A diver or a statement piece? The Dromo from Alcadus

There isn’t a script or right way to collect watches but, I am a firm believer that there must be a focus in order to have a goal, let me explain. For me the colour of a dial is on of the main characteristics I try to chase, if I have a blue watch then that’s it, that is my one blue watch. Of course the brain will always play tricks on you and I often see myself thinking that is blue dial but a different shape or case material and there we go, but that is another topic.

Coming back to the colour aspect, I was looking at some of the watches that I am lucky to have and my wife casually asked me: why don’t you have a red watch?. My eyes lit up and I replied that red is not as versatile, that it’s a bit loud and despite being a colour of choice for many things, in watches, is not that popular.

Her question stayed in the back of my head and I started to secretly admiring (or convincing myself) that a red dial was on the cards. Finally when I got the courage to begin my quest, I found myself in a world where red dials where too loud or paired with other colour accents that made no sense. The main issue that I couldn’t get around was that red is perceived as a fashion colour which means that it is often paired often with uninteresting watches. The ones that had some mechanical merit were a bit off in terms of colour, too bright, too orange and of course directed to another audience.

I was determinate to succeed and I kept on thinking which one was the best colorful dial that I’ve review that doesn’t feel too gimmicky and has a quality to match. The answer was simple and it was the Alcadus Quantra in purple, the shade and the design are spot on so naturally I ran to the site to see if they had a red dial that match my request, it was there.

The Dromo was a model that I managed to handle back in 2022. I was lucky to see the white dial prototype but never got my hands on the red version. I was lucky to have one ship and now here I am, like a kid in Christmas with a watch that I’ve desired for more than 2 years.

There are a lot of details on the Dromo which are covered on my previous review, but this version with this dial, turns up thing a notch. Not only versatile in the sense of the palette but in the fact that this is a true tool watch, a GADA.

Join me to discover and re-discover my love for this model, let’s begin.

The specifications

As mentioned, there are a lot of watches that could satisfy my quest for a red dial but proportion and technical merits were my main issue, I am happy to report that the Dromo ticks both. The 38mm case is perfect to wear everyday and with a very short lug to lug of 45.5 mm, it sits perfectly on your wrist.

The stainless-steel case construction is flawless which is something that Alcadus has us used to, the brushed is consistent, it alternates with the polished crown and accents of the knurling on the bezel. The 3 part case feels solid with the red sapphire insert that includes Swiss luminova application, this watch is a testament to detail.

The dial is where the party is, the candy red matches with the insert to perfection and it has a metallic hue that I haven’t seen before. It includes brown tones with a vibrant crimson when the light hit it, I can honestly say is one of the most beautiful red I’ve seen on an object let alone a watch.

The dial is completed with round silver applied markers that alternate with trapezoid ones and then Alcadus ‘’A’’ at 12. I love that small yellow almost golden writing for the water resistance that matches the bezel triangle, is a simple design but very classy. The white railroad track breaks the dial nicely adding a bit of contrast but keeping those yellowish accents, it’s a beautiful composition.

The long hands are brushed and hope that the macros make justice because they always remind me that the nature of this watch is to be used as a tool, they include Swiss superluminova as well, just like the logo on the screwdown crown which I enjoy quite a bit.

Turn the watch over and we will see a nice engraving of a Dromond ship, very detailed and quite a nod to those war machines used during the Byzantine empire. Under this medallion we can find the reliable and very thin Miyota 9032 which has been regulated in-house at 7 seconds per day, I have to say that it performs better than that, quite enjoyable.

Being a diver with no date (no ghost position of course), it offers 200 meters of water resistance which again is a great feature for a watch that you do not need to worry when wearing it, it is quite ‘’toolish’’.

On the wrist

The watch wears like a charm and there are a few things that make this happen. First, the Dromo is 12.7mm in thickness which is quite slim for a 200 meter watch and a big part of that measurement is the crystal, so in reality it wears like 1mm less on my 6.25 inch wrist.

Another part of the wearing experience is how the drilled lugs are curved down to hug the wrist. It was probably a very hard design cue to include but it works well specially if you want to add the watch to a nylon strap because it avoids to give any extra thickness.

That said, there is no need to change the supplied bracelet of the Dromo. It is the perfect companion not only in looks but also features, it includes a divers extension which can be operated while the watch is on. At the beginning I was used to those internal extensions inside the clasp we find nowadays but this one in the Dromo was much more useful because it kept the clasp itself thinner and shorter. Then we have the fact that not only the bracelet but the whole watch has an anti-scratch coating ensuring a hardness of 800 HV which is 4x the limit of stainless-steel, in other words it wont get scratch easily. The bracelet tappers from 20mm to 16mm which is quite aggressive and has this integrated look and feel which we all enjoy, the links are solid has a quick release system.

Alcadus also spoiled us with an extra strap Italian leather strap which is included in all models. The coffee brown matches perfectly with the red dial, and although I know this is a diver and leather straps for some are a no go, the vintage curves and appeal of the Dromo will make it work.

I wore the Dromo mostly at home and at the office, it is a great everyday companion and for being a red watch, is not too loud or brash, it is quite classy. A grey jumper is the best way to enhance the look in my opinion but I cannot wait for summer to rock this guy to the pool. It is an all-rounder.

Concluding thoughts

As you can see, this is a watch that I’ve enjoyed quite a bit, it is rare when you find all you are looking for, all the boxes ticked and at the same time at a price that is reachable for most of us mortals.

Which brings us to the next part, unfortunately the Dromo line is coming to the end of its life and Alcadus is offering it at a big discount to bring in new models. It is a bit sad to see it go but there is a happy feeling to believe that the brand can upgrade something that to me is already perfect.

The original price offered was 697 USD which is amazing for this watch, not sure if there are any left when this review becomes live, but hopefully you will manage to get a taste of something so exquisite that can last a lifetime.

Make sure you checked them out here: https://alcadus.com/product-category/dromo/

Technical specifications

Case Material: 316L Stainless Steel

Case Dimensions: 39mms

Lug to Lug: 45.5mm

Thickness: 12.7mm

Lug Width: 20mm

Glass: Box Sapphire Crystal (with 5 layers of inner

clear AR coating)

Dial Finish: Metallic Sunray

Movement: Japanese Automatic Miyota 9039 (regulated)

Power Reserve: 42 hours

Crown: Screw-down, engraved ALCADUS logo with Luminescent applied

Luminescent: Swiss Super-LumiNova® C3-X1 on dial, hands and crown

Water Resistance: 200 meters / 20 ATM / 660 ft