Vero Open Water

Vero Watch Company has just pivoted. Founded by Chris Boudreaux in Portland, Oregon, the brand made its name producing as much of their components in-house, with a focus on cases. Their SS model was one of the coolest watches I’ve ever seen. They had a series of collaborations with Worn & Wound that did incredibly well. Then there seemed to be a bit of quiet (maybe it was just me). It was during this lull that the approach toward watchmaking shifted. Whether it was a matter of savings or something else, Vero made the decision to shift to a more traditional small brand approach: overseas manufacturing (in this case Swiss), in-house assembly.

When I heard the news, I was worried. Worried that the verve that made the company and it’s watches great might be lost without the start-to-finish hands-on approach. And then the Open Water came out and I stopped worrying. The model is available in three variants, including a spectacular green dial inspired by St. John’s Bridge in Portland. I was lucky enough to go hands-on with one of the original two variants: The Crown Point.

My initial impression when I saw the Open Water was a big old “Wow.” The deep blue matte dial and the angles of the case were clear hits, but the matte DLC bezel blew my socks off.

What a killer case. The outward slope as it ascends to the slightly rounded bezel. The softness of the bead-blasted finish against the sharpness of the edges. This watch is exceptionally modern, decidedly clean, and the flat crystal makes sure that the aesthetic is uninterrupted.

One of my very few gripes with the Open Water series is and has been from the start the size of the screw-down crown. It’s just a bit undersized. In talking to Chris about this decision, it was explained to me that the watch originally had a larger crown, but it disrupted the design and there were grip issues; the downsizing solved both problems, though with a minor aesthetic compromise. And to his credit, the crown is easy to operate, though sometimes lacks that satisfying click when pulled out.

I am fully and unapologetically enamored of this bezel. I’ve long been a fan of the Sinn U50 with the contrasting black bezel, so when this came out, I was obviously excited. I think Vero does it better: the bezel here is far less tactical and far more balanced. If you hadn’t noticed, the bezel doubles a minute track for the main dial (which means yes, you can set the time exactly, even with the bezel turned. And pushing me over the edge right into smitten territory is that wonderful double zero at the top.

Wears great on the wrist. The case isn’t thick to begin with, but the contouring makes it wear even thinner than you’d expect.

This dial is so subtle and understated that it makes that much more of an impact. The Open Water’s dial is certainly dark blue, but there are times when it will play closer to black, the only thing proving it’s not actually black being the bezel surrounding it.

The hands and the markers complement each other perfectly. The lumed end of the second hand is a great touch and the shape is unique.

The bezel is exceptionally easy to operate, to the degree that I thought I might accidentally nudge it. But that only happened when I was trying to accidentally nudge it, which I don’t think counts. The action, as one might expect, was a bit soft, but there was no backplay at all.

Lume is above average and bright all around, but slightly uneven: the hands and bezel plots outshine the dial and it’s noticeable. Still, this did little to dampen readability or hamper my enjoyment of the watch.

Here’s the caseback, complete with dirt from me and another reviewer who shall not be named. Underneath lurks a Swiss Sellita SW200-1, the manufacturer’s ETA 2824 clone. You’ll have no issues with this 26-jewel movement, which beats at 4hz and has a power reserve of 38 hours.

The Vero Open Water absolutely kills on the wrist, thanks in no small part to the matched bead-blasted bracelet with fully articulating links.

The clasp is fine, but nothing really special, and at times I found it a bit stiff. While it has a sleek profile that minimizes bulk on the underside of the wrist, it can be tricky to pop open. Best to release it by grabbing the sides. And quick-release end links would’ve been nice.

As is evident, and almost always the case with simple watches, the Vero Open Water is a strap monster. Above is just a small sample of the straps I had it on. And as you can see, it can dress up nicely.

If you need me to put it in writing, here it is: the Vero Open Water is an excellent watch. The design and wearability are both exceptional. While the lume isn’t perfect, the crown appears too small (but isn’t), and the clasp is just okay, none of these interrupted my joy when wearing this watch. There is so much to celebrate here: the bezel, the dial-bezel contrast, the sparing dial text, the double zero, the bead blasting, the second hand. Really, taken as a whole, the watch is a triumph. Turns out I didn’t have to worry about Vero pivoting.

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