lorsban
20 February 2009, 03:01 PM
Hello Everyone,
As some of you may know, I've been in the market for a GMT at the price range of about $1,000-3,500. After many months of deliberation, choosing from about 6 different watches, it came down to two watches: Tag Heuer Grand Carrera GMT and the Ebel BTR GMT. I spent a while in the shops, asking questions and trying the watches on and, eventually, I went with the Ebel. The Ebel simply won me over and hopefully, with this review, I'll show what's so great about this watch.
Design and Build:
The design of this watch is what ultimately won me over. It's big at 44.5mm, but it doesn't look it because it's curvy so there's natural shading, making it look smaller. It's my biggest watch to date, but compared to some Panerai's of the same size, this looks smaller and suits smaller wrists just fine.
One thing about this watch is that no single feature seems to stand out. All the individual elements mix well with each other. There's just the right amount of bling, and there are no hard edges anywhere - which also helps make this watch look and feel smaller than it is, not to mention, making everything more comfortable for the wearer.
The dial is very easy to read. Standout features include two separate smaller dials for the date and seconds and, of course, the 2nd timezone hand with a blue arrow tip. The dial is also surrounded by 5 visible screws (a standard design feature of many Ebels). To the right, you have a sizable crown with two push-button adjusters for the date and 2nd timezone (more on that later).
The bracelet itself also has no sharp edges, making it one of the most comfortable to wear over long periods of time. Interestingly, the links themselves are a 5 piece design. Usually, you'd have the shiny bits simply painted on, but here they're all separate. My only gripe is that there are no micro adjustments, resizing can only be done removing the links.
Overall, the watch looks more sporty than dressy, for sure. Personally, it reminds me of a Porche with all its smooth curves and sporty features. Even if it's sporty, I wouldn't mind using this with a suit at all.
Operation and Movement:
Ebel's been making movements from 1995 from their Caliber 137 chronograph, forming the base of most of their movements. This one uses the Caliber 240. All of Ebel's movements are COSC certified. Interestingly, they even include the actual certificate along with the box contents. I don't recall seeing a certificate with my Breitling, Rolex, Tag watches although it's also possible I simply misplaced them but the Rolex for sure, didn't come with a certificate. Anyway, all BTR's come with a clear display in the back so you can see the movement.
Ebel's come up with some interesting ways to operate the GMT and date on this watch. As stated earlier, there are push-button adjusters on either side of the crown, making for instantaneous adjustments. Simply push the button and the time/date jumps a day or hour.
Adjusting the time, however, isn't as easy. For one thing, the crown's grooves are very smooth. So, you need to grip it really hard to wind. Second, pulling the crown to the time adjustment setting doesn't stop the seconds like it does for my Rolex/ETA equipped watches. Actually, I have a similar gripe with my Breguet Type XX, with a Lemania movement. Not a big deal, it's just that I usually adjust the time with the seconds stopped at 12.
Box and Contents:
As the store manager tells me, all Ebel's use the same box for all their watches. I guess this is good because it allows them to come up with a design that looks good in general rather than to have different boxes for their cheaper watches, expensive one's etc...I like the box, it looks classy and showcases the watch very well. It's probably not as nice as some others but it's definitely better designed than Rolex boxes, which are plastic. This is genuine leather and has a nice curved design that's not at all flimsy. Inside, you'll see the manual, list of service centers, DVD featuring the new BTR series, and a COSC certificate. It's all well thought out and well organized.
Price:
I got this (after some serious haggling) for about the same price that I got my Rolex Air-King. Just comparing the design, craftsmanship, features and all the other extras, I must say this is well worth the price. I've said before that the AK could've been cheaper and next to this, it could stand to be a couple of hundred cheaper, maybe more (speaking in watch terms, not history and all that).
Summary:
I'm very pleased with this watch. Pluses for me are the design, solid feel, innovative push-button adjustment, proprietary certified movement, nice presentation, and great price (after discount). My only wish is that they make the crown easier to grip and operate. The bracelet could also use some micro adjustment capability but not necessary, since this watch is already very comfortable to wear.
Here are some pics:
As some of you may know, I've been in the market for a GMT at the price range of about $1,000-3,500. After many months of deliberation, choosing from about 6 different watches, it came down to two watches: Tag Heuer Grand Carrera GMT and the Ebel BTR GMT. I spent a while in the shops, asking questions and trying the watches on and, eventually, I went with the Ebel. The Ebel simply won me over and hopefully, with this review, I'll show what's so great about this watch.
Design and Build:
The design of this watch is what ultimately won me over. It's big at 44.5mm, but it doesn't look it because it's curvy so there's natural shading, making it look smaller. It's my biggest watch to date, but compared to some Panerai's of the same size, this looks smaller and suits smaller wrists just fine.
One thing about this watch is that no single feature seems to stand out. All the individual elements mix well with each other. There's just the right amount of bling, and there are no hard edges anywhere - which also helps make this watch look and feel smaller than it is, not to mention, making everything more comfortable for the wearer.
The dial is very easy to read. Standout features include two separate smaller dials for the date and seconds and, of course, the 2nd timezone hand with a blue arrow tip. The dial is also surrounded by 5 visible screws (a standard design feature of many Ebels). To the right, you have a sizable crown with two push-button adjusters for the date and 2nd timezone (more on that later).
The bracelet itself also has no sharp edges, making it one of the most comfortable to wear over long periods of time. Interestingly, the links themselves are a 5 piece design. Usually, you'd have the shiny bits simply painted on, but here they're all separate. My only gripe is that there are no micro adjustments, resizing can only be done removing the links.
Overall, the watch looks more sporty than dressy, for sure. Personally, it reminds me of a Porche with all its smooth curves and sporty features. Even if it's sporty, I wouldn't mind using this with a suit at all.
Operation and Movement:
Ebel's been making movements from 1995 from their Caliber 137 chronograph, forming the base of most of their movements. This one uses the Caliber 240. All of Ebel's movements are COSC certified. Interestingly, they even include the actual certificate along with the box contents. I don't recall seeing a certificate with my Breitling, Rolex, Tag watches although it's also possible I simply misplaced them but the Rolex for sure, didn't come with a certificate. Anyway, all BTR's come with a clear display in the back so you can see the movement.
Ebel's come up with some interesting ways to operate the GMT and date on this watch. As stated earlier, there are push-button adjusters on either side of the crown, making for instantaneous adjustments. Simply push the button and the time/date jumps a day or hour.
Adjusting the time, however, isn't as easy. For one thing, the crown's grooves are very smooth. So, you need to grip it really hard to wind. Second, pulling the crown to the time adjustment setting doesn't stop the seconds like it does for my Rolex/ETA equipped watches. Actually, I have a similar gripe with my Breguet Type XX, with a Lemania movement. Not a big deal, it's just that I usually adjust the time with the seconds stopped at 12.
Box and Contents:
As the store manager tells me, all Ebel's use the same box for all their watches. I guess this is good because it allows them to come up with a design that looks good in general rather than to have different boxes for their cheaper watches, expensive one's etc...I like the box, it looks classy and showcases the watch very well. It's probably not as nice as some others but it's definitely better designed than Rolex boxes, which are plastic. This is genuine leather and has a nice curved design that's not at all flimsy. Inside, you'll see the manual, list of service centers, DVD featuring the new BTR series, and a COSC certificate. It's all well thought out and well organized.
Price:
I got this (after some serious haggling) for about the same price that I got my Rolex Air-King. Just comparing the design, craftsmanship, features and all the other extras, I must say this is well worth the price. I've said before that the AK could've been cheaper and next to this, it could stand to be a couple of hundred cheaper, maybe more (speaking in watch terms, not history and all that).
Summary:
I'm very pleased with this watch. Pluses for me are the design, solid feel, innovative push-button adjustment, proprietary certified movement, nice presentation, and great price (after discount). My only wish is that they make the crown easier to grip and operate. The bracelet could also use some micro adjustment capability but not necessary, since this watch is already very comfortable to wear.
Here are some pics: