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

Numptys...

Per the Urban Dictionary -
Numpty:
Dialect, chiefly scots. A bumbling fool or one who is intellectually challanged.
(plural : numpties)
"they numpties couldnae organise a pissup in a brewery."
In reference to MSPs( members of scottish parliment). numpty by Gerry K. April 26, 2005

Courtesy of Audemars Piguet

Unlike most of my colleagues in the Fourth and Fifth Estates of Watch Town, I have held off on commenting on Hayek "the Younger's" latest thirst trap. By and large, I like Swatch, own a bunch, and even plumped for a Blancpain x Swatch as well as a Mission to Mars. They're fun.

And without going into the pros and cons of whether or not $420 American is wisely spent on this latest outing, I want to reflect on the shit-show that was Swatch's lack of common sense regarding the launch of the Royal Pop. Or to paraphrase James Corder's bon mots - Is human life only worth $420?

You can read his insightful commentary here, it is well worth your time -

https://www.watchpro.com/corders-column-somebody-could-have-been-killed-today-over-a-400-swatch/

While seeing crowds buzzing is good for business, I would like to think we have moved on from the Bernie Ecclestine / Hublot "if it bleeds, it leads" approach to marketing -

Courtesy of Hublot

And while many of us are sharing our feelings, curious to relate? It appears that neither Mr. Hayek, or Ms. Resta have been particularly forthcoming with coments following a highly anticipated, partially aborted launch capped off with near riots. Think I'm being overly dramatic? Simply put, riot police aren't typically dispatched to your neighborhood mall over a parking dispute, or a getting the wrong order at Orange Julius... 

While some folks will hopefully get and truly appreciate their new pocket watch, my sincere hope is that in Biel/Bienne and Le Brassus there might be just a wee bit of reflection on how this was handled, and maybe (doubtful, I know) maybe one of these two leaders can put their egos aside and accept the responsibility for the situation and offer some sort of acknowledgement.

I know, this is about as likely to happen as me being invited on an AP press junket ; )

Or to paraphrase the closing scene in one of my favorite films -

"Forget it, Henki. It's Watch Town."