In the next week, be on the lookout for the latest launch from Vesuviate, the Volare automatic GMT. I’ve reviewed every Vesuviate watch to date, successful and unsuccessful alike, and have seen the brand refine its approach each time. I have a prototype in hand for this review, and I think the Volare is the brand’s best watch yet.
Let’s start with the movement, the highly anticipated Seiko NH34A caliber that packs a GMT hand into the familiar Seiko NH35 architecture (24 jewels, 21.6k bph, Diashock) to create the most affordable automatic GMT on the market. The Seiko’s durability and reliability make it an excellent choice for a tool watch and the Volare fits the bill, equipped as it is with a screw-down crown, sapphire crystals, crown guards, and sufficient seals for 200m water resistance
Like other Vesuviate watches, the Volare is constructed of heat-treated stainless steel for a surface hardness of 1,100HV for scratch resistance. The 41mm wide, 46.7mm cushion case is similar to previous models and appears to be nearly identical to the Viaggio prototype that I reviewed here, but failed to fund. This one displays the same rounded corners, flat sides, and a combination of brushed and polished finishes (circular brushing on top, polished sides) but adds a 120-click unidirectional bezel with crisp action and only minimal play. I believe the bezel completes the case in a more satisfying way than the plain fixed bezel on the Viaggio did not. This addition bumps the thickness to nearly 14mm from the case back to the crystal. I’d consider the Volare just over mid-size, yet it still wears well on my 6.75” wrist, even tucking under a buttoned shirt cuff when required.
Of course, the most striking aspect of this watch is its face, which pairs a top-to-bottom fade with two-tone 24-hour indexes on both the rehaut and the sapphire bezel insert. Yes, it looks just as cool in real life as it does in these pictures. The rosy red color is intense, and the gradient is striking. Given all of the numbers required for the dial-time function, Vesuviate wisely chose rectangular hour markers, applied, polished, and lumed. Also, note the framed date window and that diminutive 3 o’clock marker beside it.
Polished and faceted obelisk hands provide good contrast and easy legibility. The similarly shaped GMT hand is skeletonized for immediate differentiation and wears only a lume-filled tip.
It’s a great layout, but this prototype does have some faults that will be addressed before production. First, the model name is nearly invisible due to its red color and the small size of the typeface. You can expect it to be white, larger, and bolder on the finished product. Sharp-eyed readers may notice that the dark section of the chapter index bleeds a little into the light sections. That will be fixed to ensure a clean line. Finally, the red second hand will be yellow for better contrast.
My only other gripe is the color of the fourth hand, which, to my eye, is closer to orange than red. Of course, there are plenty of other color options to consider: blue, green, brown, purple, or full-lume white. That said, I love the fact that the second hour hand has a different color lume to more easily differentiate it from all of the other lumed elements. That BGW9 is outstanding, and it’s everywhere, including the bezel, which is a must-have for a watch like this, and the crown, which literally nobody needs but it just looks so damn cool.
If you flip the watch over, you can see the NH34A in action, but no more than a glimpse as the display window is tinted to match the dial. Rotors on production units will feature the Vesuviuate fireball logo.
The Volare comes with a 20mm stainless steel bracelet that is brushed with polished center links, and all of it has been hardened just like the rest of the watch. Its solid end links are fitted with quick-release pins that make removal and replacement an easy operation that is far less likely to result in scratched lugs when performed by less-than-dexterous folks like myself.
It secures with a signed expandable clasp that is finished to echo the bracelet and case. I have been a critic of these clasps in the past, but I’m pleased to report that the Viaggio’s is slimmer and better finished than those others. I also must admit that while I will likely never wear any sort of watch with a wetsuit (that would require both a wetsuit and the desire to spend time underwater), push-button expansion is a handy feature to have when the heat of a Virginia summer makes your wrist swell, and you need just a couple of millimeters for relief.
The Volare will launch in September and the production watches will be ready for immediate shipment. Vesuviate will offer the first 300 pieces on Kickstarter starting at $375.00 each. The next 200 and any remaining from the Kickstarter campaign will be sold directly through the Vesuviate website for $395.
I think this is a fair price and one that is likely to attract a healthy number of backers. If you would like to be one of them, I’d recommend you sign up for notification at the Volare Kickstarter page or Vesuviate.com.
