours: blue, green and black.
The blue number dial I ordered is very simple and easy to read. you can tell the time quickly and easily upon glance. The dial and hands itself is not much different from ones used by other boutique brands. However Regia added a lumed sub near 6 which I absolutely love!! I stayed away from the Cali dial as I believe the font used for roman numerical isn't thick enough and make the dial seem off balance. The dial tend to change colour under different lighting conditions. It is bright blue under bright white light. Dark grey/penton under yellow/warm white lighting making it very versatile and perfect match to most colour straps. All Regia dials are without date. Which is my preferred choice. It is more historically correct and less of a pain if you have more than three watches in your rotation.

Straps: the watch comes with two straps in the package. The strap mounted to the watch upon arrival is colour matched to the dial. the other is a light mustard colour strap that will age and patina when worn. I wore the watch on the OEM blue strap for a week before I decided to swap out the straps to give the watch different looks. The OEM strap is very soft and the colour does match the dial nicely. However like most OEM straps in this price point the keeper is way to soft and thin so I decided to change the straps and give the watch a new look. the dial is very versatile and I believe it work well with most colour and types of strap I tried. Regia have also included fat spring bars for strap lovers. The spring bars make changing straps a breeze. The OEM brass buckle is also the best I have seen and totally mountable. the thickness and machining rivals some of the more expensive aftermarket buckles. If purchase alone I believe the buckle should carry an asking price of at least $40.

Hope you enjoyed reading my short review. It is a truly unique versatile watch and one of the best choice within the price range
 
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#2 ·
I know that watches are innocent.Saying that,I must admit that I have been eyeing this one for a while now but still undecided after all the controversy the owner of this brand created on both FB and WUS.If some of you don't know there was a post some time ago which turned out to be a blatant shilling and that is strongly NOT appreciated here.Must also say that you are the first who posted pictures of the watch owned by some one else(an actual real life customer) beside the owner of the brand who usually post them on FB.Glad you like it.It looks like a solid piece with a robust movement.Though I am still unclear on what to do....should I pull the trigger?Should I pass?As a collector I am considering it...
 
#3 ·
I wasn't aware of the whole controvers, but I also learnt that I should take everything I read on the forum with grain of salt. I know few microbrand owners with handful of handles. It is all for marketing purpose I feel. I personally just buy what I like. At this price point I thought the watch was different enough and was worth a try. If I must changed anything is I would go for the clean bezel version this time. As it does look cleaner and also make the dial pop.

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