There are certain watches I wouldn’t know how to categorize. They have the functionality of everyday watches although they look elegant. They use commonplace precepts of horological design while looking unlike anything I’ve seen thus far. They are neither here nor there. Or perhaps, they are exactly where they are supposed to be: in a category of their own. Recently I watched Teddy Baldassarre’s 40 Of The Most Popular Watch Categories Every Collector Should Know video which made me realize the following: a category of watch could be “chronograph” just as it could be “light-weight and made of plastic beater watch powered by a quartz movement.” So, saying that this or that watch belongs to X category doesn’t actually make sense sometimes. They just are what they are and do what they do. At least, that’s the way I’ve decided to see things now.

All of this popped in my head when I strapped the Bravur BW003 on my wrist for the first time. “What is it?” I asked myself with a certain gravitas that surprised me. “Is it an everyday watch?” “Could I wear it with a t-shirt?” “Would it look good with a Penguin suit that I never wear?” I was confused to the point where I couldn’t start writing this review. I was overtaken by too many existential questions. Then, as you’ve noticed, I decided to put it in a category of its own. It is, therefore, a Bravur 003 watch. Nothing else. This works for me because it has certain attributes of what we commonly categorized as being “everyday” and “dressy” without properly fitting in either category. What first drew me to this model—and which prompted me to borrow a unit—is how unique it looks. 

If you have read my reviews before you will perhaps get frustrated that I often use the word “unique.” Instead of getting your feathers ruffled by this term, think of it in the following way: I’m looking for authenticity in watch design. And I believe Bravur comes with hips of it and the BW003 will hopefully prove my point. I now yield my time.

Specifications

The Bravur BW003 is a handsome piece of mechanical horology. And it fits superbly on my 6.25”/16cm wrist thanks to a thin profile and reasonable dimensions. The case measures 39mm in diameter, 44.5mm lug-to-lug, 10.1mm in (total) thickness, and comes with 20mm lug width. Unbeknownst to them, Bravur opted to endow the BW003 with my Goldie Locks dimensions which is just a delightful fact for me. Naturally, we didn’t know each other when they designed this timepiece so my ego needs to be put at bay. It’s just that I love the way the case espouses the contour of my wrist and how, paired with a delightful Bonklip bracelet, is light and comfortable to wear. (Although the provided leather strap is excellent, I’m not crazy about bulky deployant clasps.) 

Being a watch living in its own category, the Bravur BW003 is a mighty little beast powered by a Swiss made Sellita SW300-1 caliber. The latter beats at 28,800 BPH (4Hz) and comes with 42 hours of power reserve. Fun fact: one can choose a see-through sapphire case-back or a stainless steel one, and Bravur will put a prettier version of the Sellita in the see-through version. Because, let’s be honest, what’s the point of having a decorated movement if you can’t see it? I thought that was a neat little detail which I haven’t seen before—which doesn’t mean other brands don’t do it, of course. Putting such a robust movement in the BW003 means you don’t have to worry about getting it serviced and because…it’s a Bravur BW003 and that’s what it needs to be equipped with.

Since there is sapphire on the back, we can expect sapphire on the front. Indeed, the BW003 has a domed piece of sapphire crystal covering almost the entirety of the front section of the watch head. It leans against a coin-edge, polished fixed bezel which adds visual interest and matches the finish of the tiny push/pull crown. (Tiny in size, mighty in power.) Measuring 10.1mm in thickness, the BW003 comes with a reasonable 50 meters of water resistance, which is enough given the good looks the BW003 comes with and its inherent everyday nature. (I know, I’m already starting to re-categorize this watch.) Although discreet in its application, C1 SuperLuminova is applied on the hour markers and on the tips of the hour and minute hands. 

Before I forget, the case is made of Sandvik stainless steel made in Sweden. From what I could gather, Sandvik is known for being harder and more corrosion resistant than regular 316L steel.

Design

Everything about the design of the BW003 rhymes with harmony. The half-skeletonized hour and minute hands are discreet, elegant, and perfectly match the dimensions and style of the applied hour markers. (Note the tip of the hands that matches the width of the markers.) Bravur went as far as ensuring that the width of the hollow portion of the minute hand can encircle the printed minute hash marks, so that setting precise time is easy operation. The needle seconds hand is fully polished—so are the hour and minute hands by the way—and the tip is bent towards the dial to counter the parallax effect created by the domed crystal. Although the hands are hard to see full frontal, they pop as soon as I turn my wrist at an angle. (I rarely look at my watch straight down anyway.) 

Note: the BW003 comes in eight versions, with silver, black, blue and green dials paired with a stainless steel or gold PVD coated case. The green dial variant comes with gold plated hands which seem more legible than the silver/black version I have here. (However, I’m boring and prefer the monochromatic color scheme.) 

Somewhere in my lengthy introduction I mentioned the fact this watch looks unique, or should I say authentic. Here I am referring to the dual-tone dial that comes with a black center section and a silver outer section. The black section is where the applied hour markers and the painted minute hash marks live, while the silver section is where a fully graduated minute track exists, complete with Arabic numerals highlighting the five-minute increments. In a sense, the BW003 has a semi-sector design given its dual scales. Everything, however, works well together. I can’t stop looking at the elegant and harmonious dial design which comes with a strong personality. A bonus point goes to Bravur for integrating a circular and framed date aperture at the 6. 

Lastly, let’s talk about the case profile. 10.1mm is thin by many standards, and the BW003 does indeed wear thin on the wrist. The profile reminds me of that of the Branch Sector which I reviewed a few weeks ago, in that the mid-section is fully brushed and the bezel + crystal combo makes up for half the watch thickness. This explains why the BW003 wears thin on the wrist. Add to that narrow, elongated lugs which turn down towards the wrist, the small crown, and polished surfaces on the lugs and in-between them which create interesting light plays. There is a lot going here but everything works well together.

This is the work of talented designers, my friends.

The Heart of the Matter

Writing this review made me realize that I have a particular affinity for Scandinavian watch brands. Generally speaking, I find that they are better at creating authentic designs compared to brands which herald from other corners of the world. In my eyes, they also offer really good quality for what I consider to be a reasonable amount of cash. The version of the BW003 that comes with the decorated movement and see-through case-back retails for $1,121, which is arguably a reasonable amount of money for what you get. In my recent review of the Second Hour Mandala Burst, I said that we cannot attribute a dollar amount to originality. And here I stand by this statement with renewed fervor looking at the Bravur BW003. In other words, at the heart of the matter is the fact that Bravur is a brand that offers authentic designs for a good price

And I could make this statement just by looking at the specs: a Swiss made caliber, a double sapphire construction, applied markers with polished surrounds, rhodium plated hands, SuperLuminova X1 lume, and a beautifully finished case. That’s more than you get from many middle-range Swiss brands. And so my statement makes even more sense given the original design and the quasi obsessive attention to detail the Bravur designers put into the BW003. I actually have another Bravur watch at home, the Geography, which supports my initial claim that  Bravur watches come with hips of authenticity. Of course, I haven’t seen all watches that have ever been designed since the history of watchmaking, however as someone who solely writes about independent brands, I can confidently say I haven’t seen anything like a BW003 before.

Conclusion

The other benefit that comes with buying from a brand such as Bravur is the fact that they actually have watches to sell on their website. There is no waitlist, no Kickstarter campaign that comes with the promise of a six-month delivery window. If you like what you saw today then you can click here to buy a BW003. It’s that simple, honestly. And although my tone may have veered off the serious journalistic point of view here, I do believe that Bravur offers something quite different, something authentic and of quality. Although I couldn’t categorize the BW003 in any commonly-agreed upon genre, I believe it would work for everyday use and more, given its robust construction and good specs. 

For the asking $1,121, I would be hard-pressed to find another watch that looks and feels like this (you’ll have to take my word on the latter point) at a similar price point. I do not mean to say it doesn’t exist, however it is rare. You can learn more about the BW003 here.

Thanks for reading.