Founder of coffee-culture-inspired Brew Watch Company Jonathan Ferrer must have been asked a hundred times when he would ever make another mechanical watch having focused on quartz chronographs in recent years. Finally, he's answering fans calls and introducing the Brew Retromatic. The watch offers his typically adroit sense for Sixties and Seventies-influenced design, but features a three-hand automatic movement. The best part? Starting at $425, it's as fun and affordable as we've come to expect from the brand.
Brew's retro-themed, quartz movement-powered chronograph watch designs have been well-received by collectors and enthusiasts. The accessible prices are part of the attraction, but this is a community that overwhelmingly prefers mechanical watches. It must have been challenging to keep the prices consistent with what fans have come to expect in creating the Retromatic, but there's a lot to like here.
For these reasonable prices you get more than an automatic movement, of course: thoughtful design with interesting details, a well-built case, sapphire crystal and even a steel bracelet, which is more complicated to design than you might realize. Then there's the personality and unique overall style of the Retromatic.
Like all Brew watches, the Retromatic is informed by coffee culture, an unusual source of inspiration for watches. In particular, the dial features a perforated pattern that's based on industrial espresso machines' drain-grates. This dial texture happens to also offer excellent legibility and some three-dimensional visual interest. The 36mm case measures 10.5mm thick and, along with the bracelet, is the most distinctive element of the design, thanks to the retro tube-television-like shape.
The Brew Retromatic offers two different automatic movements and four dial variations: the green and "burgundy" red both have the Seiko NH35A movement for a price of $425 whereas the blue and black use the Sellita SW200 for the only slight premium of $495. Each is available now directly from the brand.
