Passion vs Marketing - the Senate Cambridge Blue

Sometimes this crazy but beautiful watch hobby gets a bit too repetitive, we love our tool watches and also our racing chronographs but we also enjoy when a new design comes up, new hands, new dial and a new design language that doesn’t look like anything that has been done before. It is also refreshing to see another country besides Switzerland or Japan to create exciting products, this is why we wanted a hands on with the unique Senate Cambridge from Beaucroft. The main reason why we loved this model is because it is very traditional but at the same time very different than anything that is out there and, I am not talking only on the microbrand scene but the watch industry in general. The Senate is offered in a variety of colors with a case that has some of the best hidden details I've have seen at this price range. We were very fortunate to have the Cambridge blue first edition to review, below are our thoughts on this piece, please join us to find out.

The specifications:

When you look at the specs from the senate you immediately think on a contemporary dress watch : 40mm case, display case back with

lovely curved down lugs and of course no date, elegant and discreet but the reality is very far from it, our Senate came on a textured Cambridge blue (reminding me of the blue on Tiffany's boxes) which makes the watch the perfect summer companion. This dial is executed to perfection, as you can appreciate in the macro shots, the white color from the minutes and hour hands together with tear drop style markers makes the Senate as legible as possible. As soon as the watch was outside the box the first thing that caught my eye was the case, this is where some of the best details are hidden, if you put the watch to a side the mid case is bead blasted while the top and bottom are polished creating a visual contrast that sets the Senate apart, attention to detail is key on this piece.

The we got the flat crown which is easy to grip and very thin, this feature makes the watch as symmetrical as possible. Under the hood we can find an automatic Premium Miyota Cal. 9039 with hacking and manual winding, the movement is visible through the case back with a decorated rotor, more details that make me think how can they maintain the price of the Senate under 300 GBP?

On the wrist:

The watch wear like a dream on my 6.25 inch wrist, the case has a conical design and I think (please don quote me on this) that it goes from 40mm on the top to 32mm to the case back,

it's very well executed making it one of the most comfortable watches I've tried on this year. When you look at the specs on the website you can see that it has an 18mm strap which is an odd choice for a 40mm case but as I mentioned the watch tappers from top case to bottom and the 18mm it's the perfect choice form this Cambridge local, making the watch not only easy to wear but also an unisex alternative. Our watch was supplied with an olive strap which is very high quality and has a great feel, Beaucroft was kind enough to send their mesh strap and I can report that the watch looks incredible in all metal, an all-day wearer.

Conclusion:

When we received the watch we were thinking what would be the inspiration to create such an unique design, Beaucorft means: ''beautiful creations of time'' and I think they did justice to the name, the inspiration is drawn from architecture, memories and nostalgia and to me this is the reason why the design works so well, is not a marketing exercise or a tool created for job,

the Senate is a project made with passion and this is something that cannot be faked. We enjoyed our time with the watch, I think with great proportions and amazing design the Senate manages to stand out among current UK offers in the market, personally I am glad to see something different than a diver or a chronograph, I am very happy to see a dress watch that can let it's hair down.

More info at www.beaucroftwatches.com