The Classic Slim Watch by Brathwait Watches

Craig of That Dapper Chap reviews the Classic Slim wrist watch from Brathwait Watches

PRODUCT

Today's review is all about the classic slim watch by Brathwait Watches. As with any sponsored post that I write I will be entirely honest and offer an unbiased opinion.

The inspiration for the brand came from a gentleman and poet from London called Richard Brathwait. In 1631 he published “The Complete Guide to the English Gentleman” and some say that his thoughts and observations changed the world.

The guys at Brathwait watches say "our wristwatches have been created as a symbol of the modern man who practices the heritage of the Gentleman.By pulling back the curtains on modern watchmaking we're aiming to do away with industry short-cuts and cheap solutions; never compromising the product quality, always cutting the costs" Sounds good to me!

Available in a number of colour options the classic slim watch has a 1.9mm thick dome sapphire glass with an anti reflective coating. With a 40mm stainless steel case and a Swiss quartz precision movement, it's also water resistant up to 100 meters.

PRICE

Priced competitively at £204 ($249) it's a very nice looking watch for the price. It's also available on monthly payments for those on a budget, which is something not always offered by other brands.

PACKAGING & PRESENTATION

My watch arrived in a nifty grey cardboard box with the brands logo and strapline neatly printed in black ink. Inside the box lid is a card detailing the brand and your 12 month warranty.

Laying in a black velvet casing was my classic slim watch, with it's dark brown leather strap, gold hands, red second hand and white face.

PERFORMANCE

The watch keeps great time, and after setting it by the speaking clock it maintained perfect accuracy. The watch is a nice size, neither big nor small, and sat nicely on my wrist.

This is the first watch I have owned that has a leather strap with a metal clasp fastening and I have to admit to being totally baffled by the concept, and how to fasten the watch.

Friends were also baffled, and it became a bit of a competition to see who could figure it out the fastest. Once understood, the actions were easy, but the concept still remained difficult to comprehend. Why would a person need a metal clasp on a watch with a standard leather strap and traditional fastening? The phrase 'belt and braces' sprung to mind.

Having said this the strap is very easy to remove as Brathwait have built in an easy release system which allows you to fit a different strap, or use a Nato strap, which are very fashionable right now.

PERTINENCE

This watch has an elegant aesthetic, it is classic in design and inoffensive. It's going to suit most guys and looks nice on the wrist. While the fastening may be a conversation starter the watch itself is restrained enough not to enter the room before you do.

If you're looking for an uncomplicated timepiece which is both functional and classy take a look at the Brathwait watch. If you like your watches to make more of a statement and act as an extension of a robust personality this may not be it.

More refined than raucous, the Brathwait classic slim watch is a timepiece that will stand the test of time (no pun intended)

PRO'S & CON'S

For me the general look of the watch is a winner. The understated aesthetic appeals to me very much. For me the fastening isn't a plus point, I found it a little difficult to do up, and found that it added thickness to the strap which was at times uncomfortable. Having said that, I do like to wear my watches tight on the wrist and maybe if I use the next hole along it might be easier for me to wear and won't leave a mark on my wrist where the metal release clasp had been.

PEOPLE

People liked the overall look of the watch and felt it was a nice size. They commented on the unfussy simplicity of the face, but were less enamoured by the fastening. Richard commented that "it's unnecessarily over engineered"

Emma told me "It's lovely isn't it. I like the face, it's classic and timeless" She finished by saying "It looks very expensive"

Carla said "I'd wear this, it looks like it could be unisex" but after trying the watch she did comment "the clasp is enough to drive me mad"

Matt also commented on the strap and said "Why would you reinvent the basic strap? If it isn't broken, don't fix it. It's worked for 500 years, it makes no sense. But that aside it's a really nice watch"

PRÉCIS

So overall this is a great watch for the price. It's general look appealed to all those that saw it. Its classic simplicity is a major plus point but the fastening did confuse people and turned into a bit of a puzzle, which is something easily resolved by quickly replacing the strap with a Nato band if you wanted to switch things up.