Reviewing these C41 watches was not my first rodeo with Uniform Wares products, but I did notice a lot of new things about this newer collection of UK-designed and Swiss-Made watches. Actually, when aBlogtoWatch debuted the Uniform Wares C41 Chronograph watches here, I commented that this release was around the time that Uniform Wares began making their watches “Swiss-Made,” in contrast to their previous collection of watches that were entirely Asian-made. I spend more time discussing that story in the previous article, but I simply want to reiterate that there are in fact quality upgrades in the newer “Swiss-Made” Uniform Wares watches – which were actually pretty good to begin with.
One of the major reasons Uniform Wares decided to move more of their production to Europe was because it allowed for a more consistently high level of quality in the watches. Even early on, I praised Uniform Wares watches for existing in that rare category of high-end quartz. Which brings me to the next point: What, exactly, is the Uniform Wares brand all about?
One of the biggest criticisms people have of Uniform Wares watches are the prices. We aren’t talking about anything over about $1,500, but these are ambitious retail prices for quartz watches – that is true. I do agree that the prices are on the higher side, but I also feel I haven’t seen a lot that compares with what Uniform Wares does – meaning it isn’t like you can get the same exact thing for a lot cheaper. Sure, I have my own feelings when it comes to how much a watch is “worth,” but part of that analysis is determining how much it would cost to get something similar from another brand offering a comparable product… comparable, at least, on paper.
This type of analysis happens many times across all types of product categories, and I can easily say that most of these comparisons are patently fallacious. What I mean is that you really can’t compare two watches just based on their tech specs or list of components. Minor details in how materials are crafted, colored, polished, assembled, etc… is where a large percentage of production costs come in. Even if a brand is making a large margin on something, you always have to ask, “according to an expert’s analysis, is someone else offering similar quality and design for significantly less?” Sometimes, the answer is yes, but quite often that answer is no.
So are there other minimalist quartz watches with a modern design out there? Absolutely. Are there any that I’ve put right next to a Uniform Wares watch and found that they have the same level of fit and finish? Not really. It would be accurate to determine that Uniform Wares watches have a premium price associated with them, but it would not be true to suggest you can get the same exact thing for less. That’s just an important thing that I think about when trying to determine watch value.
So being quartz is part of what Uniform Wares is all about, and some people love that and some hate it. I’ve spoken to plenty of people who are just dying for Uniform Wares to start putting mechanical movements into their watches. I am pretty sure we will see mechanical Uniform Wares watches sooner than later… but there is a large “non-watch-fanatic” audience who I think will really enjoy Uniform Wares watches and will not mind (or might even prefer) that they contain Swiss quartz movements.
Uniform Wares is also the watch brand without a logo or brand name on the face. In fact, as much as possible, the Uniform Wares designers try to keep text and numerals of all kinds to a minimum on their dials. While the Uniform Wares C41 Chronograph watches do say “Swiss Made,” and do have numerals on them, from afar, they certainly maintain that ultra-clean look which is now part of the brand DNA.
The Uniform Wares C41 Chronograph watches currently sit at the top of the Uniform Wares C collection family. There are three case and dial color combinations, and each has five strap or bracelet options. The Uniform Wares C41 Chronograph has a 41mm-wide case in steel that is 10mm thick. The case is water resistant to 50 meters (not that great) and over the dial is an AR-coated sapphire crystal.
Case quality is pretty good, and I like details such as the caseback which is secured with screws, modern angled edges that are nevertheless not too sharp, and the high-quality feel of the materials throughout. Uniform Wares did a good job selecting appropriate sapphire crystals that are just slightly domed, but don’t cause too much glare. More so, at 41mm wide with widely spaced lugs, the Uniform Wares C41 Chronograph feels like a really good size and is extremely comfortable.
In terms of case colors, you have the C41/SGO-01 which has a PVD-coated rose gold-toned steel case; there is the C41/SGR-01 with a brushed steel case and PVD-coated black bezel; and then, there is the C41/SRG-01 with a PVD-coated black steel case with a PVD-coated rose gold-toned bezel. Each of these three Uniform Wares C41 Chronograph models comes with its own strap options as well as a steel Milanese-style bracelet.
For me, the appeal of the Uniform Wares C41 Chronograph watches is all in the dials. Both the deep gray as well as the white dial versions have excellent legibility. The latter, very much so, with the white dial and high-contrast applied black hour markers and hands. I highly applaud Uniform Wares for getting things like material textures right. Matte surfaces are used to prevent needless reflectivity, and when they want to show a little sparkle, brushed surfaces versus polished surfaces are used. There is also luminant on the dials, but an admittedly modest amount on the hands and the outsides of the hour markers.
Additional positive details include the round date window with its slightly beveled edge, the slightly recessed subsidiary dials, and the proper length of the hands. Uniform Wares did their homework on all of these elements and, in my opinion, assembled three very handsome and very legible models in the Uniform Wares C41 Chronograph watch collection.
As chronographs, the Uniform Wares C41 watches contain Swiss Ronda caliber 5021.D chronograph movements which offer the time, date, and 30-minute chronograph which is precise to one second (the chronograph doesn’t measure fractions of a second). You’ll notice that the bi-compax style layout of the dial has the subdials a bit above center on the dial. Part of me really wants those subdials to be even on the dial, and another part of me is totally okay with the position of the subdials, as it helps make the design statement stronger. The interesting thing about the 5021.D “Startech” movement is that it isn’t a three-subdial movement where Uniform Wares decided to take out one of the subdials. This is just exactly what the movement layout is supposed to be like. I’ve come to enjoy it even though it sometimes looks unnatural for the subdials to be floating above the watch dial’s “equator.”
SOURCE:http://www.ablogtowatch.com/uniform-wares-c41-chronograph-watch-review/
