#ad: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Straton sent me two pre-release Speciale chronographs, one meca-quartz and one automatic, and they are as bold as watches get.
Straton goes for high style and a little flash. Both Speciales share a blocky, cushion-shaped case that reminds me of old CRT TVs, vintage Omegas and the Tag Heuer Monaco, plus racing details like a speedometer case back and perforated rally straps. These were evaluation pieces, so a few things, like the final case coating, will change. Straton sells direct, so the button goes to a racing-style chronograph on Amazon.
- Truly different case design
- Meca-quartz chronograph has crisp mechanical-feeling clicks
- Busy, technical-looking dial with lots to look at
- Rally straps tie in perfectly with the dial
- Customizable movement, color and band options
- Not cheap, you have to be intentional about buying one
- Pre-production samples had finish issues
- No water-resistance rating mentioned
▶ Watch the full review on YouTube
Two movements, one design
The blue one runs the VK67 meca-quartz, with no date. Meca-quartz puts mechanical chronograph parts on a quartz movement, so the start, stop and reset pushers click like an automatic.
The black one has a 7750 automatic with day-date, and the reset flies back quickly. It is about 2mm thicker than the quartz, but I could not tell by eye.
That case
It is wide and blocky, but the case brings the top and bottom in like a square steering wheel, so it sits comfortably. There are no lugs sticking out. The strap is married to the case in a recessed cutout.
There is a beveled edge at the bottom and a large one going up, and the crystal rises slightly from the case. The sandblasted finish feels like stone and does not show fingerprints.
Dial details
The Speciale font reminds me of Maserati. There are applied borders on the sub-dials, orange hands, a tachymeter on the eggshell outer ring, applied markers with red pips, and lume on the markers and hands.
The blue dial is a little iridescent, and the black version is murdered out with orange highlights.
About the buy link
Straton sells its watches direct, not on Amazon. The button goes to an ADDIESDIVE tachymeter racing chronograph with a VK-series quartz chronograph movement, a similar racing style. It has a round case, not Straton’s cushion case, so check the listing for size.
Straps and value
The perforated leather rally strap with bright orange underneath looks fantastic and ties in with the dial. You can usually upgrade to a metal band for about 50 bucks.
They are not cheap, but compared to bigger names charging thirteen to fifteen hundred dollars for a quartz watch, you get a lot of style and construction.
FAQ
What movements do the Straton Speciales use?
The ones I had used a Seiko VK67 meca-quartz and a Valjoux 7750 automatic with day-date.
What is meca-quartz?
A quartz movement with a mechanical chronograph module, so the pushers feel like an automatic.
How thick are they?
About 13mm for the quartz and 15mm for the automatic.
Can you customize them?
Straton offered different dial colors, movements and a metal band upgrade.
Is this an affiliate link?
Yes. The buttons are #ad affiliate links, and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra.
Leave a Reply