Gruppo Gamma Venturo Field Watch #2 - A Standalone Design, A Review (plus Video)

One genre of interest in my collection is military style watches (see here for the set of military watches in my collection). One of the more striking vintage military style watches (as well as rare) is the Rolex 3139. In 2020, Gruppo Gamma has decided to scratch-the-itch of military watch collectors by offering a close reinterpretation of the 3139 with some modern tweaks. The Gruppo Gamma Venturo Field Watch #2 is the design the brand came out with.

This is the second Gruppo Gamma watch in my collection. The first was a model from a collaboration of 50 pieces made for the Malaysia Watch Forum Group (or MWF) which was delivered in December 2013 (see here). I just realised that 2013 was also the year of establishment for Gruppo Gamma. I am very happy to note that the manufacturer MWF chose for that special project has grown into a proud brand.

I booked the watch when a pre-launch announcement was made for an introductory price of US299. The 200 meter water rating, the box sapphire crystal and the use of the SII NH35 automatic movement makes the introductory pricing look like a steal!

EVANT Decodiver Fume Black Limited Production Dive Watch (similar to Decodiver Fume Sky Blue) - A Flexible Watch that can be Worn in the Sea as well as in the Boardroom, A Review (plus Video)

Evant is a relatively new brand in the world of watchmaking. It was introduced to the world in 2017 with the launch of the Tropic Diver. I was rather smitten by the design and I decided to get a piece to see for myself. The Evant Tropic Diver Fume Blue was a handsome watch (see my review on that watch here) and I was quite pleased with the first product from a startup. When Evant launched the marine bronze version of the watch, the Evant Tropic Diver Bronze Finale, I took possession of that one as well (see my review on that watch here). For that piece Evant was able to bring together the simplicity of design, the use of exotic material and rich colours into a singular package that screams value beyond the level it was sold at.

This year, after remaining silent for since the last product launching, Evant presents a new series to the market - The Decodiver.

Similar to the Tropic Diver, the Decodiver incorporates a lot of vintage dive watches genre in its overall design. The slab surfaces and short lug styling is reminiscent to the diver watches of the 1970s. Very minimalist with just the three hands and the unidirectional timing bezel as the only complications on the watch.

Evant Tropic Diver Bronze Finale Limited Edition 100 – The Simplicity of Design, Use of Exotic Material and Rich Colours are Potent Combination that Increases the Perceived Value, A Review (plus Video)

This is the second time this year that I decided to get another watch from Evant Timepieces. This time, the clincher is the material used - marine grade bronze, CuSn8. This bronze alloy is regarded as the industry standard as it can be used in salt water with virtually no signs of corrosion. Moreover, the CuSn8 alloy is the most expensive bronze material due to the high copper content of 92% while the rest is tin. This combination gives the bronze alloy a warm rose gold-like colour. Over time, the watch will start to show signs of patina.

The Evant Tropic Diver Bronze Finale is very much similar to the Evant Tropic Diver Fume Blue (see: http://easternwatch.blogspot.my/2017/08/evant-tropic-diver-fume-blue-limited.html) which I got earlier this year. The only thing differences are the material used for the watch casing, the dial colour and the additional leather straps provided. As such, in this review, I will only cover what is different and the wearing experience. Below is a snapshot of the watch specifications.

MWF-Gruppo Gamma LE Watch - A Well Made Hommage To A Classic, A Review

The Malaysia Watch Forum or MWF has completed the second watch project. Made by Gruppo Gamma*, a limited run of just 50 watches was delivered to proud owners last Saturday, 11 January 2014, in conjunction to the 5th Anniversary GTG/annual dinner held in the Angus House restaurant in Starhill Gallery, Kuala Lumpur. I was lucky enough to be one of them.

*Gruppo Gamma is a boutique watchmaker based in Singapore. They a dedicated to modernizing the design of tool watches issued to Italian Navy commandos in the middle of the 20th century. 

When I got the watch, I received this very functional watch box or travel pouch. The skull and rose is the logo of Gruppo Gamma (the red hat is only incorporated during the Christmas season).