Evoking the right emotions – Vescari Chestor Fume Blue

In this hobby, as a collector, you will start discovering several trends. And then, even with more time, the realization that a vast majority of details have already been used will come afloat. This is when a simple enthusiast becomes a true connoisseur, and price points or household names become less important, it’s all about a well-designed product.

Vescari is one of the first brands I’ve reviewed, it was a long time ago and I was very impressed with the quality of their watches. Today, I can safely say that I’ve seen quite a bit of watches after all those years, and I am glad to say that the quality and execution of their newest iteration of the Chestor Fume Blue, its alive and well, even better.

Just like years that have gone by, the new Chestor has grown up in terms of details. Where you could find applied markers, now you find lovely Breguet numerals, a bracelet is now offered as standard, but the best part is that price has remained consistent (more on that later).

Join me to discover how this new proposition has evolved and how it feels on the wrist, let’s begin.

Technical specifications

One of the unique things to highlight about the Chestor is the case. The 40mm lines are curvy and well defined. The lugs are prominent too, giving a more masculine stand but it doesn’t fell like an oversized watch.

 The VK64 Seiko engine keeps the watch reliable, thin and of course, it gives us watch enthusiast something that we love: the mechanical feel of the pushers. Also, the fact that there is no seconds hand to recreate the ticking, makes everything feel even better.

The dial, for me is the best part of the Chestor. It is a perfect gradient royal blue canvas for those elegant applied Breguet numerals. They are well defined and polished; I hope the macros make justice. The sword hands also make the overall design feel sharper, they are long and touch the edge of the tachymeter scale which end up in a dark blue/black.

Another type of sword hands can be found on the chronograph counters, and I do enjoy that they are different because it also creates a bit of contrast and variety. The distortion of the sapphire mimics plexiglass as a vintage watch but, it also gives the benefits of scratch resistance. Another detail that elevates the execution of the Chestor.

The oversize crown is easy to grip with the pump pushers are well crafted. To this point, I have to say that I’ve seen great watches let down by the choice of style such as a screw down or flat ones, the Vescari feel just right.

On the wrist

The thin mid case is easy to wear and is aided by those previously mentioned lugs. In my opinion when you have a 40mm case and an under lug-to-lug measure of 47mm, thickness becomes important, especially because we are talking about a chronograph, it helps on making it feel compact.

Legibility is very good. Chronographs are known to be mesy because there is a lot of information being displayed, but Vescari have been quite clever on restricting unnecessary writing. The name ‘‘Verscari’’ at 12 o clock is the only sign of branding that you can see in that gradient blue dial, it would have been a a pity to cover it.

One of the big novelties from Vescari, is the addition of a solid metal bracelet. It is brushed on the sides and polished on the centre, it gives a more elegant vibe that can be easily tone down with a black or grey leather strap. That said it would be sad to take it out of the stock bracelet, the main reason is the solidity and construction. The end links fit perfectly to the case, and the butterfly clasp is secured adding a touch of elegance. It would be great to have micro-adjustments on the clasp although the half links help, is a minor niggle that can be overlooked as it fits my 6.25-inch wrist quite well.

I wore the Chestor mostly at the office and it doesn’t disappoint. It is a very causal watch, easy to use but it does call for bit of attention because of the blue dial and the polished surfaces. The traditional numbers and dial add a good look to the Chestor, the watch feels quite timeless, and although I am not a fan of using that word, blue steel watches are in vogue lately.

I was tempted to use the Chestor on a canvas strap, I think it would become a playful piece that could add even more versatility a well sized and good looking watch.

Concluding thoughts

It has been very interesting to have a closer look to the new Chestor from Vescari, specially when I was lucky enough to review their first iteration.

This new Limited Edition of 150 pieces feels more mature and I am not talking about the execution or quality only, but also on the evolution of design. It feels like Vescari took a good formula and improved it with small changes, the ones that clearly can make it more desirable.

We also must mention the price, because even if the watch has indeed become much more desirable, the price hasn’t increased much since back then. The Chestor is currently offered at 213 GBP, and we have to pause here as this is the lowest/best quality Meca-Quartz chronograph I’ve reviewed so far.

I believe that for design flair, size and movement technology, the Chestor Blue Gradient is a one of a kind. The only issue I see is that the watch is a limited edition, I am sure it won’t last long. There is a cousin in rose gold with grey, it would be a battle to decide between the two.

For more information, please visit www.vescari.com

Technical Specification

Case size: 40mm

Case Material: 316L stainless steel

Dial: Fume blue with hand applied brequet numerals

Glass: Domed Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating

Bracelet: Stainless steel with butterfly clasp, micro-adjustment and female endlinks

Lug Width: 20 mm

Movement: Seiko VK64 Meca-Quartz

Water resistant: Up to 100 Meters