Back in 2021, I reviewed the Havaan Tuvali Heritage 72, a watch I described as a “reincarnation,” as it was assembled from a combination of NOS parts from the 1970s, and new, handmade dials, to create a brand-new vintage watch. It stole my heart. After giving it a rave review, I bought the review sample, nominated it for Microbrand Watch of The Year, and kept it as one of the most cherished watches in my collection. When Havaan Tuvali’s founder and watchmaker, Eric Yeh, attended the District Time show this year, he brought a couple of prototypes of his next vintage revival. It was the Duodecima, and it was good. I have one in my hand today.
Like the Heritage 72, the Duodecima is based on an orphaned batch of watch cases that were ordered from a Taiwanese manufacturer in the 1970s and never delivered. The factory had no record of what company placed the order, but the owner recalled that they were originally bound for Germany. Regardless of their intended destination, they remained in storage for decades until Eric purchased them for this project. The cases have polished, unsigned crowns, mineral crystals, and are rated for 30m water resistance, which was sufficient to be considered a sports watch, back in its day.
For a 40 to 50-year-old watch, the Duodecima is remarkably aligned with current trends, as angular cases and smaller sizes have slipped back into vogue. Its crisp edges and hidden lugs are very 2023. In sporting fashion, the stainless steel case is mostly brushed with some bright polish along the beveled upper and lower edges of the case that make the already svelte case appear even thinner. Of course, the highlight of this case is its namesake 12-sided bezel, fabulously detailed with a polished, faceted edge and gold rivets. As these are NOS pieces, they may have picked up a blemish or two. Eric weeds out the damaged ones and refurbished the rest himself, but buyers would do well to remember that you cannot hold a vintage item to factory-fresh standards. That said, the review sample looked perfectly clean, with nary a ding or scuff to be seen.
At 34mm wide, 37mm long, and 10mm thick with 18mm lugs, the Duodecima is a true unisex size. While its overall shape adds a touch of wrist presence, it can’t overcome the fact that it is shorter than most modern men’s watches are wide. This modest footprint was apparent even on my 6.75″ wrist, so I suspect many men might consider it to be more of a dress watch while women and those of us with skinny wrists will be more inclined to grab it for everyday wear.
Flipping it over, you will find an exhibition caseback that affords a view of the Swiss A. Schild AS1537 within. It’s an excellent choice, as A. Schild movements were dependable workhorses through the 1970s. This 18k bph, hand-winding unit has 21 jewels and a 33-hour power reserve.
So far, all of these elements would add up to a fine vintage piece, a charming survivor, but not a new watch. That changes when we get to the dial. Eric makes them by hand, just as he did for the earlier Heritage 72; this time, exploring new designs and techniques. He makes the Duodecima dial from a cotton paper used for traditional calligraphy. He cuts and dyes them by hand; then pad prints the railroad index, reticle, and logo. This is topped with a brass hour ring featuring a printed Roman/Arabic Cali-style dial with the brand’s hourglass logo at 12 o’clock. A brass baton handset makes it complete. The video below shows the process.
Eric’s craftsmanship is top-notch, and the results are well worth his effort. This is a beautiful dial. We watch nerds get all excited over sand- and linen-surfaced brass dials, so it is a real treat to see a dial where texture occurs naturally. I love the way the brass and gold-printed elements coordinate with the rivets on the bezel. Because they are handmade, Eric has full control of color and quantity (no MOQs here), and he has created a marvelous selection: Glacier Blue, Salmon, Malachite Green, Desert Sand, Vintage White, and the Night Blue of the review sample. This also opens up the possibility of one-off custom colors, a prospect Eric is happy to discuss.
Buyers get both a strap and bracelet with their watch. The strap is handmade microfiber. I didn’t sample that one, just the bracelet, which is dual-finished like the case with broad, brushed center links flanked by tiny polished ends. It is a vintage piece, and it feels like it, which is to say, it’s lighter and a touch janglier than modern bracelets. It also uses tabs instead of link pins, much like a Casio AE1200. This is hardly my favorite link system, but given the multitude of micro-adjustment holes on the clasp, even the tiny-wristed among us should not have to remove too many segments. It is exactly the bracelet you would expect to find on a 50-year-old watch. You may need to adjust your expectations accordingly.
If you decide to jettison both the bracelet and the strap, I would caution you that the 18mm lug box is tight — really tight. I did not have a strap in my collection thin enough to squeeze in there. You will need something thin, strong, and able to withstand repeated rubbing against the case. I think the microfiber solution is genius.
After the Heritage 72, I thought it unlikely that Eric could catch that same lightning in a bottle and repeat his success with another lost batch of cases, but he most certainly has. The Duodecima is delightful. Finding another batch of swinging 70s cases was one thing, but its the creativity and craftsmanship of that paper and brass dial that makes this watch so special.
The Havaan Tuvali Duodecima is available now for $485. That is an excellent price for a watch as unique as this. If the Duodecima has captured your imagination, I’d recommend acting sooner than later. Eric has not announced a production limit on the watch, but he’s going to run out of cases one of these days, and you won’t find a watch like this again.
