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I saw the official Olivier thread when it first jumped off, and opened it out of boredom, expecting to be underwhelmed. Instead, I was amazed, hooked, and otherwise smitten by the new offering. So I finally had a chance to meet up with Mr. Olivier himself today, Roland, and here's the result:
First off, Roland is a great guy, and took way more time to meet with a single person like myself (who can't even buy it right now) than I ever expected. His passion for watches is highly evident; he clearly enjoys what he's doing, and I think it shows in the results. I have my own extremely small business, and it's interesting to see someone else in a similar (if somewhat more established) position. If you live locally, hit him up, and I'm sure he'll meet up.
On to the watch (es)! We got in line at Starbucks to orders drinks, and he immediately handed me one of them. First thing I noticed was heft; it has a very substantial feel to it. Weighty in a quality fashion, it feels like a solid piece of bronze. Second, the lume. In a not-so-dimly-lit Starbucks, standing under a light, the lume just popped. The already legible face became even more legible, kind of like day-time running lights on a car. :D I didn't get a sense for longevity of the lume, of course, but suffice it to say lume will NOT be a complaint with these. TORCH! Unfortunately, I didn't get a lume shot (but then I'm no photog, and it would've sucked).
We sat down, and the first order of the day was a comparison between my Momentum Deep 6 and Olivier.
So, you can clearly see the lug-to-lug difference there. The interesting thing to me is that though the Momentum is significantly bigger all around, the Olivier looks very substantial, particularly with the black bezel. Here are side views:
On to wrist shots:
I think it wears REALLY nicely. Here are side by side wrist shots:
I think it's interesting how the Olivier wears visually more substantially than the Momentum. The black bezel, which I prefer, definitely creates an effect where it extends the width of the black face, and makes the watch look larger; conversely, the bronze bezel makes it look smaller overall. This could be useful for creating the visual effect you desire, and the fact that both are included is pretty sweet.
Bezel action is tight with zero play, nada, and though I don't see accidental bezel movement EVER being an issue, it's not difficult to rotate. Outstanding bezel action, IMO. I asked about durability of the bezel insert, and Roland said it's a solid metal insert which is proving to be very durable. He's wearing it 24/7, and it had no marks. The minute markers on the insert are recessed, so they will never scratch or wear off. Awesome. The bronze bezel minute markers will probably patina considerable more than the exposed surfaces of the bezel, and create more of a contrast with the rest of the bezel, more visual pop, as it ages.
Fit and finish. I'm no expert, I don't even own a loupe, but the machining is top-notch. I have NOTHING against a well-made Chinese case (and hate the anti-Chinese case BS that goes around, they can do as good a work as anyone), but I think that having a German-made case definitely adds cachet, and quality workmanship is evident all around. No rough or sharp edges, no 'grain' from milling, everything lines up precisely (to my naked eye). The crown has the diver from the caseback on it, oh yeah; and the helium release valve ties in and balances the crown on the other side (as well as the caseback, if you get lost in the tableau back there) really well.
The dial. I f*cking love it. Bold, clearly legible, and beautiful in a utilitarian way, the small details add style without overwhelming the simplicity. I love the blue second hand, I love the triple date window w/ blue marker, I love the font used. The cross-hairs on the face even add legibility to the dial, making orientation of the watch a snap, and leaving no doubt as to where 12 o'clock is (plus, I was a sniper in the military, BOOM, hidden innuendo EVERYWHERE! haha). As someone remarked above, it's legible from far away. This will apply equally at night. It looks great. Chicks dig it. What more to say? :D
The strap. Soft, supple, and extremely comfortable, I actually might prefer the standard supplied strap to the Isofrane Roland had on the other watch. It's very nice, well-chosen on his part. Most folks have straps laying around, and will switch out anyway, but I'd probably leave it.
I apologize for my shoddy pictures, and lack of awesome up-close dial pics, but my main goal was seeing (and showing) the watch on my bigger wrist, and I think that's clear enough. Good dial pics have been posted here already.
Now, I'm off to hock something so I can pick one of these beauties up.
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Originally Posted by mekenical
