Ok, dear readers, I have a treat for you today. Ivan Chua of Vario will be at the District Time show in Washington, D.C., next weekend (March 2-3, 2024), where he will debut his latest creation, the ИAVI Nautical one-hand automatic. I’ve sampled Ivan’s one-hander before in the form of the Popeye Jump Hour I reviewed here. While I enjoyed that model, I looked forward to the more neutral, non-cartoon-themed variants he had planned. Well, today is the day. I have just received a shipment from Singapore with the complete set of the Vario NAVI Nautical collection (I’m switching to the normal “N” now), and you good folks get a preview.
Like the Popeye, the NAVI Nautical’s stainless steel case is 38mm wide, 46mm long, and just 11mm thick from its caseback to its domed, AR-coated sapphire crystal. It is predominantly brushed and enlivened with bright polish on the rounded coin-edged bezel, crown, and the inside of the bombé lugs. The case also benefits from an anti-scratch treatment. The fluted crown tapers at the base and has a domed head. It seals for 100m water resistance, a necessity for any nautical timepiece.
I found the NAVI to be a tidy fit on my 6.75″ wrist. As you can see, 38mm does mean it wears small. That large dial and dramatic bezel give it more than ample presence. A slightly domed sapphire crystal lends a touch of vintage charm.
Ivan describes the new layout as calming in that you can read the time, but not to the precise minute. To some, that is sacrilege, and if that is your initial reaction, ask yourself what you say when someone asks you the time. If you tend to reply, “It’s 11:14,” then maybe this isn’t the watch for you. If you are more likely to say, “It’s about a quarter after eleven,” then read on.
There are no hour markers per se. Every hour occupies a labeled segment that is further divided by four, each representing 15 minutes. The solitary hour hand grazes this track, displaying the time in a manner that is, shall we say, close enough for folk music. It is certainly close enough for me. I have often struggled with one-hand watches, but the NAVI’s clear, almost conversational display makes perfect sense to me.
No, there is no lume. It is not that kind of watch.
The center of the dial has a wave texture, reminding you of its nautical inspiration — a feature further underscored by the largely decorative “compass needle” small seconds at 4 o’clock. The layout and hand design were inspired by a steam engine gauge, and it’s utterly charming, looking oddly alien yet comfortably familiar at the same time.
Available colors include Storm Grey, Deep Water Blue, Clear Water Blue, Sand Beige, and Cloud White. Vario will produce 400 units in total.
While Vario’s previous NAVIs ran Seagull movements and were made in China, this incarnation houses a Miyota 82s5 automatic (21 jewel, 21.6k bph, 42-hour power reserve), and the watch is made in Japan.
In true Vario form, Ivan has given us an appealing case back design, this time in the form of a compass rosette.
Vario started life as a strap company, so you can always count on them to supply top-quality watch bands. For the NAVI Nautical, you can choose from a new range of tapered leather straps in black, taupe, tan, brown, olive, and blue. Of course, any of Vario’s existing 20mm straps will serve quite well, like the Vario blue Epsom with white stitching I popped on the Deep Water Blue.
Launch day for the Vario NAVI Nautical is March 2, 2024, and as mentioned above, those who visit the District Time show in D.C., that weekend will go hands-on with these beauties. The retail price is $428, and orders open at noon Singapore time. Use the code NAVI_NEW10 for 10% off. That’s a nice deal for such an innovative yet still perfectly useful watch that will almost certainly be the center of attention at your next watch meetup.
