Grown up toys – Vostra Designs Vector

We love watches, and let’s face it, they are essentially toys, we just do not want to admit it. Also, is worth clarifying that after certain price bracket they do not become art, or investment, they are still playful by nature because we do not really need them.

The part that I still do not understand is that many people in this hobby get very serious very quickly. Many watch aficionados get offended because a watch is too loud or has a distinctive detail like a lightning seconds hand or a caricature on the dial. It feels like they forgot why they like watches.

Sure, there is a lot of scholarship on models from the past and present, it is a serious business, but it is an industry mostly driven by the passion element. That doesn’t mean that there is a lot out there that is disposable and made to grab a quick profit, but a good watch enthusiast should be able to appreciate beautiful details everywhere, no matter the price.

Vostra Desings (which means yours in Italian) is a spin off from the guys at RZE. If you follow me, you will know that I am a fan of the brand and have reviewed must of their timepieces, and now they come up with a new sister brand.

We are lucky to have their first model the Vector, and it touches all the nostalgia elements from the 80’s. it feels like you have a robot style watch on your wrist, from the aggressive angles to the colourful dial, is all aimed to feel like a design where products felt exciting and not conformist, like memorabilia today.

Let’s begin to inspect closely to what it feels like an outstanding idea paired with a great execution.

The specifications

It is hard to imagine that Vostra Desings is aimed to be a more affordable brand than RZE as the quality price ratio from their products is outstanding. Vector, the model itself is a chronograph which feels as avant-garde as watches that could be completely outside of its price bracket. The number of angles on the stainless steel case reminds you a lot of the Bulgari Octo Finissimo, a complement of course. At 40mm in diameter and a lug to lug of 47mm, the watch feels great on my 6.25-inch wrist, to be hones the watch feels more compact than the size suggest. Partially because the mid-case and the bezel take most of the real state of the case, it feels like 38mm. The finishing of the watch is all bead blasted, no shiny surfaces can be found and that is a good thing because it is a tool watch with 100 meters of water resistance via the screw down crown.

The dial is very well made, and you can really see the influence from RZE here. Our Cosmic Yellow variant has a shimmer that can be appreciated when the lights hits it, and together with the 2 white subdials and date aperture at 6, the Vector feels balanced. The black outer scale mixed with the red chronograph hand creates a playful but powerful contrast, it is striking and to me, the composition works. We also have nice details like the different colours of the minute and hour hands while then the seconds has no subdial, essentially giving the Vector a Bi-Compax layout.  On the dial you can also see the name of the brand and the logo, quite a restrain exercise from the team at Vostra, but with plenty design elements on the yellow face together with different scales, looks better this way.

The large wedge style pushers control the Seiko V64 Mecaquartz movement. The tactile feels is very good and also what we are used to from this engine, it clicks and resets with precision while keeping the Vector affordable, more on the price later.

On the wrist

With a thickness of 13mm, the Vector wearing experience is outstanding. Not only it feels like a more compact watch but because of the case design but also integrates well with the bracelet which deserves a good mention.

The bracelet is made by one piece links, no separations which give that industrial looks that we all miss, nostalgia again. The butterfly clasp feels secure and although there is no micro adjustment, a good fit can be easily achieved with the number of links that can be removed.

Another detail that I enjoy is how the bracelet attaches to the case, it is not an integrated bracelet watch so it can accommodate different straps which adds to the versatility, the best of both worlds.

I wore the Vector around the house, I must confess I did not have time to take it outside a lot and it is because I just received it, but that doesn’t mean that I haven’t test it. The watch performs admirably, and it is great to have something so accurate and reliable for everyday use. Is not a watch that goes unnoticed, but it is a watch that can easily match a sporty vibe.

Legibility is outstanding as it feels that all the elements of the watch are made to help the wearer to read the Vector at ease. The red pops nicely again the yellow of the dial, the black creates contrasts, and the hands are easy to distinguish, it is good.

The Vector will be a watch that not only be enjoyed by younger audience but also for those racings enthusiast that want to have something different on their wrist, we can safely say that this watch doesn’t look like anything out there, from elements used to the watch as a whole, the Vector is 100% its own thing, and that is admirable.

Conclusions

As watch enthusiasts we are spoiled with choices, the watches that are dominating the micro brand scene are a few but there are other ones who are also making the space a better one. RZE has been in this domination for a while now, their titanium offerings, premium movements and outstanding dials are always well received and now with Vostra Desings, they are creating a brand proposition based on high quality and low price.

Coming to the price of the watch, the Vector is marked at 279$ but as a Kickstarter price, it will be launched at 199$, yes you read that correctly, it is the first chronograph I encounter at this price with an original design, just incredible.

The Vector comes in Gama Grey, Atomic Blue and our Cosmic yellow. I will also encourage you to visit the Vostra Designs page to see the box that the watch comes, what a small but adorable detail.

We keep growing and evolving but hopefully our internal child will be always willing to play, and what better to do it with an object that oozes quality? Vostra is here to stay and cannot wait to see their next watches, we want to keep playing.

For more information, please visit https://vostradesigns.com/

Kickstarter campaign https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/vostradesigns/vostra-vector-a-chronograph-designed-for-us

Technical Specifications

·         Movement: VK63 Meca-Quartz Movement

·         Water Resistance: 100m (330ft) / 10ATM

·         Crown: Screw-down crown with custom embossed logo

·         Dial: Matte dials with applied indexes filled with Swiss Super-Luminova™

·         Hands: Baton hands with Swiss Super-Luminova™

·         Lens: Sapphire Crystal with inner-side AR

·         Strap: Stainless Steel Flatlink Bracelet

·         Case Back: Screw-down caseback with Viton™ gasket

·         Case Material: 316L Stainless Steel

·         Case Size: 40mm

·         Case Thickness: 13mm

·         Lug size: 20mm

·         Lug to lug: 47mm