Dutch design is here to stay: the Brunmontagne Representor
When I started receiving microbrands for review I saw a common trend that I wasn’t expecting, some of the watch companies where based in the Netherlands, there is a great watch heritage in this country with brands like Grönefeld and Christiaan van der Klaauw, you do not need me to tell you that these are masterpieces and commanding a justified price but I definitely did not expect to see Dutch microbrands. Since I've been talking with several of them I got more interested in the process and how they come up with particular design. In some cases the movement is more important and in some other instances design is the key differentiator, in the case of Dutch brands 9 out of 10 are focused on good design and quality, this is not saying that the movements are bad, this is just referring that they do understand that that food also enters through your eyes and not just the mouth.
when it comes to Dutch microbrands quality is the word I hear more often, if a watch is not crafted to perfection then is no good to ship to the customer, to me in a world flooded with microbrands this is key as you can have more trust before committing your hard earn money, it always better to try the watch before buy it but in this world, at this time is not always possible. I started to speak with Brunmontange about a possibility of a collaboration, the watches on the website (The Representor) looked fantastic and I had the same question as everyone else: '' would they be as good on the metal?'' join me below to find out.
The specifications:
The Representor plays tricks in your mind when it comes to size, a great 42mm case with short lugs makes the watch wear nice and snug on my 6.25 inch wrist, it has a good amount of presence but it feels much smaller than it is which is a great thing.
The beauty of this watch is the angular case, always a winner look but it has a great unique touch which are the dots in the round bezel, a very clever design touch that helps to keep the dial orientated and less cluttered, these days people are looking for clean aesthetics and the Representor definitely gets bonus points for this. We were lucky to get 2 examples, one in black and red and the other one in steel case with blue accents, both of them really attractive and ready to be displayed on any Monte Carlo fashion event.
The case contains a mechanical automatic Miyota with 21 jewels and no date ( yes!) , the movement is visible trough the case back with a custom signed rotor, flipped the watch over and you will see that beautiful sunburst as clear as anything when the sun hits it.
On the wrist:
The usual drawbacks of a mechanical movement is thickness, I can report that in this case the Representor feel as thin as a manual movement watch with only 11mm, everything is in the right place, this is also thanks to the straps supplied.
The blue version came with a steel band which is brushed in the center links making it confrontable with a luxurious feel, the rubber band on the black version takes the comfort to another level, very soft creating this atmosphere of a race inspired watch. I wore the representor for a good amount of time and it's really is a delight to use, the simplicity and elegance of the design is an eye catcher, it doesn’t need to be 45mm or have loud colors to seek attention.
Conclusion:
It is always a pleasant surprise to find a well made product, sometimes you see a beautiful photo on the internet and as soon as when goes trough your door is not quite the same giving that awful feeling of regret, with The Representor it was an amazing experience trough and trough, every time I saw the watch I discover something new and saying: ''wow ..the markers are applied..'' or ''look at that.. the crown has a unique design touch..'' ,
I really enjoyed when a watch is well made with a look that can blend in almost every situation. I am looking forward to see what Brunmontage comes with in the future and at this time I am very please that the Representor is here to represent microbrands in the Netherlands.
More info at www.brunmontagne.com
Follow us on Instagram #robbieandwatches