Mix of gold and craft – Wancher Gurkha Kanazawa 18K Gold

The word affordability and craft, at least in watches is separated by miles and miles. Mainly because human dedication goes against industrialization, there is little space for profitability when manual intervention takes place, unless the prices go up accordingly.

This is not the first watch from Wancher that I review and the attention to details plus their stubbornness to keep prices low is always special to encounter.

Today we are doing a review of their Gurkha Kanazawa, a truly affordable watch that puts luxury in to the center of the dial, literally. Join me to discover it.

Technical specifications

The Gurkha is a version that already existed in Wancher’s catalogue but it was done with a tilted dial and a distinctive black and white dial. When we come to the Kanazawa version, the watch is now less quirky and more of an elegant companion. That said, the characteristics remains the same with an aluminum body with a black PVD coating, boosts at 34mm in diameter by 37mm lug to lug. The barrel like style shape gives good presence to the Gurkha and although we described it as an elegant dial (which is is), the matte surface, syringe hands and sharp lines of the case, give a more field/pilot oriented look.

There is no denying that the dial of the Gurkha is where the party is. The applied 18k gold leaves make the watch not only special but also very minimalistic, I dare to call it a mini Moser and Cie. There are 2 options a full gold dial and a partially cover one, I think the latter which is the review as ample we have is the way to go, looks more like a vintage distress watch than a new one, it just fits the vibe better in my opinion. That said the brain will always go for the full gold, but either way, but watches are impressive and bring something new to the table: affordable luxury.

The crown is situated at 4:30, it is comfortable and blends like a charm with the whole theme of the Gurkha. This crown also controls the Miyota 2035, a quartz engine that keeps everything thin and ticking as it should. It is a great choice for the watch and at some point, I would love to see a mechanical version, I am sure there is room here but not at this price point of course, we will check this part later.

On the wrist

It is not the first time I’ve tried an aluminum watch but every time I do I am surprised how good it wears, they are light and seem very durable, definitely a material that brands could explorer more. The thinness of the Gurkha is also great at 10mm, is not paper thin but it is very thin and that ideal to give presence to what is already a compact watch.

Legibility is actually very good and it might read as I am surprised and I am. This is not a watch that you would buy to do a precision timing activity, in fact, many of the watches these days are done with this porpoise but the Gurkha dies well with the full white hands filled with luminescence material. There are no markers but I think that is for the best because it would interrupts how the gold is layout, which I forgot to mention, it is unique for each dial, talking about special.

There is of course no date and that also aids with the legibility, quite stunning composition in my opinion, there is nothing distracting you from the that golden hue.

I wore the Gurkha to the office and I realize that this is a watch that although it fits on a more casual environment, it also feels sporty. So I’ve added a black nylon strap and we are in business, the look completely change from the good quality brown leather strap, it feels even more unique and definitely a conversation starter. The lug width is 16mm which is appropriate for a watch of this size, all looks tidy and different, and that is all we want right?

Concluding thoughts

This is a watch that brings a lot of joy, not sure if is because of the unique look or the fact that is a hidden gem inside the watch community and I got to experience it, my silly grin doesn’t stop.

Coming to the price, the Gurkha Kanazawa 18K Gold is priced at 250 USD regardless of the dial choice you want (full or half). You do no need me to tell you that this is an outstanding object let alone a watch.

From the craftmanship to the price, I am sure that the Gurkha Kanazawa would be a great addition to any collection, I hope you get to enjoy it as much as I do.

For more information please visit: Gurkha Kanazawa 18K Gold 

Technical Specifications:

• Case Size (Case x Thickness x Diameter) 34mm x 10mm x 37mm

• Case Material Aluminum PVD Black Coated

• Lug Width 16mm

• Dial Material 18K Kanazawa Gold

• Movement Miyota 2035 Quartz

• Battery Life Span 3 Years

• Warranty 1 Year

• Strap Material Rubber, Genuine Leather, Nylon Nato Strap