A Watch Like Fine Wine: Hands-On with the Vario Futurist

Paying homage to the 1970s, in particular the space race, is a new territory for Singapore-based Vario. The brand made quite a name for itself with its modern interpretation of WWI trench watches, but also captured the heart of watch enthusiasts with its WWII-inspired field watches and classy Empire collection. The new Futurist adds a new style to the brand's line-up, and like a fine wine, it only gets better when you let it breathe a bit.

Compared with some of Vario's other designs, the Futurist is more restrained in terms of design. It is like an excellent bottle of red wine that tastes good right after you open it, but excels to a whole other level once you give it some air, either by decanting or swirling it in your glass. The Futurist also opens up like that in a similar way. With a case diameter of 39mm, it is pleasantly proportioned, and with the crown tucked away at the twelve o'clock position, it is very comfortable to wear. The overall height of 10mm and the flat caseback also play an essential role in this. Vario used Italian leather for the strap, which not only has a refined texture and a beautiful depth of color that matches the dial, but is also one of the most comfortable leather straps I have tried in a while. Without a need to break in, it is comfortable from the start.

It might also be that the Futurist wears so comfortably that it takes a few moments for it to sink in how enjoyable it is in other fields as well. The main attraction is the sapphire crystal, which is cut into facets. This creates a very playful effect when it reflects the light, but surprisingly, it never interferes with the ease of reading the time. It also enhances the beauty of the wine-red dial with sunburst decoration, which darkens slightly around the edge. As is a hallmark for Vario, they keep the dial clean, except for their name. 

Do take a loupe to examine the dial, as then you will fully appreciate the shape of the hour markers, which are more intricate than you might first suspect. Then you see that the hands also have a little design trick up their sleeve, as they are not entirely closed around the luminous center. The grooves in the case also deserve a closer inspection, as they are cut individually. That high-quality approach pays off in how they reflect light. When talking about high-quality, even the carvings in the crown, which make it easy to turn, have a grooved texture, details you don't expect to find in watches at this price point.

The lugs themselves are also cut with facets and angled slightly downward. This makes the watch connect nicely with the wrist. The screw-down caseback helps the Futurist achieve 10 ATM/100 meters of water resistance. It is quite fitting, engraved with the image of an astronaut walking in a space station, a fun nod to the idea behind this watch. Vario opted for a Miyota caliber 9039, and that is a pleasant choice, as it runs at 4Hz/28,800 VpH and offers a power reserve of a little over 40 hours when fully wound. The hacking seconds is also a feature most watch enthusiasts will appreciate.

Vario offers the Futurist in four different colors. Next to the red dial, it is also available in green and blue. Each of these is limited to 100 pieces, while the silver dial is an unlimited series. The price of the Futurist is, regardless of dial color, $648.

For more info, visit Vario, here.