It was not all that long ago where we brought you word (and a side-by-side comparison) of the Benarus Sea Snake. As you may or may not know, Raven is also part of the that same company, so it is not much of a surprise to hear that there is an updated watch on the way from them as well – it is a new Raven Vintage.
When we last saw the Raven Vintage it was a 40mm model; this time around, it’s coming through in a 42mm case. This also means that it has a slightly larger bracelet (22mm at the lugs, but tapering down to 20mm at the clasp) which has swapped the friction pins for rivet-head style screws – quite a styling statement on the bracelet. Having not seen this in person, it’s hard to say how this goes over with the overall styling; from the pictures, it does seem to work.
That overall styling is very similar to what was seen in the previous version of the Vintage, with a domed acrylic crystal covering a black dial with white indices and gold script, and luminous hands with a gilt edge. The hands this time around have been swapped for a bolder sword-style, which to my eye gives things a slightly more modern look, overall. Another change shows up in the bezel. The prior version had only a black bezel, which shows up this time around. There has also been a new version added, a blue bezel where the red triangle at the top is silver instead; I think it’s a nice addition to the line.
Inside all of this vintage look is of course a thoroughly modern movement, the automatic Miyota 9015. Which really, makes for the best of both worlds – older looks with modern reliability. While I still think I personally prefer the smaller version, the new Raven Vintage 42mm will no doubt appeal to many. It’s available in either date or no-date versions, with pricing of $710 for all versions. ravenwatches.com
Watch Overview
- Brand & Model: Raven Vintage 42mm
- Price: $710
- Who we think it might be for: This is for someone who likes the vintage look, but doesn’t want the hassles that come with older movements
- Would I buy one for myself based on what I’ve seen?: Probably not – I really do prefer the older 40mm variant
- If I could make one design suggestion, it would be: Perhaps give the option for the use of the handset style from the previous iteration
- What spoke to me the most about this watch: The overall style – it’s clean, and it’s a subtle sort of vintage look
