The RESTA

from MONOGRIIS -

Courtesy of MONOGRIIS

I have lived in a lot of places. Born and raised in Ohio, university in Oregon, grad school in the England, work stints in Portugal, Finland, Scotland, and Canada. But in truth? It was probably the nearly three years I lived and worked in Japan that shaped me the most.

I was not really into watches at that time. I had a Tag Heuer (quartz) that got semi-replaced by a Swatch until it pooped out and I traded it for a Rado Red Horse at a pawn shop in Tachikawa. What I find curious, looking back, is that getting a Japanese watch never even ocurred to me. 

Needless to say, I have developed a real appreciation for Japanese watches. And this brings us back to the matter at hand - the RESTA!

Courtesy of MONOGRIIS

MONOGRIIS is based in Osaka, a place I never got to visit but always wanted to. Sometimes referred to as the "kitchen" of Japan, it has a completely different vibe from Tokyo. And in many ways, the RESTA has a different vibe from other Japanese watches. 

It is available in three versions -

Courtesy of MONOGRIIS

An Ivory dialed version with blue hands.

Courtesy of MONOGRIIS

A black dialed version with gold hands, numbers & indices.

Courtesy of MONOGRIIS

And my personal favorite, an ivory dial with gold hands and indices.

And the price is truly remarkable at $291 US!

Here are the pertinents, straight from the source:

【Specifications】 Movement: Automatic winding + manual winding (MIYOTA Cal.8N40) Water resistance: 5ATM (5 ATM water resistant) Domed sapphire glass Small second Screw-back See-through back Saffiano leather strap Country of manufacture: Japan (MADE IN JAPAN)

【Size】 Case diameter: approx. 36mm Lug to lug: approx. 45mm Case thickness: approx.10.5mm (approx.13.9mm including domed crystal) Lug width: 18mm Wrist circumference: approx. 16.5-21.0cm Weight: approx. 130g

【Material】 Case: Stainless steel 316L Crystal: Domed sapphire glass Strap: Saffiano leather