All the way from France comes this stunning new hand-winding dress watch, the Neucarl Sept Mai.
Neucarl Sept Mai Review
The Neucarl Spet Mai arrived in a box that belies its €599 price point. I’m all for minimising packaging in watches. The presentation is on par with other watches of this style, and the watch was well protected in transit from France.
Case and Movement
The Neucarl Sept Mai is powered by a Sellita SW215-1 hand-winding movement. It’s a high-quality, stunning-looking movement that is sandwiched in sapphire glass within the 316L stainless steel case. This premium-price movement allows the watch to keep its thickness below 11m – just 8.35mm without the gently domed top crystal.
The case is an unusual two-part design with the main 41mm section sitting on top of the section containing the lugs. I’d prefer a more streamlined, blended design, and I was not convinced of how the crown seems to be sticking out when viewed from below. It feels to me as if the two parts should fit together more tightly. From above, the watch looks great, and it wears wonderfully.
Dial and Hands
The dial is the star of the show, here. Neucarl has fitted a beautiful multi-layered dial with crisp printing and a wonderful sense of depth that is hard to capture in photos. The chapter ring gently curves upwards to form a bowl shape. It really is a beautiful design, and little touches like the angles of the date window just add to the overall appeal.
The skeleton hands, outlined in black, are easy to read and classy looking. There’s no lume, but that’s not a negative point in a dress watch. I think the Neucarl Sept Mai looks great.
Strap and Buckle
I was less impressed with the strap. It’s made of leather but felt rather plasticky and stiff, and it is very short – I could only just fit it on my 7.5″ wrist using the last hole. Unfortunately, many buyers will need to replace it right away so budget for a quality replacement. The signed tang buckle is also nothing to write home about – it was a shame that the strap didn’t match the high quality on offer elsewhere.
Neucarl Sept Mai – Video Review
What I Liked
- The design is attractive and original
- The slimline – almost hidden – case makes the Neucarl Sept Mai very easy to wear
- The movement is beautiful.
What I Didn’t Like
- The strap is short and does not feel as well made as the rest of the package.
- I’m not sure the two-part case works for me, I prefer more blended lines.
- The price is higher than many competing watches due to the high-quality movement
Neucarl Sept Mai – the WRUK Verdict
I like the Sept Mai. I like it a lot, but a few niggling problems prevent me from shortlisting it as one of the top watches of 2020: that short strap and the two-part case just not quite working for me. Having said that, to wear and to look at from above, this is a stunning watch, and it is well worth the asking price – just remember to also budget for a quality replacement watch band if your wrist is bigger than 7.5 inches.
Buy a Neucarl Sept Mai
The Neucarl Sept Mai is available direct from Neucarl’s website for €599.
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