A number of their watches over the years have bore the Regattare name which has been influenced by the world of sailing and yacht racing but all have been developed to be as capable below the waves as they are above them.
This is the Regattare 11 the latest model from Magrette and a re-issue of their popular model, the Regattare 2011.
PACKAGING The Regattare 11 comes in Magrette’s black leatherette travel case with a sueded tan interior along with a rubber divers strap and warranty card. I remember the wooden boxes that Magrette used to ship their watches in - those had a charm to them but the new travel cases are a huge step up in terms of quality and are actually pretty useful!
DIAL This is a sandwich dial in matte black with white baton markers with C3 lume. Double batons have been used at 3,6 and 9 while Arabic numerals have been used for the 12 hour marker.
TIMER There's a matte black timing ring which could be used for time anything from sailing regattas or dive-time to drinking-up time down your local watering hole. The internal timing bezel is operated via the 2nd crown at 2 o’clock.
HANDS A simple set of sword hands help keep track of time while a subtle black date window at 4 o’clock reminds us what day of the month it is.
The dial is very much in keeping with the brand's minimalist style - it hasn't really changed much from the previous model in looks but has a more premium feel to it - my only complaint is that the second hand has no lume, no red or white tip, so can get altogether lost against the black dial.
CASE The Regattare 11 has a vintage style case that draws inspiration from a 1950s Italian naval watch. It's a classic style that is both sporty and elegant - there's nothing rugged about it; this will fit under a shirt cuff without issue!
The case has a brushed finish that has been PVD coated in black. This really adds a modern dimension to it. It has come down a little in size from the previous model - from 44mm to 42mm.
The case is fitted with two CROWNs; one winding crown and one for the bezel as previously mentioned. The crowns are quite small and fiddly but they are proportional in size to the case, so I think this is just a personal issue because my daily wearer has such a large crown.
There's a double domed Sapphire CRYSTAL with anti-reflective coating on its inside at the top of the case which is also fitted with a fixed bezel while the - CASEBACK which is in Stainless steel has a Sapphire crystal exhibition window for viewing its mechanical movement, below.
WATER-RESISTANCE A screwdown caseback and crown insure that the Regattare 11 has a water-resistance to 200 meters which meets industry norms for a divers watch.
LUME The Regattare makes use of C3 lume which has been applied to its hands and dial markers. The lume is nice and bright with a long lasting green glow. I would rate the lume at very good.
MOVEMENT The Regattare 11 is powered by a Japanese made Miyota 9015 caliber - the go to movement used by anyone wanting to put an affordable and reliable mechanical inside their diver or sports watch. Its Swiss equivalent is an ETA 2824-2.
STRAP The Regattare 11 has been fitted with a beautiful black leather strap with red contrast stitching and a stunning red underside - you might have noticed the LORICA logo embossed into it. I hadn't heard of LORICA before so I asked Dion who told me - but then I forget so I looked it up ;)
LORICA is a Hightech-Microfibre with properties similar to leather. The material is very light, hard-wearing, breathable and water-repellent. Thanks to its tensile strength, scuff-resistance and manageability it is often used in the production of high-end sporting goods.
QUALITY This is the perfect title for this next category of the Regattare 11’s review - everything has been done to ensure that the watch has a quality look and feel. Excellent PVD treatment, nicely printed text on dial, high quality Swiss lume, a reliable Japanese movement and even a special high-tech material used for the strap.
PRICE The Regattare 11 is Limited Edition of just 500 pieces it has a list price of 585USD. I think it's a pretty fair price considering what you get - on top of this Magrette as a brand are gaining recognition.
OVERALL Actually I've had my fair share of Magrette watches, I REVIEWed the original Reagattare 2011 and this is basically the same watch only with few technical updates and improvements. The case diameter has come down a bit in size, but this is pretty much in keeping with current trends.
©OceanicTime
I think Magrette timepieces have certainly moved on in terms of quality, and their designs while subtle and minimalist are recognizable. It's good to see a brand that has developed its own clear identity with a range of models that are cohesive, have some continuity of design are even revisited years later as the Regattare II was in order to take them to the next level.
I'm not gushing because I'm more of a hardcore dive watch fan, but I can appreciate the subtle classic charms of the Regattare 11 and the care and thought that has been put into updating it.
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