The Gravithin ArgoMatic is slim, distinctive, and charmingly funky. It is available on Kickstarter right now, and those of you who seek instant gratification or have very short attention spans can head over there right now and order one for the early bird price of $274. That’s the abridged version of this review. Now, if you want to know how slim, why I think it is distinctive, and what variety of funkiness I find charming, read on as I pour over the details of this prototype.
If you recall your Greek mythology, the Argo was the ship that carried Jason and the Argonauts on their quest for the Golden Fleece. It was said to be blessed by the gods and consecrated to the heavens as a constellation after its voyages. Since then, the Argo has found its way into every form and art and literature, now appearing in watch form.
You get the reference right away in the ArgoMatic’s layered dial. It is a complex cutaway of perforated dots and segmented arcs that form a series of concentric circles. Working from the perimeter inward, we find 12-hour markers and a minutes index, a 60-increment index, and three more rings of printed dots that appear purely decorative. The white printing against the dark surface recalls the night sky, if not necessarily the specific Argo constellation. Wisely, Gavethin has placed the brand name and “Automatic” text at 9 and 3, where they fit comfortably without detracting from the rest of the already busy dial.
This unique layout is reminiscent of a sextant, further underscoring the ArgoMatic’s nautical/stellar connection. I particularly appreciate the second hand’s open loop, which resembles and sextant’s lens and frames the numbers as it passes over. The hour and minute hands are polished and lume-filled. Lume. Let’s talk about the lume.
Look at that! It’s mesmerizing as-is, and it will only get better in production. Right now, you are looking at C3 SuperLuminova on the hands and BGW9 on the lower layer. Final versions will be tinted BGW9 all around with slightly wider hands to increase lume fill and visibility.
As you might have gathered from its name, Gravithin does not make chunky watches. The first incarnation of the Argo was quartz (and is still available for 209€ or about $234 US) that shared a similar, if less complex, layout as the ArgoMatic. Of course, making a slim quartz is easy. A slim auto is more of a challenge. The Gravithin ArgoMatic houses a Miyota 9015 in a 42mm wide lugless case. In addition to being smooth (28.8k bph) and reliable, the 9015 is also compact, allowing the case to sneak in at 10.7mm. Gravethin notes that the deep undercuts on either side of the case echo the tapered hull of a ship, but they also serve to make the already skinny case appear even thinner.
Around the back, you can see just how deep those sides go. It creates one of the smaller hatches and display windows I’ve encountered, although still more than adequate to view the movement within. This one is pretty plain, but production versions will have a custom rotor that echos the dial design. In addition to the blue and gold model shown here, Gravithin offers the ArgoMatic with a black dial and in silver or gunmetal finishes. All feature a soft sandblasted finish.
On my 6.75″ wrist, the ArgoMatic wears smaller than its 42mm specs might suggest, thanks mainly to the integrated lugs. This sample arrived on Gravethin’s excellent golden brown matte leather strap. It is 20mm wide, lightly padded, tapers to its signed buckle, and equipped with quick-release pins. A very 70s-looking bandolier bracelet is also available, but I did not give that one a spin.
You might think a watch with such a seafaring backstory would be ready for life on the high seas, but you should hold that thought. This is no dive or tool watch. You’ll get a 50m water resistance rating, which is adequate for daily wear if not extended submersion. Still, the dial is legible day or night, and sapphire crystal protects both sides. That smooth-sided crown gave me pause, but even that operates without fuss. The ArgoMatic is an easy choice for stylish, everyday wear.
If you are reading this before February 19, 2022, then you might want to hit the Gravithin ArgoMatic Kickstarter page and have a look before post-preorder pricing goes into effect. If you are reading it afterward, you missed the chance to grab it for up to 40% off, but you can get one for 399€ (about $445 US).
