The meaning of value - J.S Watchmaking Y Sgowt

There are two kinds of watch enthusiasts, the specification driven and the value one. Regardless of the one you identify with the most, the brain will start swinging from one branch to the other as soon as something attractive catches your eye.

This is an issue not only because as watch people, we are spoiled for choice these days but also because none of us have unlimited budget. Being selective is the key, to find the right balance between something attractive with a dose of good value, has been a good filter to cut through the watch noise out there, at least for me.

As it happens, while scrolling endlessly like much of us do, I came across with potentially one of the most vivid blue dials I’ve seen on a screen. It was saturated, different and it also looked quite high end.

I’ve just purchased a watch, so I had a good excuse on going into the website because I was sure that it was out of my price bracket (there is that brain again), and I honestly thought that there was some kind of mistake. Read the specs again and I kind of understood that it was possible, but the pictures did not match the price.

So here I am contacting J.S watchmaking to see if I could potentially get my hands on the beautiful Y Sgowt (The Scout) and Jan the owner madly agreed to send me his 2 prototypes.

This is the part where I would say that we need to keep in mind that pieces are prototypes, that the tolerances are not great, everything feels a bit flimsy and that the final version will be much better. Even Jan pointed out some details that I couldn’t see at macro level, and that speaks to me on how the QC is going to be for this radical field watch.

I was sent a Lapiz Lazuli and an Amethyst stone dial, both beautiful on its own right. Let’s begin to explore these Welsh beauties.

The specifications

To appeal to the left part of the brain, we can start mentioning that the Y Sgowt is 39mm in diameter with a lug to lug of 45mm. This is a good start for an object that is meant to be use a field watch. The case is constructed quite nicely, and it has good transitions from polished to satin surfaces. The shape reminds me of earlier Grand Seiko(s) and I meant that as a complement as the ergonomics are spot on.

The dial is where the party is at. The dial has no writing apart from a tiny branding between 7 and 8 o clock, it keeps the minimalistic approach by enjoying the full patter of the stone of choice. The markers look aggressive pointing to the centre giving the Y Sgowt sort of a medieval look, kind of like a shield or a precious mythological stone.

The 60-minute markings give the dial more presence and match the handset to perfection, they are more futuristic than the rest of the watch in terms of design and they still work quite well in the overall composition.

Turn the watch over and you will be greeted with the best decorated Miyota 9039 I’ve ever handled. The Y Sgowt has a sunray pattern on the baseplate with reworked bridges and a custom rotor that not only looks great but avoids that ‘’off the shelf’’ feeling that many brands at this price point provide, more on that later. The Y Sgowt also has 100 meters of water resistance.

On the wrist

With a very slim movement like the Miyota 9039, there is no surprise that the Y Sgowt manages to be under 12mm. It is comfortable on my 6.25 ich wrist and easy to pull also aided by that already mentioned short lug to lug. Another nice touch is the steel bracelet, which has a 7-link construction and also includes micro adjustment on the fly, all nicely signed and adequate to the watch. The other option is a lovely and never seen before cloth strap, it has a unique pattern matching the purple dial variant. The watch changes completely with a more ornamental feel, and it would be great to see if J.S Watchmaking will be offering this on their Kickstarter campaign.

Being prototypes, I did not take them outside too much, they are unique by nature so had to take care of them, but I did enjoy them quite a bit at the house. They have a dress quality to it because of the stones but they can be easily adapted to everyday life, much more than other watches in my current collection.

Legibility it’s outstanding as nothing interrupts the bright white markers or the dial. It is all well thought out and I am still very grateful that you cannot find a date on this watch, that would potentially ruin what I consider a very handsome proposition.

Concluding thoughts

Price of the watch could be a factor described at the beginning of the review, but I wanted to leave it at the end because the last thing I wanted is to justify by saying: ‘’ for this price point the … is very good’’. The main reason for this approach it is that it would take away merit to the watch, the Y Sgowt is a great companion at an unbelievable early bid of 450 GB. There is no secret to us watch nerds that this type of watch, with these specifications is something that could appeal to a very large base of collectors.

Subjectively speaking the watch to me, its very attractive and the dial plus the finishing on the movement, are the key factors on why I would considerer it to add into my collection. It looks like nothing I currently have and it would blend well between a casual or a formal setting. It is a field watch after all but one that oozes class and knowhow, I cannot wait the larger reception, and I am sure it would be a great hit. Make sure you do not miss out.

For more information, please find the Kickstarter campaign here https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sarnowski/y-sgowt-the-scout?ref=5tl62v

Technical specifications

• 39mm diameter Stainless Steel case

• 10 ATM Water resistance

• Sapphire crystal with a multi-layer AR coating

• Natural amethyst/lapis lazuli dial (with multiple applied metal layers), unique to every watch

• Miyota 9039 movement with custom bridges (featuring the Welsh dragon engraved onto the balance cock) and a unique rotor

• BGW9 Super Luminova on hands and lumicast markers

• Stainless steel bracelet with screw-down links and microadjustment (included)