Functional Design with Italian Flair: Hands-On with the Mondaine Doppio Solar

Mondaine is a brand many people recognize from Swiss railroad clocks and watches, but it is much more than that. With the Doppio Solar, they present a watch that combines a purely functional design with a sense of Italian flair. It results in a charismatic watch that is also very comfortable to wear.

While Mondaine also offers the Doppio Solar with a single-color dial, this two-tone version gives it a sporty touch, which suits the watch very well. The dial is easy to read, and its bowl shape adds to its character. The same goes for the red seconds hand, as this dash of color really captures your eyes. In that matter, it is a bit of a pity that it doesn't seem to run in equal steps, sometimes dashing in between the seconds, and at other times hitting them spot on. The same goes for the date function. While many appreciate this feature, the date window is rather small, and the date wheel is placed significantly lower. This creates quite a bit of shade on the date itself, making it difficult to read under some circumstances. 

This might have something to do with the position of the solar panel under the dial of the Ronda 515 RL movement. It offers a power reserve of 8 months when fully charged and doesn't need any additional light during that time to keep running. This is a great benefit of solar-powered watches, especially as they combine this with the precision of a quartz watch. 

The Mondaine Doppio solar case is where it scores points, as the back feels as smooth as a pebble on the skin. That, while it does feature attractive engravings, including the Mondaine logo. The 41mm case is kept pleasantly thin at 9.1mm and features elegant, short lugs that further aid the wearing comfort. The strap came as a surprise, as Mondaine opted for vegan leather made from what is left over when the juice is extracted from grapes. Usually, I am not a big fan of these types of straps, as they need quite a bit of artificial binders to give them a leather-like texture, but the one on this Mondaine is very comfortable. It also comes with a nicely styled buckle that is pleasant to use. The strap also fits into the aim of Mondaine to make the Doppio Solar as environmentally friendly as possible, not only due to its solar movement, but also because the case contains up to 91% recycled 316L stainless steel. That is an additional feature to appreciate next to the good looks of this Mondaine, which is priced at $455.

For more info, visit Mondaine, here.