On paper, there’s nothing I like about the Revelot R9 Veloce. So why have I not been able to take it off my wrist all week? 

Revelot R9 Veloce Review

Revelot kindly gave me this watch for free to review, so please bear that in mind when reading my review. Long-term readers will know that I am not afraid to criticise a watch that I have been allowed to keep, nor praise a watch that is undeserving, but I believe transparency is important in a review. The R9 comes in a cardboard slider box that does the job if little more. For the sub-£200 cost, I expected less – so no marks are taken off for the spartan presentation!

Case and Movement

The Revelot R9 Veloce has a Genta-inspired 44mm case made of stainless steel that has been coated in a dark gunmetal grey. It is very “Hublot” – a brand I am not normally drawn to – but there is something about it that “just works” for me. The pushers have a positive action, and the crown – if a little shallow – works smoothly. The case back is thick and has a carbon fibre centre. The watch is 15mm thick, but there’s enough going on at the sides to make it feel thinner. Everything is executed very well. This is a heavy, solid-feeling watch that feels a lot more expensive than the price tag might suggest.

The watch is powered by a Miyota quartz chronograph movement. I normally prefer a meca-quartz movement due to their instant snap-back chrono reset. The choice of Miyota, however, is essential to allow the number of layers on the dial and the sub-dial positions, so I accept it is the least-worst choice. The watch is topped off with an aluminium bezel and sapphire glass.

Dial and Hands

The dial is made of seven separate layers, and it looks fantastic. I was sceptical as to how a skeleton dial could work in a watch that has no mechanical elements, but the way that Revelot have designed the face is superb. The seconds at 6 take the form of a rotating turbine that manages to remove the ticking second hand that switches people off quartz watches. The chrono sub-dials take the form of spinning discs which you can see in action in my video review below. 

The finish of all the dial elements is excellent, and there is even a smattering of green lume that means the watch is legible in low light. In fact, it is more legible in low light as the downside of all those pieces of shiny metal is that it can be tricky to read the time when the hands pass over the subdials. It’s not the worst I have seen in a skeleton dial, but it is worth noting if that kind of thing bothers you. 

Strap and Buckle

The Revelot R9 Veloce comes with a superb silicone strap that is supremely comfortable and has plenty of adjustment, my 7.5″ wrist being around the centre hole. This is good because the 22mm strap fitment is a custom design, so will not be easy to replace. I would have expected Revelot to supply a tool to remove the strap in the box, but they do not, so if you do need to remove it, you’ll have to dig an allen key out of the back of your toolbox. 

The buckle is coated to match the watch, and despite its size, it is comfortable and did not dig into my wrist. 

Revelot R9 Veloce – Video Review

What I Liked

  • The watch looks great: the multi-layered dial is stunning, and the case is suitably chunky.
  • The watch is really comfortable to wear and feels great on the wrist
  • At the current Indiegogo price, the Revelot R9 Veloce is excellent value for money

What I Didn’t Like

  • The quartz movement will put some people off, despite the excellent execution.
  • As you might expect, the watch can be a bit tricky to read in some conditions.
  • The strap design makes aftermarket replacement difficult

Revelot R9 Veloce – the WRUK verdict

There are a few things I dislike in a watch: quartz movements, skeleton dials, non-standard straps, PVD cases… The Revelot R9 Veloce has all of these, and yet I absolutely love it. From the moment I first strapped it to my wrist, it just felt “right”. I’ve worn it all week and have no desire to take it off – which is a rarity when you have a  watch collection as large as mine. Every collection needs a grab and go quartz – and the Revelot R9 Veloce has now filled that slot in my watch box. I can wholeheartedly recommend it.

Buy a Revelot R9 Veloce 

The Revelot R9 Veloce is now available from Indiegogo Indemand at £189. Grab yours at https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/revelot-r9-veloce-supercar-inspired-racing-watch#/

There is also an even better special WRUK discount on a limited number of steel models, with a price of just £174 – click here to access the perk (valid to June 2021).

 

By Mike Richmond

Mike spends what little spare time he has writing for WRUK; and what little money he makes building up his collection of timepieces.

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