
In early May, I introduced Time Bum readers to the Armare Regatta from Singaporean newcomer, Regia Watches.
You may recall, I found the big brass diver to be an appealing take on
the Panerai style, albeit with a quirk or two, most notably, the name
engraved into the bezel, and its offbeat California dial. Still, there
was something very cool about it. A few weeks later, when Regia notified me they were making a smooth bezel version I couldn't resist buying one.
Before we get rolling, let me refresh your memory on the basics. The
Armare Regatta is a brass cushion case watch measuring 44mm wide, 54mm
long, and 13mm thick. It has a screw down crown, sapphire crystal, a
Seiko NH35 automatic under the display case back, and is rated for 100
meters water resistance. Buyers may choose between two sandwich dials:
an Arabic 12/3/6/9 with a perforated index, or a California dial with
Roman numerals on the left instead of their usual orientation in the top
half. Dial color options are blue, black, and green, and come with both
color coordinated and contrasting leather straps. As noted above, the
bezel can be ordered smooth or engraved. All versions sell for $350.

I am not a fan of the engraved bezel. It looks too much like a case
back, so I ordered mine smooth. I picked green for the simple reason
that I love the color but had nothing like it in my collection. The
sandwich dial plays to great effect on this watch as the numbers are a
good size and the submarine detail is a nice touch. The gold hands are
the proper length, the minute hand just stretching for the railroad
index. All of it pops with the C3 SuperLuminova glow.
It
may surprise you to see that I chose the left-side Cali. Yes, I know in
the preview I said the VII and VIII were too long and disrupted the
dial's balance, but I had to give it a try. Face-to-face with the watch,
I must confess that I like the layout. California dials are a bit
peculiar to begin with so they lend themselves to playful
experimentation. I still think those two numerals are too long, but I
find them to be more idiosyncratic than irritating. It is something different, and in this case, different is good.

When I read that the watch was inspired by the Panerai Radiomir 1940, I
expected the case to be a straight homage. Instead, I was pleasantly
surprised to find that Regia has taken its own approach. The overall
shape is similar and like the 1940, the Armare Regatta has thick
straight lugs, but where the Radiomir case is soft and smooth, the Regia
is angular. The case sides are faceted and while the surfaces may bow,
they meet with crisp edges and clean corners. Both the bezel and the
display case back have twelve sides, which complements the case
geometry.
Like the case, the 3 o'clock crown is brass. It is coin edged and signed
with the brand name and cross cast into its surface. I love the look,
although I wish they had chosen another symbol as the Swiss cross has no
relevance on a watch from the other side of the world. I would have
liked to have seen something to proudly represent its home country of
Singapore. The crown screws down easily and is gasketed for 100 meters
water resistance. This is on par for watch in this style and
likely more than sufficient for most owners (indeed, my old Magrette
Regattare Bronze was only rated to 50m and it hasn't drowned yet) but it
is on the low side in light of competitors like the 300 meter Maranez Layan.

Part
of the compromise in water resistance may come from the display case
back. Some may question whether it is worthwhile to showcase the
relatively prosaic Seiko NH35. This is a sturdy and reliable 24 jewel
automatic, and although it is properly finished, it is not decorated
except for the engraved rotor. Personally, I like being able to see my
automatic movements at work regardless of whether they are dressed up,
but if I had been given the choice of a display back or higher water
resistance, I'd certainly opt for the latter.

Two 24mm leather straps are provided, a lightly grained green and a tan
Nubuck. They are 5mm thick and pliable right out of the box. The colors
are lovely, but the unpainted sides show a sandwich of thin finished
veneer over undyed filler. I know most stock straps share this
construction, but I'd rather not see it. Raw cut sides only look good on
quality leather. Anything less should really be finished or else it
looks cheap.

You have two options for strap attachment. The watch arrives with a
two-headed screw bar already fitted. If this is not your thing, you can
remove the screws and use the supplied fat spring bars instead. can appreciate the screws as a design element, but I hate fiddling with them in practice, so I went right for the springs. With
the screws removed, the outer holes are larger than you would normally
find on drilled lugs, but they are not unattractive.
Regia supplies a 24mm brass buckle too. It is a beefy unit, a bit more
angular than the typical Pre-V style and is signed with a nice deep
engraving, not just the surface laser etching you find on most factory
buckles. It too secures with a screw bar. A 1.6mm screwdriver is
provided to handle all these fasteners, but in order to remove the
straps, you will need two screwdrivers, not one, and 1.6mm is too wide
to attack the buckle, so the whole project requires two tools in
addition to the one supplied. This is hardly a deal breaker, but it highlights the problem I have with screw bars in general.

On the wrist, the Regia is every bit as commanding as you might imagine.
The large case, broad dial, and big markers announce their presence and
the Kermit the Frog color scheme doesn't hurt either. It is titled
"Army Green" but it strikes me as closer to pea green than olive drab. In
black or blue with an Arabic dial, the watch might be more sober, but
the Cali/green combo is just plain fun. It will be interesting to see
how it looks as the brass ages. In fact, I might be tempted to whip a
little Patina Science on this one and try to force some green oxidation with a vinegar fuming technique.
Overall,
I am quite pleased with my purchase. The watch has its quirks, but the
case, color, and cutaway make it a winner in my book. It is a strong
first model and a good value for the money at $350 USD. Better still,
Regia will continue to expand their line. They just introduced a domed
plexiglass crystal option, and they have other variants in the works.
All in all, the Armare Regatta is a cool take on the bronzo theme.
Pro: Sharp case, funky dial.
Con: Fiddly strap attachment, cheap looking strap.
Sum: Quirky and cool. The Time Bum approves.




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