![]() There are several factors why the Old Radium is perfect on my 6.25-inch wrist, first the thickness of lack of it at 10mm, which makes the watch wear very well on a vast variety of wrists, the second one is the straps, the Old Radium comes with 2 incredible handmade straps that are worth a standalone review. Going back to the dial, the watch has no date (you can imagine me smiling) the symmetry is absolute, from the centre to the edges going through the perfectly placed numerals, the Isotope Old Radium is a masterclass in harmonic design, a lot is going on but nothing draws your attention when you need to catch the time on a glimpse. The watch is powered by a Swiss Landeron which can be viewed by a sandblasted titanium exhibition case back, the mix of premium materials is something that really surprised me, especially at this price point. The case is made of CuSn8 bronze, it has 40mm in diameter and the lugs extend to 47mm which is longer than similar size watches, this really helps with the wearability as I have experienced 40mm with very short lugs, and feels a bit odd. ![]() The Old radium also comes into play when we talk about the lume, a beige colour that gives the watch not an old look but a cohesive palette, everything matches. The bronze hands that come from the centre have a brushed finish with luminescence material on the tips, you can already imagine even without the pictures that the watch is extremely legible. The specificationsĪs the name suggests, the Old Radium LE has a beautiful brown (Tobacco inspired) dial, and it really looks like nothing I’ve ever seen before, the center highlights the design language that we are used from the brand with its lacrima in a darker color, then on the outside, we can really see the brown contrasting with the rest of the piece. This is not the first Isotope I reviewed but I can honestly say that it is my favorite one, you will see why, let’s begin. So, what happens when a brand wants to maintain the basics on the functionality side but create its version of this tool iconic watch? Well, I will not mention names, but some brands just changed the color of the dial or reduced the diameter of the case, but Isotope took the task very seriously and decided to design a ‘Flieger’ from scratch but keeping that legibility and robustness alive, enter the Old Radium Tobacco LE. In the case of the ‘Flieger’ watch, there is much more complexity in the matter, as an object that was commissioned by strict specifications with robustness and legibility in mind, the ‘Flieger’ or flyer was precision at its best. Dive watches must comply with ISO certification so there isn’t much that you can do in terms of design but not being an indispensable item anymore, we can now see a variety of colors and sizes available from many brands. ![]() With the explosion of independent watchmaking, not only do we have many offerings from many brands, but we also have different interpretations of watches that otherwise, would have never change in looks. ![]() If you are a watch enthusiast in 2022, you are spoiled for choice, I don’t remember the golden era of watchmaking nor know what was happening 35 years ago but, I can imagine that if you wanted a dive watch with heritage you would go to Rolex or Omega, for a ‘Flieger’, IWC was the first and perhaps only choice with some other offerings here and there and definitely, no independent watchmaking. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |