Generally, I like to see myself as someone who is objective about design. For example, I wouldn’t purchase a product just because of brand status or to impress friends. My decision would have to be based on many factors including aesthetics, quality, functionality and choice of materials. A few months ago I was very tempted to buy a Red Dot award winning Bluetooth speaker, which is entirely made of glass. Even though the appearance of this device is beautiful, critics were not that impressed with the sound quality. The reason I mention this is that I would also apply this logic when purchasing a watch.
Presently (as I mentioned in several articles) the watch industry is experiencing turbulent times. This has prompted a lot of brands to be more creative and produce more affordable options. A great example can be found in Swiss based watchmaker Mauron Musy. I have followed the progress of the company for the last few years and am very impressed with what they have accomplished. Certainly their Classic Steel Armure collection of watches are very sophisticated and for what you get realistically priced.
The business is the brainchild of Father-in-Law/son team Eric Mauron and Christophe Musy. Like most new watch brands, they wanted to set themselves apart from the crowd by creating something new. Essentially they have managed this by developing a water resistant timepiece without the use of conventional gasket. They have copyrighted this technology and called it the nO-Ring® system. The main advantages are that it eliminates the use of synthetic materials and increase the life of the watch.
Visually the Classic Steel Armure has a strong identity and will appeal to a broad demographic of buyers including the unisex market. With a distinctive geometric brushed (316L) steel case measuring 44mm x 14mm I feel the watch is well proportioned. This in turn should also make it comfortable to wear for most occasions and on a daily basis. I love features like the decorated dial with raised indexes and feel these superior details give the timepiece a very refined appearance. The dial is available in many colours/finishes but my personal favourite is the Sunburst blue version with Diamond-polished black/gold hands.
Powering the watch is a high quality Swiss made self-winding movement. The Calibre 3909A comprises 30-jewels and oscillates at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz). Impressively the mechanism (including the engraved rotor with Côtes de Genève motif) is visibly showcased via the sapphire crystal exhibition case rear. Functionally the Armure features hours, minutes, sweeping seconds and date indication (located at 3 o’clock). The watch also has a power reserve of 65-hours and is water resistant to a depth of 100-metres.
The Armure has a rubber/leather strap with matching 316L brushed steel folding clasp. Priced for the discerning at: CHF 5,500 (approximately $5,460).
For more information about Mauron Musy visit the company’s website
