KUOE Sombrero Overview: Not Your Typical Gown Diver | FashionBeans

Not That Type of Sombrero…

Sombrero: an usually excessive crown hat of felt or straw with a really extensive brim worn particularly within the southwest and Mexico. However we’re not speaking about that sombrero; we’re speaking a couple of watch from KUOE. Welcome to my KUOE Sombrero overview!

 

My Historical past with KUOE

I’ve been an enormous fan of KUOE ever since I acquired one in all their watches earlier this 12 months on my journey to Kyoto. They’re a model based mostly out of Kyoto identified for his or her British subject watch designs which can be basic and clear, interesting to quite a lot of seasoned collectors and other people simply stepping into the world of watches.

So naturally, I turned curious after they reached out to me to overview their first-ever dive watch.

A Completely different Tackle Dive Watches

Whenever you hear the phrases “dive watch,” you instantly suppose one thing fairly rugged. KUOE was sensible to stay to their design aesthetic for the Sombrero, which, by the best way, the Sombrero they’re referring to is the Sombrero Galaxy, which is alleged to be essentially the most lovely place in house.

Now, I’m not fairly positive in the event that they drew inspiration from house, however in my thoughts, I’d prefer to suppose they drew up inspo from the Mexican sombrero hat.

Particularly whenever you take a look at the field sapphire crystal resembling the hat form and texture dial much like that of the weave sample of straw featured on this watch. That is smart, proper?

Let’s Speak About That Compressor Case

KUOE was sensible to go along with the compressor case design for the Sombrero, also referred to as the reference 90-011, marking their eleventh watch mannequin and first-ever dive watch design.

It permits the watch to stay modern and fashionable like the remainder of the watches of their catalog whereas nonetheless functioning as a correct dive watch.

To function the rotating bezel, you’ll must unscrew the highest crown on the two o’clock place, permitting you to maneuver the internal rotating bezel ahead and again.

The motion is tremendous easy with a tad little bit of resistance to assist line up together with your minute hand completely.

Like a couple of different compressor-style instances I’ve encountered, I used to be afraid that working the crown for the bezel can be a bit robust to get to, however due to the best way the crown is formed, it permits you to take action with ease. And that is fairly essential for a dive watch.

I imply, it’s not like most of us are taking it for a dive, however for somebody like me who makes use of it to time my breaks, it’s very handy.

The Specs That Matter

It’s 38mm in diameter, lower than 12½mm thick, and has beautiful brushing and excessive polish sides on the lugs. It’s actually all you’ll be able to ask for in a dressy diver.

However it’s not simply the aesthetics that impressed me – it has a depth ranking of 200M and magnetic resistance of 20,000 amps per meter, to be actual. I’ll be sincere; I’m unsure precisely what meaning, however I’m positive somebody studying this does, particularly in the event that they’re working round extremely magnetic fields.

How It Wears – The Bracelet Sport is Robust

Regardless, all this makes the Sombrero from KUOE a correct diver’s watch and one hell of a device look ahead to one thing that appears as pleasing to the attention because it does. On the wrist, it wears nice as a result of compressor case design.

I generally neglect I’m sporting a dive watch, particularly when paired up with their Jubilee bracelet, which, by the best way, is lots higher than I used to be anticipating.

It has strong finish hyperlinks with fast launch for simple strap modifications, makes use of precise screws to measurement the bracelet, and one thing I actually wasn’t anticipating – an easy-to-use adjustable extension at three completely different positions.

If you end up struggling to seek out the proper match, or should you’re sort of like me and you discover your wrist contracting and increasing all through the day, that is the comfort.

There’s additionally a flat-link bracelet possibility, however I feel the Jubilee actually matches the sporty gown aesthetic the very best, and it helps that it’s tremendous comfy, too.

Both method, KUOE features a German leather-based strap, which is nice, however the Jubilee is way more at house on the bracelet, whatever the event.

That Salmon Dial, Although…

KUOE was good sufficient to ship me over a watch of my alternative for this KUOE Sombrero overview, and naturally, I needed to go for the salmon variant, however it does are available a couple of different choices like inexperienced, black, ivory, and gradient choices, so there’s certainly one thing that can go well with collector’s tastes.

At first look, it could seem as a flat salmon dial, however should you look intently sufficient in the fitting gentle, there’s a linen texture to the dial, which is simply sufficiently subtle to not be so distracting and offers depth to the dial that’s actually attention-grabbing to have a look at.

The salmon colour on the Sombrero is fairly dynamic – in some lighting, it takes on a pinkish tone, and in others a heat copper.

If you understand me, I’m a sucker for something that has 3-6-9 indices, and with the Sombrero, you’re getting 12-3-6-9 utilized indices, which provides to that total military-inspired look.

The lume makes use of outdated radium-colored Tremendous-LumiNova, which seems to be nice towards the salmon dial and is utilized to the bezel. I’m not often into the Fauxtina impact, however I can’t see this working with full stark white indices, so kudos to you, KUOE.

About That Title…

The sapphire crystal KUOE determined to make use of is coated with anti-reflective and anti-fingerprint, making that dial tremendous legible in all forms of lighting eventualities. Together with the identify of the watch, Sombrero – now to be sincere, the phrase “Sombrero” on the dial, properly, I’m unsure how I really feel about it.

A Spanish phrase on a Japanese watch sort of throws me off a bit, particularly when the very first thing I take into consideration once I hear the phrase Sombrero is a Mexican hat, not a lot the Sombrero Galaxy this drew inspiration from. Nonetheless, it’s an attention-grabbing quirk of this watch I can get behind.

Beneath the Hood

Beneath the hood, KUOE determined to go along with the high-beat Miyota caliber 9039, which provides the watch the additional benefit of thinness at simply 11mm should you don’t rely the peak of the crystal, which is exceptional for a dive watch, including to that sporty, dressy aesthetic.

Now, I do know lots of people would moderately have a date complication, however the symmetry of the Sombrero with out it’s actually the best way to go.

Watch This Overview

Last Ideas

Let’s wrap this KUOE Sombrero overview up. I’ve had the Sombrero on my wrist for the previous week now, and it’s a tricky one to take off. It sits on the good Goldilocks measurement of 38mm, the dial is enjoyable to have a look at, it wears nice on the wrist, particularly with that new Jubilee bracelet, and it’s a correct device watch all whereas trying applicable sufficient to put on with a go well with.

I’d say KUOE cleared up any doubts I had about their first dive watch. Ah lastly, a Sombrero I can put on indoors with out getting bizarre seems to be.