The Stockholm-based designers and gearheads at Nezumi have just released their latest racing chronograph, the Tonnerre. I got to sample one in advance for this hands-on review, and it is an absolute beauty.
Nezumi has always had a bit of a thing for retro-style, and the Tonnerre (thunder) may be their best expression of that aesthetic because this time, they went for a more appropriately vintage size too. Where previous models have had 40mm cases, the new one is a tidy 38mm wide, 46mm long, and 12mm thick. This is the smaller end of the mid-sized range, or what we of slim wrists (6.75″ in my case) might call “perfect.”
Like other Nezumi chronographs, the Tonnerre features a double-domed sapphire crystal with interior AR-coating and is water resistant to 50M. The case back bears a nicely detailed Nezumi “N” logo in high relief.
Fans of the brand will immediately recognize the lines of the case as it looks quite like a downsized Nezumi Loews. Its lugs share a similar same bombé twist and steep hook at the ends. They even have the same 20mm spacing as the Loews, although the smaller case wears them very differently. With the lugs positioned closer to the edge of the barrel, and a proportionately wider strap, the Tonnerre looks more athletic than the Loews. This burly stance is heightened by the all-brushed finish.
I particularly like the Tonnerre’s crown. Thanks to a beveled edge, it appears short but is also 6.7mm wide. For looks, I will always choose the crown that protrudes the least. For function, I want a crown I can grip, and that has far more to do with its width than its height. Nezumi has nailed it. The engraved head is not too shabby either.
Sharp-eyed readers may have already guessed that the Tonnerre runs a Seiko VK63 MechaQuartz (60-minute dial at 9:00, 24-hour dial at 3:00, small seconds at 6:00). The mechanical chronograph module’s crisp button action and snap-back reset make it the watch nerd’s choice among quartz chronographs. Polished bars mark the hours, each topped with a dot of lume. Three sub-dials can be a tight squeeze on a 38mm watch, but while they displace the 3, 6, and 9 markers, the effect is not crowded. The polished syringe hands are exactly the right length, the minute hand extending all the way to the minute track at the perimeter. The only aspect lacking is lume. Nezumi’s custom-colored C1 SuperLuminova should be sufficiently bright, but there is just not a lot of surface area for it, so while the hands remain visible – even the sweep hand’s tip – the tiny pips at the hours fade fast.
Really, chronographs are only truly useful in daylight, and that is when the Tonnerre really shines. Nezumi offers it in silver panda and black reverse panda dials, but the real standouts are the navy and white dials, both of which use an eye-grabbing aqua as an accent color. On the navy version pictured here, this bright pop graces the telemetre index, sweep hand, and all three sub-dials. It looks fabulous and just screams “Heuer Skipper Blue Dreamer,” which is not a bad association at all.
The sample arrived on Nezumi’s “Hunt,” a 2mm thick, 20mm wide, minimally stitched, vegetable-tanned leather strap that tapers to a signed, 18mm buckle. Of course, the rally-style “Rindt” or the NATO “Terrain” from the brand’s accessories page would work just as well.
I’ve long been a Nezumi fan, but the Tonnerre might just be my favorite because it packs all of their vintage petrol-inspired style into a tidy 38mm package. Its proportions are spot-on, and the dial is outstanding. The Tonnerre sells for 3950 SEK or 3150 SEK if you are not subject to EU VAT, so us Yanks are looking at about 379 US. You can order directly from NezumiStudios.com. I recommend you head over to check out this bit of retro goodness for yourself.
