If you have ever had a few minutes to talk to me about watches, you will know how much I appreciate small brands. There is something that small brands deliver, that larger brands such as, Rolex, simply cannot. What small brands offer that larger brands lack is passion. Passion is a term that is thrown around in the watch industry far too aimlessly. For me, passion is a spark within someone which later turns into a full grown flame. It is what drives people to do well in what they believe in. Samuel Tay, is the name of the man behind the fine brand which is that of Reverie. He is one of the very few people that I know who can funnel passion and turn it into something beautiful.
Reverie is a very small brand based out of the beautiful nation of Singapore. It was started by the ever so strong means of passion. Samuel, from my talks with him, started this micro brand in hopes that he could produce the watch of his dreams. The “Reverie” name stems from the dream to create practical and aesthetically pleasing watches. He wanted to bring a watch to market that consisted of grace and elegance and reflected his nautical influences. I applaud him for doing so, as this watch embodies exactly what he wanted, and looks simply impeccable.
When you first see the leather-wrapped gift box of the Reverie Sea-Spirit, you immediately get this comforting feeling building inside. You know from that very instant, you’ve purchased something of quality and sophistication. Inside the box, you will be greeted with the pleasant sight of your new Sea-Spirit, but also a secondary black sailcloth inspired strap. It’s a very generous addition to compliment your new timepiece. The Sea-Spirit (Deep Blue) comes already anchored with a brown leather branded strap on a solidly built butterfly clasp. An interesting feature with the straps, which is warmly welcomed, is its quick-change system. You do not need a spring bar tool to remove the strap. All you need is your fingernail to depress the little leaver within the back side of the strap. It is on-par with the quick change system which is incorporated with newer Panerai models. Which, from an owner’s perspective, has flaws; Reverie’s system, doesn’t.
When you lay your eyes against the dial of this watch, the first thing you notice is the masterfully crafted guilloché. I may get negative comments against me for saying this, but it truly is on-par with some of the watches that other higher end independents have on market (strictly in terms of its dial decorations). A brand that comes to mind that does this style of guilloché for quadruple the price would be, Kari Voutilainen. The dial, at any angle with some decent lighting, creates this ocean-wave homage which is absolutely remarkable. Taking photos of this piece is an absolute joy.
Proportions in watches are an element that cannot be missed. If the watch doesn’t fit well, it won’t feel well and subsequently will lead to a poor experience. The Sea-Spirit is not only a great fitting watch; it is a confidence inspiring experience. The cushion case is well machined of Japanese grade steel and is perfectly sized for a variety of wrists. The case measures in at a diameter of 41 mm, 47mm lug-to-lug and 12.5 mm in height. If I was to give a critique to the case, it would be that I would’ve liked to have seen more finishing. Something other than a full polished case, it lacks depth and character which is needed to match the expressive dial of the watch.
When you turn the watch on its profile, you will notice that the crown is decorated with an elegant “R” to signify Reverie, it’s a very nice touch. When it comes to adjusting the time, each position of the crown ends with a solid click. There is nothing flimsy about this crown. Usually with watches of this price range (sub $500), little bits of the mechanism, especially the crown/stem will have lots of play. This piece shows none of that. When you flip the watch over to view its rear end, the quality simply just does not stop. Through the sapphire exhibition case back, you will be able to see the soul of the watch. In this case, it is the workhorse Miyota caliber 8218. Around the edges of the caseback, there are inscriptions which are finely finished. One thing which especially caught my eye around the caseback inscriptions was the words, “Soli Deo Gloria” which translates from Latin to, “Glory to the Only God.” This struck me back a bit, in a good way! It somehow feels fitting to the watch. This furthers the essence of quality which this piece exhibits ever so nicely.
One of my favorite things about this watch is the movement. The Miyota 8218 is surprisingly smooth to wind. It is buttery smooth and keeps very good time. One thing I would’ve liked to have seen was a bit more finishing on the movement itself. It does carry some guilloché attributes, but it just does not compare to what is on the face of the watch. This is somewhat of a let-down, but nothing to get worked up about.
As previously mentioned, this piece is technically sound. I have not had any issues with this sample. It runs impeccably well, the offset small seconds hand turns nice and smoothly, and the date turns right at twelve o’clock. For watches in this price range it’s somewhat rare to see.
Overall, the Reverie Sea-Spirit Deep Blue is one of my favorite watches. It fits in strongly with my daily watch rotation and can be seen on my Instagram (@danthewatchguy). The Sea-Spirit never stops catching eyes and positive compliments. Samuel Tay checked all my boxes effortlessly with his debut piece and I am anxiously awaiting his next batch of timeless creations.
The Reverie Sea-Spirit is limited to 125 pieces and can be owned for a fair investment of $420.00 which includes free worldwide delivery and one year of repair warranty.
For more information visit, www.reveriewatches.com
