Today, I have the Bauche Stargazer Carina Nebula in for review. It’s a new watch from a new brand, set to make its debut on October 18 on Kickstarter, and in person at Singapore’s Spring, Sprang, Sprung watch fair. Now, naming your debut watch “Stargazer Carina Nebula” sets some high expectations. Your customer will read that and want to see color, texture, and imagination. A flat black dial is not going to cut it. They need to be dazzled. Did Bauche deliver? Oh yes, they did.
The Stargazer Carina Nebula (let’s just say “Stargazer” from here on) is an everyday sports watch that displays an uncommon degree of playful creativity. Inside that mid-sized, 904L stainless steel case is a stunning three-piece dial that combines an ion-plated guilloché pattern with Mother of Pearl 9on the left) and ion-plated meteorite (on the right). This interplay of texture and color, along with the wavy organic seams between them, evokes the riot of gas and dust formations in the Carina Nebula as captured by the James Webb Space Telescope.
On the case lid, you will find the Stargazer’s key specifications and a nifty illustration of an astronaut wearing the brand’s intricate, mechanical-movement logo. Unscrew those six fasteners, and you’ll find a Miyota 9133, a slim, 28.8k bph, 26 jewel automatic with a power reserve complication.
The Stargazer measures 41mm wide, 47mm long, and just a touch under 13mm thick. Brushed surfaces, hard edges, and muscular bulges at 3 and 9 o’clock create the impression of tool watch ruggedness, which is then softened by a polished bezel and crown. An AR-coated sapphire crystal tops it off.
A large signed crown underscores the Stargazer’s sporting nature. It is easy to grasp and operates smoothly, screwing down to help maintain the watch’s 120m water resistance rating. I’ll note that given the logo’s intricacy, it is likely far more effective here in a large format on the crown than it would have had it been compressed into a smaller space on the dial.
I found the Stargazer to be a good fit on my 6.75″ wrist. It’s big enough to announce its presence without shouting. This is a good thing because the dial is enough of a conversation piece as it is. There is no need to go overboard by fitting it to a dinner plate.
Now, let’s get back to that dial, shall we? Bauche offers the watch in six color variations. I sampled two: Cosmic Purple and Silver Surf.
On such a dense background, it would have been easy to overcrowd it. They may have been tempted to downplay the markers and hands to let the exotic materials shine through, but that might have compromised legibility. Bauche managed to find the right balance.
First, they wisely chose to keep any extraneous text off the dial. They pushed the brand name to a plate on the raised white index that frames the central dial. The Stargazer’s Dauphine hands and the markers on both its ring and dial are polished and faceted. They are attractive embellishments yet not at all overwhelming. Bright white BGW9 Super-LuminNova on the hours, primary hands, and reserve indicator provides excellent daytime contrast and a powerful blue glow at night.
The only writing on the dial is on the power reserve, and that typeface is fine enough to allow the gorgeous blue and green swirl to take center stage. The date window is nicely finished with a beveled frame and is also highlighted by a fan-shaped opening in the meteorite layer. I’ll admit that I do not understand why this was necessary, and I feel it works better on the Silver Surf, where both layers are the same color than it does on the Cosmic Purple, where the fane shows a black layer below the purple.
A contrasting second hand is the final flourish. Go on. Take another good look at that dial. I highly doubt you have another like it in your collection.
Bauche supplies the Stargazer on a 20mm black leather strap with a signed buckle and quick-release pins. It is nicely made and perfectly comfortable. That said, I think this watch is begging for a bracelet. It would be more appropriate given its commendable water resistance and would balance that sturdy case.
The Bauche Stargazer Carina Nebula is a delightfully exotic watch, which, remarkably, will sell for just $1,158 SG or $893 US. Although the sub-$1,000 watch market is a crowded place, I think the Stargazer will do just fine. It is a uniquely beautiful, expertly constructed piece that more than justifies every penny of its price.
For more information or to sign up for alerts, head over to bauche.watch.
