A Racing Bull with style – the Richurus Bullhead Chrono RS3

There is something special about vintage watches. Maybe is the fact that there was a bit more manual intervention, or perhaps the sizing was a tad more modest. Whatever the real reason is, vintage is here to stay and most of enthusiasts are happy for it.

That said, there are a few of us watch geeks who are tired of people praising 30mm watches with water damage. I do understand that there is a rarity factor involved, but again, there are vintage designs that do not have to be as delicate, after all the 70s and 80s were considered a few of the great design eras that can withstand the test of time.

Just like a diver, one of the key elements that became popular in the 70s was the chronograph. At the time, chronographs were usually hand-held with its pushers at the top case, they were usually seen on a circuit to time any race that was occurring. At some point with aviation in mind, the pushers of the chronograph evolved to a more natural sideway position, one that it could be used when the watch was strapped on, and until today, it has become the de facto configuration.

But what drives this hobby apart from nostalgia? I’ve never raced a car or had one of those beautiful Heuer stopwatches, but for some reason, I feel attracted to them. There is no real explanation to have the pushers at 12 o clock apart from the taking your watch off the wrist and use it. Also there might be a safety concern on avoiding the operation of the chronograph function by mistake, but I haven’t seen that one so far. To me, to us, the reason is just to look cool.

Today we have the Richurus Bullhead Chrono RS3, a noble recreation of these vintage pieces but made in an affordable package with an attention to details that is hard to match.

I came across Richurus a few times and it wasn’t until I saw the beautiful 4 variations of the RS3, that I knew that I needed to get my hands on one. Join me to discover one of the coolest releases from this year, specially at this price bracket. Let’s begin.

Specifications

One of the key characteristics from vintage watches is their dimensions, they could be perceived as small but that is not the case with the RS3. The stainless-steel case is not too big either but because of its shape, the 43.5mm could be deceiving, it wears way shorter. One of the first details that got me surprised was the actual finishing, the way that bushed surfaces interacted with the polished ones, everything looks quite tidy and high quality.

The pushers, which we must spent some time on, can be found at 12 o clock together with the crown guard, they have the same shape as the case and the crown is well executed with a deep engraving that reflects the quality. I do hope the macros can make justice.

You might have seen also on the pictures that there is another crown at 6 o clock, this one controls the internal rotating bezel to measure pulsations or distance, quite a tool watch and a great touch for a piece at this price point, more on that later.

The dial is another part where the team at Richarus must have spent quite a lot of time, our silver version had a very subtle vertical brushing and then for the outer ring, it has a circular one, lots of attention to detail. The colour scheme screams 70s with that Tudor Montecarlo style, is not a copy but a great addition, as this watch is a completely original design, or at least, I haven’t seen anything like it.

Staying with the dial we have seconds, minute and a 24-hour indicator, with some accents on the main chronograph and that orange lancet hand, all looking good. Depending on the version you will go for, the applied markers will have a beige Japanese luminova filling, I think on our model, looks right at home.

The RS3 is powered by a Seiko VD53 Quartz module, it keeps the watch accurate and also very thin for the functionality that it offers. It also gives the wearer the tranquillity of a tried and tested movement while delivering 50 meters of water resistance.

On the wrist

This is what we are here for, how it looks and in my 6.25-inch wrist, the RS3 looks right at home. It has a wedge shape at 13.5 mm, but it curves from bottom to the top in a very ergonomic manner, it is very comfortable.

This is a watch that you can wear every day, and I have. It is not heavy, but it has presence, the orange accents contrast well with the rest of the dial and those pushers at 12 o clock, make the watch as symmetrical as possible.

I wore the RS3 mostly at the office and it did turn heads, it is a great conversation starter and even if I am not a racing enthusiast, I can now pass for one. There is a lot of value on this little friend.

The watch came with a perforated black aligator strap with orange stiching, it looks period correct and paired with the buterfly stly clasp, the value is elevanted even further.

The ease of the quartz movement also made me choose it every time I opened my watch box, the date was always set and the watch ticking, I cannot believe I have become that guy that wants ease of use from their watches, but here I am. That said, having a reliable movement in these watches is key as I’ve heard some horror stories with serviced watches and old parts, it really destroys the hobby so I am happy to have a battery powered watch.

Concluding thoughts

So, if not nostalgia, then looks can be the real winner. The Bullhead Chrono RS3 is one of the coolest watches I’ve tried this summer and potentially this year, it is that good and that includes the execution of its details.

As mentioned previously we will touch upon the price which is 167 GBP with a 10% discount on the preorder time. That puts the Bullhead Chrono in a category of its own as not even Seiko can offer something at this price range with this amount of quality, it is outstanding.

There will be a restock happening soon and I complete urge you to check them out, you wont regret having something this original at this price range, the race is on.

The Bullhead Chrono RS3 comes in Green, Blue, Black and our beloved Silver, make sure you are fast.

For more information please visit https://richurus.com/products/the-bull-head-chronograph-silver-rs3-03

Technical Specifications

• Multi-function chronograph: second / minute / 24-hour sub-dials

• Rotating inner bezel for heart rate and speed

• 316L stainless steel case

• Hardened mineral crystal

• 5 ATM water resistance

• Japanese chronograph quartz movement VD53

• 316L stainless steel bracelet with quick-release function

• Dual-push butterfly clasp

• Limited production

• Case diameter: 43.5 mm

• Case thickness: 13.5 mm

• Lug width: 21 mm