In June, I previewed the Peren Hintz, a Swiss mechanical watch from a Transylvanian micro brand, inspired by one of that region’s famed watchmakers. I told you all about it then, but I only recently had the prototype make its way through Time Bum Headquarters. I’m wearing it right now, and I can tell you that is a particularly appealing piece.
I’m not going to re-tell the story behind the watch. Suffice to say that it is named for Eugen Hintz, who was responsible for ‘Wyler Eugen Hintz | Fagaras’ pocket watch. The Peren Hintz gives a nod to it’s historical inspiration but is clearly its own distinctive design. Made in Switzerland, it is a classic large field watch in the same idiom as the Weiss Standard Issue and Origin Vintage Field. Measuring 42.5mm wide and 50mm long, with a huge dial and just a slim bezel, one might expect it to appear oversized, yet every time I strap on a watch of this style, I am surprised by how good it looks, even on a smallish 6.75″ wrist like my own. An open, uncluttered face and a modest 11.2mm thickness go a long way to achieving the Hintz’s wearablilty. If I was not currently a Coronavirus shut-in, I would happily wear it with a blazer and tie. As it is, it looks pretty good with jeans and hoodie too.
The case is both brushed (on its flat sides) and polished (at the tops of the bezel and lugs). The crown is broad and flat, just the way I like it. After all, a field watch of this style does not need a huge, diver’s crown, but it should maintain proportion to the case and must be easy to operate. This one ticks all of those boxes. My only disappointment was the unsigned crown. Granted, this is not a big deal, but it would have been nice to see the Peren “fangs” logo on there. [Update: Peren tells me the final version will have a signed crown. Hooray for fangs!]
You will rely on that crown fairly often as the watch housesan ETA Unitas 6498-1 hand-winding movement. Peren offers both standard grade and the Élaboré pictured here, which gives you sightly greater accuracy as well as eye candy like Geneva stripes and blued screws.
The most appealing aspect of the Hintz is the dial. It’s off-white is warmer than you might expect, leaning more towards tan than yellow. Its embossed numerals appear dark red at first glance but closer inspection reveals them to be maroon edged in orange. The two colors also grace the minute track and hands. It’s a fabulous, unexpected color scheme that really sets the Peren apart.
The Unitas features a 6 o’clock small seconds and if you are so inclined, you can order your Peren with a conventional subdial. That would be nice. Not thrilling, but nice. Now those of us who want something different will likely go for the ‘Andesite Sun’ small seconds instead. This will get you a raised spinning disk displaying the ten segments of an ancient solar cycle measurement tool. Can you use it to measure the solar cycle? No. Can you use it to keep track of seconds? Also no as there is no distinguishing marker to serve as a focal point. Does it have a function at all? Well, maybe not so much. That said it looks cool, provides a link to the brand’s homeland, and it is just one more clever element that gives the Hintz its unique quality.
You might not think it from the Peren’s vintage looks but it is actually quite a tough tool. It has a domed and anti-reflective coated sapphire crystal and is water-resistant to 100m. There is really no reason why you couldn’t wear the Hintz field watch in an actual field. That is not to say that there has not been a bit of compromise between fashion and function. The orange SuperLuminova is good lume but there is nothing to mark the hours.
My review sample had already seen another reviewer or two and the brown 22mm strap was nicely broken in. Many vintage style straps have a rustic quality. This one does not. It is well-tailored and instead relies on the pull-up effect in its leather to give it a mellow, aged look. It makes perfect sense on this watch so I saw no reason to change it.
The Hintz is still listed as a pre-order on the Peren site. Full retail will be 888 CHF for the Élaboré and 788 CHF for the Standard (about $946/875 US) but the pre-sale pricing drops it to a more appealing 596/496 CHF ($662/550 US). That is not bad at all for a watch as attractive and versatile as the Hintz. For more information or to place an order, check out Perenwatches.com.⬩
