If you don’t really look, it’s a conservative, 42mm watch based on the workhorse automatic movement of Europe, the ETA 2824. But it has only one hand. No minutes, seconds, or day, just an hour hand. Look a little closer, and you’ll note that there are too many hash marks between the hours. The markings are five minute increments between the hours. Wait, what?

The Botta Uno is one interpretation of what a minimalist’s watch should look like. It has only one hand, and provides you with the information that you really use with a relevant, human degree of precision. Precise enough that you can get to an appointment without being too early, and without the clutter of many watches that heap on extra functions whether or not their target audience has a clue what they do.

It is a charming counterpoint to the trends that led to the excessively gadgetized TX Luxury watches with six or seven hands and dubious relevance. This is the kind of thing that should cause a bit of reflection about what really matters.

ByJohn Biggs

John lives in Brooklyn and has loved watches since he got his first Swatch Irony automatic in 1998. He is the editor of WristWatchReview.

11 thoughts on “Botta Uno Automatic: Dude, I think you lost something”
  1. I silently suffer your watch fetish, but have to admit, this time I’m going to look up this puppy and see if I’m shocked that it cost $1200, or delightfully pleased that it’s only $200; in which case I’ll buy one for myself and one for a gift for another minimalist nerd friend.

  2. The automatic version is about $900 from Gnomon Watches, the quartz is about $400 from other places. For European made watches, these are pretty reasonable prices (someone has to pay for their universal health care and other social programs).

    If you’re silently suffering, why be silent? What’s wrong with a given entry, or what’s right? What watches would you want to see reviewed?

  3. What is the brand of watch pictured at the top of the wrist watch review site? It has a black face with very simple numbering and a black strap. Thanks.

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