What does your watch say about you? When is it more than just a watch? Can it be an opportunity to do good? That’s the question I consider as I behold the Münchner from Fleddermann von Rieste, a young microbrand out of Indiana. This is most certainly a watch, and a bit of an unusual one at that, but it’s also attached to a good cause. I’m not going to bury the lede: in this case, that good cause includes devoting a portion of the proceeds to supporting relief efforts in Ukraine, as well as providing job placement support for recently incarcerated individuals. I award major points to those efforts.
On to the Münchner itself: this is a watch that, at first, defies classification. Visually it looks like a Bauhaus-inspired dress watch or a field watch, but dress watches don’t usually come with prominent crown guards and a 100m water resistance rating. It’s also big at 44mm with a 52mm lug to lug length. With its clean, traditional design, there’s nowhere to hide that size. I wear other 44mm watches on my 6.5” wrist from time to time, but they are usually more wrist-hugging. The Fleddermann von Rieste Munchner is definitely wearable, but I think it would look far more at home on a larger wrist. On the other hand, it’s slim at only 11mm and fits nicely under a shirt cuff. The sides of the case also feature parallel horizontal lines that Fleddermann von Rieste says are inspired by the two towers of the Frauenkirche Lutheran church in Munich, Germany. Whatever the inspiration, it’s a cool touch that livens up an otherwise conventional round case. The sizeable crown is easy to operate, with nicely finished knurling on the sides, and features the brand’s logo in the form of an FR
While not present in the prototypes I reviewed, the mass production watches will feature the Sellita SW260 automatic self-winding movement with a 38-hour power reserve. Sellita makes great workhorse movements and I have more than a few watches featuring their SW200 series. As for the caseback, it’s a very simple, closed caseback featuring the brand name and distinctive FR logo.
I had the opportunity to review all three of the Münchner’s available colorways. The trio shares the same wide-open dial, but with different schemes and executions that really set them apart. I mentioned the wide-open dial, and that’s a good thing because there is quite a bit on it. The brand’s name alone takes up two rows of text at the top of the dial, and then you have the watch name, a notation that it’s mechanical, and its depth rating. The multiple rows of text in multiple fonts and sizes are a curious decision, but it’s all counterbalanced by the framed small seconds at the bottom of the dial. Oh, I nearly left out the applied Cross of Lorraine logo which is a cool touch that adds some depth.
Speaking of depth, what I first took to be printed hour markers are actually raised, lending the dial some welcome variety. The cardinal hour markers at 12, 3, and 9 are outward-facing arrows while the rest are Arabic numerals in a typeface in keeping with the Munchner’s mid-century stylistic inspiration. On the Victory Blue (navy) version, the hour markers are all white, providing a high-contrast dial that’s easy to read in any light, though it may surprise you to learn the hour markers are currently absent of lume. I’m really intrigued by the other colorways: the Charcoal gray dial has black hour markers outlined in white, which may not be the most legible, but the outward-facing arrows are bright yellow that matches the small seconds subdial, which I must say looks quite lively. The cream-colored Antique Map option features navy blue numerals and a frame around the subdial with red accents. The Charcoal and Antique Map also use their accent colors to denote the depth rating, further breaking up the dial text. The Victory Blue may be the most traditional and versatile of the bunch, but the other two have a lot of personality. If I had to pick a favorite it would be the Charcoal, and the way the pops of yellow really bring some brashness to the otherwise subdued look.
Small seconds subdials seem to be a polarizing feature on watches for some collectors, but I’ve never understood why. The cause against them is usually taken up by people decrying them as an unnecessary complication and throwback to when small seconds were the norm due to the layout of a movement’s gear train. So what? The general public likely sees watches as an unnecessary complication as a whole, so to me, this is an aesthetic choice. Personally, I like the more subtle gray-on-black framing on the Charcoal model.
The watches ship in a handsome wooden box with push-button closures on the sides of the lid. I was quite surprised by the premium feel of the packaging although I had to dig through an abundance of styrofoam packing peanuts to find it. While I typically prefer more minimalist and recyclable packaging, this is a very impressive box, especially for a microbrand debut.
The included 22mm Italian leather strap (cognac with the navy blue, black with the gray, and mahogany brown with the Antique Map) is fantastic. It’s supple, nicely finished, and feels great. Small brands occasionally have to skimp on the strap, but that’s not the case here, and it’s paired with a branded deployant clasp that’s easy to resize on the fly.
As of the time of this writing, The Münchner has just launched on Kickstarter (May 1, 2022), and a portion of the proceeds go to benefit UNICEF’s relief efforts in Ukraine, while an additional share goes to help people who have been incarcerated reenter the workforce. Early bird pricing starts as low as $550 USD, which I think is quite a good price, while retail will be $900. Offering the watch with a Seiko or Miyota movement could have brought the price down a little, but there is a cohesiveness to the European spirit this watch is trying to evoke.
If you’re a larger-wristed person (or just someone who likes a bigger watch) looking for a versatile, do-anything timepiece that can be dressed up or beaten up, give the Fleddermann von Rieste Münchner a look at https://vonrieste.com/
