Earlier this year, I reviewed a prototype Vesuviate Attivo. I rather liked its boxy shape, all-around utility, dapper polished accents, and its sleek bracelet. In fact, I liked it enough that I am now wearing an Attivo of my own. After a couple of months, I thought a follow-up was in order.
First, a quick recap. The Attivo is square dial watch that measures 39mm wide, just over 42mm long, and 11mm thick. This makes it either a larger dress watch or a mid-sized sports watch, depending on your perspective. With 100m water resistance, a hardened surface, sapphire crystals, and BGW9 SuperLuminova, the Attivo is happy to serve in either capacity, which is a good thing since I really don’t dress up the way I used to in the pre-pandemic world.
Vesuviate offers the Attivo in six colors and I chose Bordeaux Red. In real life, the color was brighter than I expected, largely owing to the sunray effect on the surface. Inside, is a Miyota 9015, and unlike the prototype, this one is gold, which gives you a little something to appreciate through the display caseback.
The watch arrived in a rather nice two-cushion travel case along with a metal warranty card and a leather strap. I was most curious about that last item as it was not available when I reviewed the prototype and given the fact that the 24mm bracelet has a 16mm end link, it is the easiest way to swap a strap onto this watch. I mean, sure, you could just put a 16mm strap on it and pretend it’s the Bulova Mil Ships, but it won’t carry it off all that well. After that, you are cutting down your own 24mm strap or ordering a bespoke item.
As on the prototype, the case and bracelet wear a combination of brushed and polished finishes. It was the excellent three-link bracelet that won me over in the first review and continues to be one of the most satisfying elements on this watch. I love the way it’s so cleanly integrated into the case, and the combination of short links and flush butterfly clasp makes it ideal for a smaller wrist like mine. Some buyers have reported trouble removing the link pins. This is attributable to the heat treatment process used to harden the case’s and bracelet’s surfaces. I hate sizing bracelets anyway, so I took a deep breath, rolled up my sleeves, and … it was fine. I use a mallet and pin to bang out my links and while I had to be a little more stern than usual to get them free, it was really no big deal. Once properly sized, the bracelet fit beautifully.
Now it was time to try the strap and that could not have been easier as both the bracelet and strap use quick-release pins. I must say, the strap is odd. It is 24mm wide but in order to fit those lugs, it carries a 16mm link. It is a shiny black gator-grain leather and fitted with a heavy deployant clasp. It has both fixed and floating keepers, but you really won’t need either as the tail tucks under the opposite end.
It seems that a miscommunication with the manufacturer resulted in the strap coming with a center link instead of an end link. I’m sure this was infuriating for the brand, but I don’t think it looks bad at all. I’ll go so far as to say that the rounded link looks kind of cool floating between the case and that very shiny strap. Still, it is not what was intended and those who ordered an Attivo expecting a proper end link will get one. I expect it will provide a much smoother look.
My bigger issue with the strap is that clasp. I am not a big fan of deployants on straps, much preferring a good, old-fashioned buckle, and this one was no exception. Like most deployants, it is long, and I have a small wrist, so once I got the strap adjusted to where it would fit, the clasp was no longer centered under my wrist and this prevented the strap from bending properly. On a bigger wrist it would probably be fine, but not on mine. In the end, it matters little because while I love swapping straps, I believe the Attivo looks best on the bracelet, and that is just how mine will stay.
I’m digging my Attivo and you still have a chance to get one of your own. The Kickstarter campaign and launch incentives are long gone but running a Black Friday promotion right now so you can get an Attivo for $425 with code ATTIVO50OFF. Only a handful are left in each color so I’d suggest you head over to Vesuviate.com soon.
