The Time Bum has reviewed watches from the Dutch brand Batavi before, most recently, the Architect in 2021 — we have even featured Batavi GMT’s (see the Komopoliet) — but today, we have their most interesting and, to me, most romantic watch to date, the Batavi Geograaf.
Watches are romantic by nature. We do not need these small mechanical machines on our wrists. Certainly, not at the price they commend or the precision they offer. But that is beside the point because watches are a gentle reminder of the old ways.
Time is a man-made invention, and its refinement has happened gradually over centuries. One of the great challenges in this journey has been the matter of handling different time zones around the globe. As rapid intercontinental travel and communication became possible, global precision timekeeping became essential. In 1884, the Greenwich Meridian was chosen to be the prime meridian of the world, the starting point for all world time zones. Since then, traveling between time zones has become the norm, as the world is more interconnected now than ever before. Now that the speed and availability of electronic data transmission have grown exponentially, almost everyone conducts business and business and personal transactions in different cities, languages, currencies, and, of course, different time zones almost every day. Now, more than ever, the world timer complication is key.
I personally have a special attachment to the Batavi Geograaf as it was one of the first watches that I was asked to see before its production, and I was completely enamored by it. On the prototype, the cities displayed on the dial were the same as other world timers, and yet, something was missing. Then it hit me. I remembered the Patek Philippe reference 5130P included Caracas, my hometown. Patek has since stopped adding this city to their new models, but in the 60s, Caracas was enjoying an economic boom and was considered the center of Patek Phillipe (and Rolex) for South America with their flagship retailer Serpico y Laino.
I spoke with Batavi and suggested adding this touch of nostalgia to the Geograaf. I felt it would lend an air of sophistication and stand out from the crowd. Of course, it also would make me very happy! To my surprise, they did, and my city is now on display for the final product.
Batavi offers the Geograaf in six distinctive variations, not of which is plain black or white. Instead, the designers have chosen bold and uncommon combinations like peach and pale blue, or purple with blue and grey. I was taken with the Geograaf Aurora. I am a sucker for grey dials, especially with white fonts. To me, it gives a ghost look, which I enjoy. The second time zone ring also has beautiful orange and teal accents that act as a day/night indicator. Under the rotating bezel, we have applied indices that are razor-sharp. It all looks precise.
The syringe-style hands were a good choice as their wide sections provide ample contrast and lume while their needle tips do not obscure the 24-hour ring.
The case is 39mm wide and under 13mm thick with an attractive mix of polished beveled edges and brushed surfaces. Slim as it is, it still feels robust and well-built. There are 2 crowns on the Geograaf, one at 10 o’clock controlling the inner rotating city bezel and the one at 3 o’clock to set the time and control the second time zone ring.
To operate it, you set the city of reference at 12 o’clock and the correct time with the internal 24-hour ring. From there, you can now visualize the hour of the city of your preference and use the minute hand to read the rest. It is an intuitive process that belies the dial’s apparent complexity.
Through the sapphire case back, you will see a Swiss Soprod C125 GMT automatic. It is a fine choice for a tool watch, which, handsome though it may be, the Geograaf certainly is. It is rated for 200 meters of water resistance and has a screw-down crown.
Dimensions can only tell you one part of the experience; you must strap on a watch to truly understand it, and wearing the Geograaf is a pleasure, even on my 6.25 inch wrist. The lugs are short and wide, allowing the Geograaf an imposing presence that I truly enjoy.
You can make the case that the white font over grey is not as legible as other variations, but for me, the sterile look that appears when the light hits directly is perfect. The watch comes with a 20mm steel ‘’H’’ link style bracelet, very solid with brushed sides, polished center links, and a milled clasp.
Batavi has been producing delightful watches over the last few years. I appreciate their original designs doing original pieces since their inception. The Geograaf is an outstanding addition to their catalog, and one of my favorite watches this year.
The Batavi Geograaf is currently 749€ EUR on the Batavi website. Some of the models are sold out, so if you would like one for yourself, I suggest you visit www.batavi-watches.com.
Technical Specifications
Dial: Multi-layer, rotating inner bezel
Hands: Syringe with lume
Lume: SuperLuminova BGW9
Glass: Double domed sapphire crystal
Bezel: Metal
Functions: GMT and world timer
Material: Stainless steel
Dimensions: 39mm diameter; 12,9mm thickness
Caseback: Sapphire
Movement: Automatic Swiss Soprod C125
Power Reserve: 44 hours
Water Resistance: 200 meters
Standard Bracelet: Premium stainless steel
Accessories: Travel case
Lug Width: 20mm diameter, 48mm length
