Watch Review: Zinvo Blade

 

ABOUT ZINVO

Founded in Geneva, Switzerland, ZINVO’s automatic watches are designed to move in sync with our fast-paced lives. Designed for comfort and functionality, this is the principle to which the brand has remained faithful since inception. ZINVO’s various models, entirely designed, tested, and assembled inside its own workshops, aim to push the limits of precision and style.

While ZINVO only established itself in 2013, it has become a watchmaking influencer among it’s competitors. The brand is driven by a passion for details and progressive trends in style, inspired with a hint of quality and uniqueness. Its watches embrace a new distinctness in a spirit of sportiness and sophistication.

Whether an automatic or a quartz movement, the brand offers a extensive choice of styles and compositions.

http://www.zinvowatches.com

Model : Gunmetal Blade

Price: $299 USD

SPECIFICATIONS:

CASE:
Sapphire crystal and stainless steel
DIMENSIONS:
44mm x 12mm
CRYSTALS:
Sapphire crystal on the dial to protect from scratches and shattering
MOVEMENT:
Automatic winding movement, 21 jewels
Power reserve 24 hours
Visible winding rotor
WATER RESISTANT:
10 ATM / 100 meters / 330 feet
COMPONENTS:
Total of 49 component + movement
STRAP: Italian leather with red stitching
WEIGHT:

WARRANTY:

110 grams / 3.9 oz

1 year

It’s very easy to settle into watches that are our “comfort zone”. For example, my “comfort zone” personally are dive watches. In my personal collection these are the watches I would gravitate towards because I know that I like that style. Therefore I found myself limiting only to that style of watch which creates a very safe and very static collection. There isn’t anything wrong with knowing what you like, but it is also important to try new things in life to avoid becoming one dimensional and routine.

This is what Zinvo set out to do when designing the Blade watch. Thinking outside of the box but also retaining a base structure that has stood the test of time. From a design standpoint Zinvo decided to try something different in their approach of the Blade Watch. I applaud that approach and I think they were successful in designing a watch that keeps a tried and true structure while changing what is the “norm” in physical design.

The Blade takes a stylistic approach that encorporates style and an industrial design. A rugged yet sleek watch that will definitely make a statement when on the wrist.

THE PACKAGING:

The Zinvo Blade arrived in a long, slim rectangular black cardboard box. The top lid to the box has the Zinvo logo printed in metallic silver on it.

Pulling off the lid reveals the watch that is nestled in foam rubber that has the perfect cut out for the watch to sit safely during shipping. The box is simple, effective that serves it’s purpose for protecting the watch, nothing more, nothing less.

THE CASE:

Industrial and sleek. The first 2 words that popped into my head when laying eyes on the Zinvo Blade watch. The gunmetal color is quite striking and immediately pulls the eyes in. The round case, the lugs and the crown are all done in the brushed gunmetal, only the caseback is different and that’s done in higher polish gunmetal finish. I agree completely with Zinvo’s choice of the brushed gunmetal for the majority of the case vs doing a high polish finish. My personal experience with high polish gunmetal is it shows finger prints like you would not believe. Not only that, but a high polish finish wouldn’t give the Blade that cool industrial feel quite like the brushed finish does.

The crown is a non screw down crown, it is a push/pull style instead.

 

The the crown is pushed in all the way, this allows you to manually wind the Blade. Pulling the crown out to the first position allows you set turn the date wheel to set the date, and pulling the crown all the way out allows you to set the time. The crown functions very smoothly and everything functions without flaw.

The crown is unsigned which is a little bit disappointing as a engraved Z or even the engraved Zinvo logo would have been a nice touch of detail. But rest assured the crown in not entirely without a touch of detail. The crown is shaped like a head and partial shaft of a bolt adding to that industrial feel. Instead of the traditional gear style edges that a lot of crowns encorporate, Zinvo used small round holes that go completely around the crown. It’s a great little detail that also matches the chapter ring which I will discuss in THE DIAL section.

 

The edges of the case a three ridge finish that really adds some depth and detail to the Blade’s case. The channel of the ridge is a grey color that matches details on the dial. The ridges and the color difference adds some texturing to the case as well. I really enjoy running my finger across the case. Great look and feel.

 

The lugs are another little detail of the Blade’s case that I am a fan of. They aren’t the typical style lugs that are molded from the case itself, these lugs are attached to the case by screws.

The case has small cutouts that allows the lugs to fit into and all tack by flathead style screws. A very unique and cool feature. The lugs have holes for the strap set pins as well. Typically I personally think that this interrupts the natural flow/style of the lugs, but it works on the Blade due to it’s overall industrial look.

The caseback on the Zinvo blade screws down and is also an exhibition style caseback.

The high polish gunmetal backing has just a simple Zinvo Blade engraving. The crystal caseback allows you to see the Miyota movement inside. The caseback is simple, not over the top and gets the job done.

THE DIAL:

The dial is what really sets the Blade apart from your traditional watches. From first glance it’s hard not to notice. The dial is covered by a circle of blades which I thought how will I be able to read the time on this watch?

 

Let’s wind her up and see shall we? Once I wound the Blade up, I knew I really had something special in my hands. The ring of blades rotates clockwise acting as the seconds hand. Each blade is spaced apart perfectly allowing you to see the minute and hour hands underneath as the blades make their way around the dial. So cool! The blades are grey and match the grey in the channel of the ridges on the case edges that I mentioned earlier. The blades are printed on a round clear disc. I would have liked it even more of the disc featured one red blade, which would have added a nice timing feature.

The minute and hour hands on the blade are long, slender and white which set against the black dial allow you to tell the time pretty easily as the blades are in action. The minute hand has an arrow style tail on it which is a detail that makes me happy. It’s little details on watches that always make me the most happy, just like a kid on Christmas.

There is a date wheel at the 3 o’clock hour marker. The date wheel was chosen wisely as the wheel itself is white and the date is printed in black. This smart color choice was good because it can be read without problem. Not interruptions from the spinning blades.

The dial is without text and it is without numerals. On the inside of the crystal itself is the Zinvo logo printed. The inner chapter ring has small round holes that act like the hour markers, with bigger holes at the 12, 3, 6, 9 locations. This is the dial detail I mentioned earlier that nicley matches the detail on the crown. Well done Zinvo.

The dial is simple, yet so full of unique details that it really makes the Zinvo blade refreshing. A real treat that is Industrial goodness at its very best.

THE MOVEMENT:

The Zinvo Blade relies on an automatic movement manufacturered by Citizen. The Miyota movement is unadjusted.

The 8215 inside the Zinvo Blade has an accuracy rate of -20/+40 seconds per day. There isn’t much I can add about this movement that hasn’t been written about already.

It’s an automatic movement with 21 jewels.

Since ETA limited its surplus to most brands, watch companies have had to rely on movements like the Miyota 8215. It’s a reliable movement that is a workhorse like its ETA counterparts.

THE STRAP:

The strap is black Italian leather with red stitching accents. The strap is very smooth on the top, bottom and around the edges.

Each stitch is spaced perfectly and even in length. I really like the nice touch with the red accent. The small portion of the strap that has the buckle also has two keepers, one fixed and one that is free sliding.

The traditional tang buckle is also gunmetal and is signed with an engraved Zinvo logo.

The 22mm non tapering strap will fit a wrist of close to 8″.  The strap conforms to the wrist with ease and is quite comfortable. I have no complaints about the Blades strap whatsoever.

WRIST SHOTS:

CONCLUSION:

The Zinvo Blade is a refreshing take on the modern watch. Offering a very unique dial and seconds hand style disc. I enjoy the industrial style case as well. The gunmetal color is striking and stealthy. There are a few things I mentioned above that would make the experience with he Blade even better. The only thing that I am going to be nit picky about is the main focal point of the watch, the blade disc. It is really uniuque and such a cool feature, with it being the main focal point, I would expect the disc to spin smooth and without flaw. Unfortunately the piece I had in to review, the disc spun choppy/jumpy and not smooth like I would expect. I have seen other Blade watches where the disc has spun extremely smooth, I believe it’s because that this is a review piece.

The case is very well made and has a great industrial feel/style. I love the lugs on the Zinvo Blade, from their shape to the way they are attached to the case. While the Blade was on my wrist during its review process, I received comments for strangers on it daily. It really catches people’s eyes. Which doesn’t happen very often I can say as a every day watch nut. Of course the WIS in me looks immediately at people’s wrists when there is a watch on it.

I thoroughly enjoyed reviewing the Zinvo Blade, I really think that it is an unique hit. Something that is definitely outside the box. You do get a bang for your buck. I would recommend this watch to anyone who is looking for a fun watch to wear. It’s a perfect jeans and t-shirt weekend warrior watch.

I want to personally thank Borys and Zinvo for the honor and oppurtunity to spend some quality time with the Blade. I had a lot of fun with this watch.

ADDITIONAL PICTURES:

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