Zoretto Indy Bronze | Watch Review

Zoretto Indy Bronze 

Specifications:

• Case: CuSn6 marine grade bronze
• Diameter: 43mm
• Lug to Lug length: 52mm
• Thickness incl. crystal: 16.50mm
• Caseback: 316L Stainless Steel with sapphire crystal
• Movement: Japanese Automatic – 24 jewels – hacking seconds – 28,800 bpm – about 42h PR
• Water Resistance: 200m
• Lug width: 24mm

Price $499.00 USD

I am always extremely excited when I have the opportunity to review new watch brands, especially their first model released. Zoretto is an Asian-based company that recently released a bronze diver known as the “Indy”. The designation, Indy, doesn’t resonate toward what one may think of as a dive watch when first hearing the name, however, I can assure each reader that this first release from Zoretto provides all the necessary features required of a dependable dive watch. The fact that the Indy comes with a bronze case is just a trendy bonus. There are a few notable features about the Indy such as its classic styling, 200m water resistance along with a chunky bezel and crystal design. The feature that immediately stood out to me, aside from the stunning dial, was the domed sapphire crystal, which added to an already thick case height bringing the Indy in at a imposing 16.5mm. The combination of the bezel and crystal features give the Indy an unquestionable nautical appearance. The Indy is a stout bronze watch with a domed sapphire crystal and a Miyota 9015 movement with a phenomenal price tag of $499 USD. The Indy is available in 3 dial color choices: black, blue, and green dials. The version I am most drawn to is with the vertical brushed blue dial which fortunately is the version Zoretto sent for this review. You can read more about Zoretto here: http://www.zoretto.com/.

What better place to dig in than the fantastic case. The case is machined out of marine grade CuSn6 bronze. The difference between CuSn6 and CuSn8 is not significant based on my layman research. As the numerals in the formulas indicate one has less tin than the other. Both grades are noted for good strength and electrical conductivity, however, the later is noted to have the lowest electrical conductivity. The Indy is a watch so I’m not sure electrical conductivity is all that relevant but again I’m not a chemist so I may be overlooking something in regards to the composition. In any case the Indy will have solid corrosion resistance making it a fantastic maritime instrument. The case measures a rather pedestrian 43mm case and 45mm including the bezel, 48mm including the crown. Many other bronze watches are fitted with titanium crowns, however, the Indy comes with an over-sized 8mm bronze crown at 3. The crown is the screw down variety and has great functionality, smooth and buttery when engaging, on this particular example.

Since the case and crown are bronze, both will acquire a beautiful patina over time, which quite frankly is the biggest allure to the material. I was able to snap a few photographs of the Indy right out of the case and a few more over the course of the past couple of weeks. I wanted to try to show the patina process which resembles what I guess can be called spots or stains on the case components through continued exposure to the environment. The one aspect of the CuSn6 that I noticed on Indy that I hadn’t noticed on some of the other bronze watches that I have owned was a reddish hue in various areas of the case and bezel. Truly with age the antiqued appearance of the Indy has become more and more appealing. Bronze watches will obviously not develop the same patina over time so every bronze watch is going to have its own special character so please keep that in mind.

While I like the bronze crown and the “Z’ logo etched on the face, I would have preferred a titanium crown and case back over the current specifications. I believe titanium would be more durable over time as I’m not entirely confident that a bronze crown, during the patina process, will maintain the level of functionality that a titanium crown most certainly will. Hopefully, I will be proven wrong and the bronze crown will function perfectly years from now. Besides my concerns surrounding functionality, the use of titanium for the crown and the case back would reduce the weight on the Indy, 148 grams, and make it even more comfortable and lightweight on the wrist, while also adding a level of hypoallergenic properties.

Next, as I mentioned earlier I thought the crystal and bezel combination gave the Indy quite a nautical appearance. The bezel like the case is solid bronze with raised engraved markers and is unidirectional as expected of a dive watch. The raised markers on the bezel quickly remind me of certain vintage Panerai watches with a similar bezel design. The 120-click bezel provides more than just aesthetic appeal as the functionality is quite precise and firm which will allow for precise timing on a dive. The wearer will not have to worry about the bezel being knocked out of place easily. The 4mm thick domed crystal reminds me of diving bells. What’s more nautical than a dive bell? Keep in mind that while the domed crystal adds to the nautical appearance, it also can distort the dial from various angles.

As I mentioned earlier, the Indy comes in three dial options black, green and blue. At first glance, I believed the standard black dial would be the popular choice and it very well may be, however, once the blue dial was in hand there was absolutely no doubt in my mind the blue option was the way to go. The blue dial has a fantastic vertical brushing which just added to the overall aesthetic appeal of the watch. The blue color flat out compliments the vintage colored features of the dial let alone the bronze case. The dial layout itself is what anyone would consider very simple and clean. The main index consists of vintage markers and numerals at the 3, 6, 9 and 12 which are well lumed. The vintage coloring is a perfect compliment to the bronze case and will continue to compliment as the watch gathers patina. The Superluminova glows like a torch and has some staying power. I believe that lume fanatics will be quite pleased overall.

The case back as mentioned previously is composed of stainless steel. Various specifications are etched into the perimeter. The case back is fitted with a sapphire crystal which provides a great view of the Miyota 9015 automatic movement. The Miyota 9015 isn’t an ugly movement compared to its predecessors so the use of a sapphire display is a nice added bonus.

Finally, the Indy is finished off with a high quality leather strap. The 24mm leather strap is nearly 4mm in overall thickness and does not taper through to the buckle. The brown leather and vintage stitching compliment the bronze case perfectly. I am not a huge fan of over-branding a watch, but have to admit I appreciate the subtle branding found in the stitching at the lug end of the strap. The strap is complimented by a bronze pre-V style signed buckle. The strap and buckle combination were the perfect choice for the Indy model in any of the dial colors.

Overall, I believe there something quite satisfying about the Zoretto Indy. With a price tag of $499, the Indy is obviously value driven, as many other true bronze watches with similar specifications are priced higher and in some cases significantly higher. If as the consumer you can move past a lack of distinctiveness, the case design and components being heavily utilized in other watches, I truly believe you will thoroughly enjoy the excellence and comfort the watch will provide. By offering various dial options, there is a wide range of choices to appease anyone’s taste. The domed sapphire crystal and bezel really provide a significant nautical appearance and having a Miyota 9015 powering the watch will almost certainly guarantee excellent performance. On top of the quality of the watch itself, all of the Indy models are accompanied by a high grade leather travel roll which makes the $499 price point an even greater value. If the Indy looks like a watch that may interest you, and the price is within your budget, you’ll will most assuredly enjoy the watch.

7 3/4 inch Wrist for reference

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