By Jovan Krstevski
What I love about this watch is the story that it carries with it. In 2013, two eager young men created a fresh Danish brand called REC Watches. Both Christian Mygh and Jonathan Kamstrup share the same passion for race cars and watches. However, Jonathan has a particular interest on classic Minis (known as Mascots in his native Denmark), and this has been showcased in REC Mark I Watch which closely resembles the overall design of a real classic Mini. I find this not only sprightly but a real value for money at about $495 US. And it is a give and take situation because it offers me some assurance that I did something of value for the environment since the philosophy behind this watch revolves around three aspects: recover, recycle, and reclaim.
I may not be able to give the full details of the recovery process but anybody with a keen eye can see the classic Mini on this watch. From the overall design of the dial to the lugs, crown, bezel, and the case back, comes the unique way of time telling. I love sports cars and seeing the race-spec Mini in the face of this watch is truly an amazing sight to behold and also a good deal. It makes a lot of sense to see a rugged looking dial considering that it came from a really vintage car.
It genuinely sticks to nature preservation as the packaging alone is made up of recyclable materials. This is rather innovative because its simplicity not only highlights the story behind the watch but the subtle presentation is simply direct to the point. It doesn’t scream too much attention to protect nature which is quite annoying sometimes, it’s just there for everyone to follow in their own choosing or pace. I love to be given a choice and I could feel that with the presentation of this watch.
The case
It comes in a circular and vertically brushed stainless steel case with a diameter of 44.3mm and sports a height of 13mm. The most notable part of the case for me is the bezel. It’s like looking at the chrome grill of a Real Mini. Perhaps, it’s my imagination kicking in but either way, the design is truly effective in bringing up memories about the venerable classic Mini.
The crown and the two pushers perfectly matches the overall look of the case. It looks like one of the measuring apparatus in the old Mascot. They look playful and very sporty and considerably offers the best control and feel on such a value watch.
Moreover, in my experience the function pushers engage smoothly. The top pusher activates and stops the chronograph while the bottom pusher resets the chronograph.
Amazingly, the overall watch weighs very light, at mere 66 grams for a pure stainless steel case. For me, that’s a marvelous feat worth bragging about. And it does offer a lot of benefits for the wearer as steel has the tendency to weigh heavier over time.
The dial
This is where all the magic happens. If you look closer at the dial you’ll notice a semi-finished metal surface. It looks like brushed metal and sometimes with moderate imperfections. The company takes pride in its fair warning that all the dials in fact are uniquely handcrafted so not one of them are identically the same. I simply adore this idea because if offers a certain feeling of rarity only present in collectible items. After all, they came from a collectible classic Mini, don’t they? Plus, I take real pleasure in knowing that the wrist watch I’m wearing is part of a once screaming Mascot.
One glimpse at this watch would simply take you back in time, thanks to its sporty chronograph counters that resemble that of the venerable Mini’s dashboard. The design of the sub dials are like mini speedometers and be careful because you might actually fall into this kind of trap, it’s a watch not a car.
