If you admire bold design, then you have got to love Stuckx.
Many micro brands and Kickstarter aspirants proclaim that they will
shake up the industry with their groundbreaking watches, only to release
products that break wind. Stuckx is not one of these. Earlier this
year, they announced The RocK, an outrageous diver that is wildly over
the top yet compelling
thanks to a surprisingly nuanced design. Today, I have a prototype of
the other Stuckx release, The Bull, to see if they accomplished the same
balance with their audacious race timer.
Stuckx
offers The Bull in both automatic and quartz versions, both featuring
flat sapphire crystals and 200m water resistance. The review sample is
powered by a Seiko VK64 MechaQuartz, a two-register hybrid unit that
engages a mechanical module for chronograph duty, providing quartz accuracy with precise feel,
1/5th-second sweep, and a crisp snap-back, all in one budget-minded
package. The sub dials show seconds at 3 o'clock and elapsed minutes at 9
o'clock. The central second hand runs with the chronograph. A 6 o'clock
window reveals the black-on-white date wheel.
The watch was
inspired by 1970's car culture, so it is fair to say that a little
flash was in order, most notably in the case design, which was inspired
by an old Breitling design. To my budget-minded eye, it recalls bullhead race timers like the Citizen 8110 and Seiko 6138. Like those classics, The Bull places the
crown and chronograph buttons at the top of the case. Its 42mm
asymmetrical case is 16mm thick and lugless at the top, tapering
dramatically to conventional, curved lugs at the bottom. This Bull not a
small watch by any means, but the arc of the case allows it to sit
comfortably, even on my relatively small 6.5" wrist, without being
overly top-heavy. The case wears a brushed finish save for the slim,
polished, beveled edge encircling the entirety of the case, even inside
and between the lugs. It is one of many tasty details on this watch. Given
all the action up front, the back is rather plain; just some key
specifications engraved around an undecorated case back. Similarly, the
prominent screw down crown is unsigned.
The
dial on this Bull is a sun-brushed blue with silver registers, but
several other varieties are available including black, "panda",
champagne, orange, and brown. The sample was a dark and lustrous indigo –
quite lovely against the contrasting white Tachymetre chapter ring. The
hands are polished batons with a channel of orange lume to match that
of the stick markers, paddle style second hand, and triangle
at the bezel's top center. Interestingly, the small seconds dial has no
markers at all. It is a clean and uncluttered layout with only the
applied and polished Stuckx shield logo in the upper portion and a
simple "WR 200" printed below.
Clever
as the dial may be; it is the bezel that commands your attention. Its
sculpted ceramic insert is The Bull's signature attraction. The markers
have been cut away in a single, sinuous channel, leaving a raised,
polished ring. The cutaway is matte finished and painted, in this case,
it is white to contrast the dark, shiny blue. An orange triangle marks
the top center. It is an arresting effect, perfectly logical and
legible, but entirely unexpected. The Bull would have still been an
appealing watch with a conventional insert, but
the stylized ceramic takes it to the next level. On a practical note,
the bezel action is precise, smartly snapping through its cycle. The prototype has a 90 click bezel, but it will be 120 on the final.
The Bull arrived with four 22mm
straps: a two-piece leather, and three nylon NATOs. The padded leather
has great color, attractive grain, and bright orange stitching. It
looked fantastic on the watch, but as it was an XL, it just flopped
awkwardly on my wrist. Production straps will be a standard length. The
white and orange NATOs were perfectly nice, but the blue/white/orange
regimental blew them away and immediately became my strap of choice.
Prototypes have their limitations,
and The Bull had its share. Where production watches will have
SuperLuminova, the sample wore a dim substitute. As noted above, the
bezel was a few clicks short while the strap was too long. The date
wheel was a non-functional dummy. Finally, the second hand was made from
an improper material that was too weak to withstand the VK's
vigorous reset, so I left it alone and relied on my experience with the
same movement in other watches. Even so, the sample displayed a high
level of fit and finish that bodes well for the final versions, and the
overall design is simply a knockout. True to form, Stuckx has taken an
offbeat concept and grounded it with solid design fundamentals.
If
you were one of the 267 backers who bought The Bull through
Kickstarter, you will not be disappointed. If not, then you can still
head over to Stuckx.com and order one for €280 ($307 USD).
Pro: A visual feast.
Con: Wedge-shaped case is not for everyone.
Sum: Another stunner from Stuckx. The Time Bum approves.
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