Microbrand digitals are having a moment right now. Farr+Swit went with a cheap and cheerful 80s vibe with the Mix Tape, while the forthcoming RZE UTD-8000 will go for tool watch toughness. Meanwhile, the Geo Retro Future Digital I’m reviewing today has taken a different route, offering everyday functionality in a fashionable package.
I got the chance to try the Retro Future Digital at the recent District Time show in D.C. Its stainless steel case is 36mm wide, 33mm long (42mm lug-to-lug), and 9.5mm thick. Those length measurements are key because 42mm means one thing for conventional lugs and quite another when they are slender loops as they are here. Wire lugs tend to disappear, so your eye stops when it reaches the limits of the case’s 33mm barrel. As a result, the Geo’s predominant shape is a soft rectangle, forming a classic 1970s TV case.
This is a true wire lug case in the sense that they are fixed and will only accept pass-through straps. I’ve encountered many wire lug watches that allowed the strap to slip a bit. As a result, they looked best when overstuffed with a strap one size larger than the one supplied. The Retro Future Digital is not one of them. It wears a 20mm with ease and without unsightly gaps.
I thought the watch looked quite fetching on my 6.75″ wrist. It’s sized just right for either 1975 or 2025, given that smaller sizes are back in vogue. Geo offers it in gold, rose gold, and black in addition to the steel finish shown here.
The very first digital watches were luxury items showcasing cutting-edge technology. Geo recalls this 70s aesthetic with a brushed and polished stainless steel case engraved with both the brand’s logo and its “Island time” motto.
This information is repeated on the case back, which also informs us of the watch’s 50m of water resistance. No, it’s not a G-Shock, but it isn’t meant for that kind of duty. The lid also bears the geographic coordinates of the brand’s Puerto Rico headquarters.
In true retro fashion, the Retro Future Digital employs an LED module, displaying a black screen until activated, at which point it scrambles through all its diodes in sequence until landing on the current time. My 10-year-old loved that part, and I’ll confess that I got a kick out of it too.
In true future fashion, the watch has no buttons but instead operates by touch. Give it a quick tap on the K1 mineral crystal to show the time, touch and hold it to set. It’s easy to use, and it looks pretty cool. It has no fancy functions, it just tells the time, just like a watch should. My only complaint is that the AM/PM indicator was partially obscured by the border.
Geo allows Retro Future buyers to choose their strap, and they supplied the review sample with three: two nylon military-style and one of their excellent one-piece silicone straps. The nylon were perfectly fine. The silicone is the star of the show as it is smooth, soft, and bends tightly over the lugs. It also has sufficient friction to keep the watch head in place when it is unbuckled.
Like other Geo watches, the Retro Future Digital is fun, clever, and stylish. While it is well sorted, it does not take itself all too seriously. It is also quite affordable, just $150.
I recommend you head over to the Geo website, geoshop.co., and have a look. For the price, The Geo Retro Future Digital is awfully hard to resist.
