All the way from Sweden comes an Art Deco watch that certainly looks different from the usual watches we review: the Söner Momentum.
Söner Momentum Review
The Söner Momentum is currently funding on Kickstarter. At 160 Euro (£130), it certainly represents excellent value considering the specifications. We were kindly loaned a sample to take a closer look at what you will get for your money.
At a glance |
Söner Momentum |
Price |
€160 (about £130) |
Case size |
47mmx37mm |
Thickness |
11mm |
Water Resistance |
100m (in production model) |
Movement |
Miyota 9039 |
Presentation, as you might expect for the low price, is spartan: a cloth bag within a stiff cardboard box. Perhaps a dress watch such as this deserves more, but since all my boxes go in a drawer, never to be seen again, I can’t complain!
Case and Movement
The Söner Momentum has a Miyota 9039 movement. This is a superb movement and often found in watches at three times the price – and that’s in the microbrand space where prices are generally low, to begin with. To find it in such a low-cost watch is unusual, and I wonder how Söner can build these watches at this price and still make a profit. The Miyota 9 series is a reliable and accurate movement that should last a lifetime with regular servicing. The crystal is sapphire – that’s a bonus at the price point – and the back is a solid piece of steel with an engraving. I think Söner could have done more here, as the text is a bit plain, but rather this than an awful laser etching or a display case back showing an undecorated movement.
The case is unusual, to say the least. It is of the kind of design I would expect from a brand like JLC more than a Swedish microbrand. I really liked the Art-Deco lines, and the finishing is more than good enough for the price. Some may find it a divisive design, and that 47mm length – even with its short lugs – will make this watch a tough wear for the smaller-wristed collector. I would suggest that any wrist under 7.5 inches (19cm) might find there is just too much overhang on this watch.
Dial and Hands
The crisply-printed dial is finished in a rather pleasant sunburst green. I enjoyed the way it caught the light, and the applied, lumed indices make it a very legible watch. The hands are simple sticks – I expected something more ornate given the Art Deco design, but I must say they suit the Söner Momentum really well and make time-telling a cinch, even at a glance. The crown is easy to operate, although I would prefer it to be a little bigger as it’s a little fiddly to engage without a screw-down mechanism.
A bigger crown may have also better masked the fact that it does not sit centrally on the case due to the position of the movement. It’s hardly a deal-breaker, but it would look neater in the middle. The watch has no date complications. I think it would have looked good at 6 O’clock and could have elevated the watch into a daily-wearer. Still, I respect the decision to leave it out – especially when the movement is the correct no-date variant, so there is no ghost date-change position.
Strap and Buckle / Bracelet and Clasp
When you’re putting out a watch with a novel design and these specifications for such a low price, something has to give. In the case of the Söner Momentum, it is the strap. At first glance, it looks good, being stamped with the Söner logo and finished in a great-looking brown colour.
However, the strap is stiff and rather short – my 7.5-inch wrist needed to use almost the entire adjustment. Although Söner is increasing the length in the production model, I still think I would be tempted to swap it out for a higher-quality alternative if I bought the watch. The clasp is just fine – a standard double butterfly deployant – so you could reuse that if you upgrade to a better band.
Söner Momentum – Video Review
What I Liked |
What I Didn’t like |
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Söner Momentum- The WRUK Verdict
Overall, I really like the Söner Momentum. At first glance, I thought it was too big, too bold and too… square! But as Art Deco often does, it rapidly grew on me. I love the dial and hands, and I learned to love the case over the week the watch was with me.
At the end of the day, for £130, this watch is a bargain. The movement is excellent, and if you would otherwise be buying a fashion piece or a quartz watch, backing the Söner Momentum is a no-brainer.
Buy a Söner Momentum
The is currently funding on Kickstarter at: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/soner-by-sweden/soner-start-your-legacy-mechanical-square-watches
The production models will see some changes to this prototype, namely:
- Two coats of antireflective material on the crystal
- Cast logo on the crown
- Upgrade to Swiss C3 lume
- Water resistance up from 50m to 100m
- Slightly larger markers on the dial
- Custom-made straps that are 2cm longer
CASIO STANDARD DIGITAL WATCH WITH LED-LIGHT F-91W-1JF
