A digital display in an analogue time

It is hard to think about another way of displaying time on a wristwatch. The notion of hours and minutes guided by hands has been the norm for centuries and when the digital layout started to appear, well, our brain took a bit to get used to. 

To display the time digitally on a mechanical watch has not only the merits on technical difficulty but also the courage of going against the norm, here is where the jumping hour mechanism enters the scene. 

The jumping hour system seems like a very mundane thing to achieve but in order to execute this to perfection, the regulation of the movement must be meticulously precise. Take for example large houses like Patek Phillipe with their all famous 5711 Nautilus, this icon didn’t had an instant date change but a transitional one, this means that it doesnt “jump” or changes in a blink when the hour hand revolves 24 hours. This mechanism is similar to the one that every jumping hour complication has, that is if we can call it that, because it is just another form of reading the time.

All of this introduction means only one thing, these type of watches are expensive, and I can attest to this because for me at the begining of the hobby, I felt in love with the Beautiful Pallweber IWC. A striking watch that looks vintage but modern at the same time, unfortunatelly the price at the time for an enthusiast like me was out of reach.

Cartier also jump into the scene (no pun intended) with their re-edition of the Tank a Ghichet and the world went crazy and then again prices were another level.

And of course, let’s not even start talking about the A. Lange & Sonhe Zeitwerk, which is an ultimate expression on a wristwatch for this mechanism, very expensive but worth every penny in my opinion.

As you can imagine, I felt that I was destined to enjoy these watches from afar, not only it became a unicorn chase but also the technology behind the watch made me re-think servicing costs. Then, the guys at MiliFortic had a different approach, something that can be owend and enjoyed which is their take on the Jumping Hour complication: the R077 with their salmon or enamelled dial, it is a beauty. 

Unlike its predecessors named, the R077 doesn’t have a full digital display, only the hours have the ''jumping'' capability while the minutes are controlled by a hand, but still it’s an elegant solution that gives you also the layout of what a regulator style watch with a digital display would feel like. The execution is classy and we went to review the salmon dial which does something extra for me, I was tempted to enjoy that beige enamel variant but, some extra details sealed the deal, we will cover them later.

Join me to discover an exciting watch that deserves your attention, let’s begin.

The specifications 

To be classy you need a good size in my opinion and the R077 doesn’t disappoint at 38mm in diameter, look stylish and old in a good way, doesn’t feel like a recreation or a copy of something , it’s is own thing. 

The dial of the watch breathes nicely with brushed details in copper or salmon depending on the light, there is a very simple railtrack in black that matches the writing centre seconds dial. Another nice detail here is the blued hand which contrasts nicely with the brushing of the dial, all well thought out.

The long steel minute hand has a leaf shape and bends at the tip making the whole R077 very luxurious looking, it’s a testament of little details.

At twelve we can find the digital display which “jumps” exactly when it hits the marker, the disc printing is very sharp and we can find the MiliFortic branding on top, I personally would have put the branding on the side at 3 but again, I am not a watch designer. Another detail is that the subdial at 12 has a concentric texture, this creates a perfect match with that seconds subdial.

Taking a look at the stainless steel case , the simplicity is part of the strength, there are several finishings from brushed to that lovely polished bezel.  

The watch is only 9mm thin, you might think with this particular dimension the watch would have a manual wind movement but it isn’t, the R077 it has a Seagull ST17t Automatic which ticks and jumps to perfection. Quite impressive considering the price which we can talk about later.

Another good detail is that the watch has a screw down crown which I always appreciate, giving the R077 100 meters of water resistance, quite impressive for a dress watch and makes me wonder why not many other brands do this.

On the wrist

Well, with a lug to lug of 46mm and that mentioned 9mm height, the R077 wears like a charm in my 6.25 inch wrist. The lugs downturn a lot hugging your wrist, and the large dial opening makes the watch feel true to its size.

As mentioned there is an old school charm about it that matches the colour and complication, the legibility is ideal because everything is well layout with that a large opening at 12. 

The R077 comes with a very soft black leather strap, it suits and matches the dial but me being me, I’ve swapped it for a blue almost chalk colour leather strap. It gives a more vivid look and also matches the blued seconds hand.

There is no denying that this is a dress watch despite having the capabilities of a sports one. That said I did wear the R077 for more casual occasions like work and weekend, it doesn’t disappoint, I believe that it could be pull almost on any setup but , a long sleeve one is the way to go for in my opinion.

The best part of wearing the R077 is the looks, it feels like nothing else giving that extra luxury touch that I was craving from the more expensive counterparts.

Concluding thoughts

Wearing a watch that is different by nature is quite a threat, the issue that they always have is that they do not work properly, and this is not the case here, the sharp snapping of the hour and the well executed construction are something that I admire quite a bit. I can also say this from every model of the brand.

Now coming to the price, the R077 is priced at 110 USD which is unbelievable value for something this nicely done, it not only scratch the itch for me , it replaces the want to have a similar approach.

The main reason on hy this is a watch for me is because on how the dial looks , the movement performance and how it’s priced, there is no need to break the bank to have something unique , I am very pleased and fall all over this new beautiful model from the brand.

For more information please visit https://miliforticwatch.com/en-uk/products/milifortic-jumping-hour-vintage-automatic-r077?variant=44341092450460

• Technical Specifications

• Model: AE38R077 Jumping Hour Vintage Automatic

• Movement: Seagull ST17t Automatic

• Movement Functions: Jumping Hour, One Pointer, Small Seconds

• Case: 316L Stainless Steel, Brushed

• Bezel: Fixed bezel, Polishing

• Case Diameter: 38mm (including crown 41mm)

• Dial: Enameled Yellow / Straight Salmon

• Lug to Lug: 46mm

• Thickness: 9.0mm (including glass 11mm)

• Glass: Sapphire Crystal Glass, AR Coating

• Hands: Polished Minute Hands,Burn blue seconds hand

• Luminous: No

• Crown: Screw-in,316L Stainless Steel,Polishing

• Caseback: Screw-in, 316L Stainless Steel, Brushed

• Strap: Leather, Brown(yellow dial)/Black(salmon dial)

• Strap Width: 20mm