This is not our first hands on review of Virata watches; Patrick did a nice hands on review of their first line of VRT1 watches which you can read here. Their first roll out were models VRT1.1 through VRT1.6. After their success with those first models Virata has come out with two new models, the VRT1.7 (in carbon fiber) and VRT1.8 (in rose gold). Today, we’ll be having a look at the rose gold Virata VRT1.8.
The Case
In Italian, “Virata” means to change direction or to veer. Looking at this case they totally live up to their name. The case is a crazy design with a octagonal bezel offset onto an octagonal case. The octagonal case and bezel along with the facets cut into the corners give this a very unique look that I really love.
Made from 316L stainless steel this case is bead blasted and then coated in rose gold PVD. This is not a small case at 44mm in length and width but with the no lug design this wears very comfortably on my wrist. The crown guards protect almost the entire crown and are very angular which matches the style of the case perfectly. Also of note, water resistance is rated at 100 meters.
The Dial
This is a simple 3 hander with date window at the 4:30 position; the hands are nicely polished with lume painted on the minute and hour hands. Using a matte black sandwich dial they were able to create a more three dimensional look, and the lume glowing through the dial looks great.
Covering the dial is a sapphire crystal which stick just slightly above the bezel. The nice part about this watch is the fact you can take a very simple 3 hand watch and make it look so good because of that crazy case.
Case Back
The case back is a stainless steel screw down with sapphire crystal. Normally the most interesting thing about the case back is looking at the movement which is a nice Miyota 9015. Although I do love to see the movement and its beating heart the thing I love most about this watch is the is the facets cut into the case. Looks good at all angles.
The Strap
This model came with a perforated leather 22mm strap with stitches matching the case. This uses a standard pin and buckle clasp. Leather is a bit stiff but wraps around the wrist comfortably. By having the strap mount into the case this no lug idea allows this large case to sit comfortable on the wrist. I have a 6.5 inch wrist and this 44mm case fits perfectly.
The Lume
I love the lume on this watch. Swiss Superluminova was applied on the numbers, hour makers, hour hand, and second hand. This lume glows bright and lasts for hours. The lume on this is one of the clearest and most readable watches I have dealt with.
Overall Impression
This is a stand out time piece for sure, patented case and all. It is worth noting that I have had more compliments on this watch than any other. The matte rose gold finish caused by the bead blasting makes the finish subtle and not flashy but the polished hex screws on the bezel adds just a little bling.
Their Kickstater campaign was a success, but it is now closed out. That means you will have to pre-order it directly from their site. Pre-order pricing will be $595; after that they will retail for $709, with only 50 being made of each model. You can check out their Kickstarter campaign here or check out their site at viratawatches.com.
Review Summary
- Brand and model: Virata VRT1.8
- Price: $595 preorder and $709 retail.
- Who’s it for: Ones wanting something out of the ordinary.
- Would I wear it: Absolutely
- What I’d change: nothing
- The best thing about it: All the angular cuts in the case.
Tech Specs from Virata
- Materials: 316L Stainless steel
- Movement: Miyota 9015
- Crystal: Sapphire
- Strap: Leather perforated
- Dial: Matte black
- Measurements: 44mm wide, and 44mm in length.
- Water Resistance: 100 meters
