The Retrovoga is Popolo‘s first watch. It launched on Kickstarter back in July, exceeded its funding goal, and was ready for delivery in November. I was intrigued by its distinctive appearance: knob-tipped lugs, razor-slim cuts in the dial, and of course, the arresting seafoam and orange color combination. When they sent me this sample for a hands-on review, I was pleased to discover the Retrovoga Aqua to be a delightful watch, albeit not without its idiosyncrasies.
My review sample arrived in a nylon case with room for your watch, a spare strap (or maybe two, the foam channel is pretty deep), as well as zippered pouches and elastic stays sufficient to hold all manner of accouterments. This is a travel case I could actually see myself using for travel. Well done, Popolo.
Now, I can’t write another thing about the Retrovoga Aqua until I talk about its color. It is bright. It is bold. It is a glorious seafoam green that shimmers on the brushed dial and commands the attention of both watch lovers and civilians alike. I absolutely love it. You can buy a Retrovoga in black or silver too and you will be perfectly happy. Not as happy as I am when I have this glorious color on my wrist, but you know, probably happy enough.
A less creative brand might have ordered up a simple “minimalist” dial, splashed it green, and called it a day, but then I would not have bothered to feature it here. Popolo’s dial is brimming with clever details and the more I looked at this it, the more I appreciated it. The Retrovga runs a Miyota 82S5 automatic skeleton movement. It barely shows through the narrowest of cutouts that form all but three of the markers, the small seconds subdial, and a frame around the 7 o’clock brand name exposing just a single jewel. Using a skeleton movement and then hiding all its moving parts may seem like an odd design choice, but as I am no great fan of skeleton dials it is one I heartily applaud. I much prefer the way the Retrovoga offers just the merest glimpse of motion through the slats.
The other markers are applied and polished batons at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock. There is no minutes index, just tiny markings on the rehaut for the quarter hours printed in orange like the logo, text, and small seconds index. Oh, that oddly placed brand name? Both it and its frame are on the same axis as the brushed grain. Polished baton hands with lumed needles cap it off. It is a modern, playful, and strangely satisfying layout.
My only criticism of the dial is the lume quality. Pips behind the secondary hour markers give you just enough for orientation, but it won’t matter given the speed at which the glow from the hands decays. Granted, the Retrovoga is not a tool watch, but even casual everyday pieces get worn in the dark.
Popolo has stuffed this dial into a mid-sized, polished stainless steel case. Its fashion-forward style, sapphire crystal, and 50m water resistance rating make it a good candidate for daily, casual wear. Its pronounced crown is polished, signed, and easy to operate. They bill it as unisex and I’d say it just squeezes into that category with its 40mm wide, 49.5mm long, 13mm thick case, and 18mm strap. Wire-style lugs minimize its length and a deep bowl shape makes it appear slimmer. It fit my 6.75″ wrist just fine, but it is still far larger than what Mrs. Time Bum would generally wear.
This would almost be a conventional case were it not for the lugs, which drop down to an elbow where the spring bar perches are located, then curl upwards at the ends. The top lugs are smooth while the bottom ones terminate in large knobs. I like the look, but I do wish they had picked one style and run with it. Either knob it or not. it’s not a deal-killer. I just don’t believe the mismatch does the watch any favors.
Flipping the case over, you will find a red window displaying yet another unique aspect of this watch, an NFC chip. I must say, it looks pretty cool. NFC (near field communication) is a battery-free radio technology that allows electronics in close proximity to communicate. It is used on many modern devices and Popolo provides directions to create a trigger for a mobile phone command. As my iPhone is the only NFC-chipped device I own, I fired up the Shortcuts app and gave it a shot. In a minute, I had a watch that would open TheTimeBum.com on my phone. Yeah, I know I could have done more with it, but I have no imagination when it comes to such things. It worked great, but the “near” part of near field communication is pretty key and the signal is easily blocked by metal. This means you can only activate the command if your NFC reader is in contact with the caseback. Whatever you wish to initiate had better be more of a hassle than removing your watch and touching it to the device in question, otherwise, it is just not worth it.
Realizing this limitation, Popolo also offers NFC-chipped leather straps as a $60 accessory. I got one with the review sample; a traditional design in pale grey leather. It’s chipped under the logo. The Aqua’s standard strap is in lurid orange leather that coordinates nicely with the accents on the dial. Interestingly, the short end is punched along the sides, as if for stitching that isn’t there, and fully perforated, rally-style on the long end. It has one floating keeper, quick-release pins, and secures with a signed, loop-framed buckle. It looks great but has no chip.
Why did they not chip the strap that comes on the watch? I have no idea. The upside is that the optional straps give you the ability to chip-equip just about any watch that takes an 18mm strap. If you are so inclined.
Overall, I liked Popolo’s whimsically modern style and quirky character. I had little use for the NFC, but that wouldn’t stop me. At just $349 direct from PopoloWatches.com, I’d say you are getting your money’s worth, even if you never use its high-tech wizardry. Better still, if you use code thetimebum21 you can take 25% off your order, and $261.75 is a mighty fine deal for a fun piece such as this. ⬩
