For the past decade, we’ve seen copious independent brands crop up offering watches with hip, on- trend aesthetic. And Bravur is one of them. Came to life in 2011 by two industrial designers Johan Sahlin and Magnus Äppelryd, the Stockholm-based brand adopts the design ethos influenced by the Swedish heritage of the founders. Whether made in Sweden or Switzerland, the watches are exquisitely crafted using distinctive elements which represent the Bravur minimalist signature.
Uncluttered and also not austere, BW001, the first watch released by Bravur, is a strong example of the core philosophies of the brand. Within the 41mm stainless steel case with vertical ribbing, the silver white, grey or black dial features a clever mix of elegant details such as large applied numerals, inner circle tracks and a circular date window at 6 o’clock. Topping it all off, the domed sapphire crystal has been added an anti-reflective coating to improve legibility. Featuring a 38mm cylindrical case design, the BW102 with rose gold applied hour numbers and black printed graphics model is equally a contemporary and well balanced. The former houses a Swiss made Ronda quartz movement, whereas the latter an ETA quartz movement.
The BW003 represents a successful first venture into mechanical watch for Bravur, we reckon. The delicate 39mm diameter stainless steel case (refers to it as the Solitär case) is accompanied with a bezel that has been fluted on the side and a domed sapphire crystal to give the watch a dressy appearance. There are two dial options: a sunburst silver and a black, with a date window at 6 o’clock. The hour markers and tips of the skeletonised rhodium-plated hands are filled with Super- LumiNova for better readability under low-light conditions. Like the dial, the case-back also received the phrase that reads “Swedish Soul, Swiss Heart”, in reference to the origin of Bravur and the Swiss automatic movement namely the Sellita SW300-1 movement with a power reserve of 42 hours.
Last but not least, we also have the Bravur Scandinavia on our list. It’s easy to mistake the 39mm watch to be a 42mm. Why? The ultra-slim bezel, curved blue, white or black dial and inner 60- second track that divides it, long-reaching skeletonised hands and slim applied markers that cascade down to meet the inside of the case, all the details conspired to trick the eyes. Similar to the BW003, beneath the date window at 6 o’clock is the statement “Swedish Soul, Swiss Made” with, yes, the Sellita SW300-1 movement. While the general design is modern, some vintage details are apparent.
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