BN0021

All the 5-star reviews are right, so when Amazon started selling this (for just 1 or 2 days) at about half RRP in early 2013, I jumped at the chance. Very pleased indeed (although would have preferred the black outer case at twice the price). I have loads of Rotary 2-faced Revelation watches, some automatics, and am starting to kick against battery watches and buy automatics or solar-powered Eco-Drives, but I have to admit, as others have said, that this is a highly legible watch, even in dim light, so I can live with the battery, but will report back if the battery is short-lived. Good, minimalist presentation in black foam, black cardboard, and clear perspex sliding box. Not sure if Dieter Rams designed it but, if not, it's definitely in that style. Very long strap that should fit all wrists. Mine are quite thin, but it's fine for those, too. But that means the buckle's on the side of my wrist instead of the more usual underneath. Not a big prob, though. UPDATE - i got the square one, too, (see the square review, it's funnier) so here is an edited side-by-side comparison... A relaunch, with tweaks, of the old - but timeless, no pun intended - Retro 70s designs of co-designers Dieter Rams and Dietrich Lubs. Differences and similarities between the black, round design and square, grey design: Not a lot of difference between the black (round) and the charcoal grey (square) colourways, unless seen side-by-side. I prefer grey, but that's probably less purist. The grey one has a date. Round version is definitely a tad easier to read, especially by, say, a bedside lamp, due to the larger numerals. The square version has tinier 00, 05, 10, 15 etc. numbers. The round one has the more usual 12, 1, 2, 3 etc. Identical straps, apart from the black or charcoal colours. These smooth leather straps are comfortable, and long, so should fit all but the very biggest male wrists. They should probably go narrow enough to fit design-conscious ladies' wrists, too, but don't quote me on that. But think how cool THAT would look! Both the buckles and the watch cases are matt aluminium colour. Hands are white and mustard yellow on both items. Square version costs slightly more, at time of purchase, but has a tiny date. Legible to the under-40s but probably not to the children of the 70s without their readers! Can't comment on battery life but I'll be back in timely fashion if they shut down in the next few months! Build quality seems fine, but I definitely don't think these will be German engineered! There is nothing on the watches or packaging to identify where they are made, one way or the other. But I've not read the 2-year guarantee paperwork yet. So retro - and so on-trend for this season! Nice, simple black packaging of foam rubber, clear acrylics, black card sleeves. Hope all that helps. I will be back if anything goes awry.

I love the simple styling of this watch. It matches the pared down functionality of this model, which looks a bit like a smart office wall clock that's been miniaturised. Despite the simplicity, I think a lot of care has gone into the design. The face is highly legible, even in very dark conditions. The second hand is coloured light brown to make it slightly fainter than the two other hands against the black background. The strap is mounted to the base of the watch rather than the sides so as not to disrupt the perfect circle of the body (though this could make it difficult to replace the strap). It's comfortable to wear and has kept good time (not a second lost or gained) in the week I've had it. The only slight niggle is that the loop on the strap that's meant to keep the free end tidy could be a bit tighter so that it stays in place. UPDATE (29th Nov 2013) - A year on and it's still running well. However, a split has started to appear on the inside of the strap near the hole that I use. I've repaired it temporarily with superglue (which was also my solution to the loop problem) but I think the strap will need replacing soon.

Great design, looks fantastic BUT mine stopped working after only a few weeks. First it started to lose time and eventually it stopped completely. I opened the back to see what the problem was and as a result voided the warrenty so it couldn't be returned. (Silly me) It's probably not a common fault but I'd hold on to the warrenty just in case.

I wanted a relatively inexpensive, reliable and attractive watch for daily wear, and this fits the bill perfectly. Being a fan of understated, minimalist styles, I considered alternatives including Mondaine and Uniform Wares but, ultimately couldn't justify their higher prices and went with the Braun. I love the design. The uncluttered high-contrast face, striking yellow second hand and lug-less brushed metal case give it that functional but elegant look that makes Braun so popular with design enthusiasts. The one niggle for me is the wide, rectangular strap holes, which make the strap look rather too chunky for such a stark design, but it's easy enough to change. Build quality is very good, with a solid, nicely finished feel and it's keeping time perfectly well. It even comes in quite a nice presentation box, which I hadn't expected. The face is a little larger than I expected and, if my wrists were any skinnier than they are, it'd probably be too much. Anyone with thin wrists might want to check the dimensions before buying.

This watch is enormous. I ordered it for my husband who has small wrists. The description made me think this watch would be slim and elegant. Although the design is nice and quality good I would not recommend unless you are looking for a large chunky watch

Very nice watch, particularly appreciate the large display and cool bauhaus-type design elements-no bells or whistles, just tells the time and looks rather like an old school pressure gauge, all the numbers are identical in size rather than having enlarged '12, 3, 6, 9' on the dial. The body is thicker than on many other watches of the same type and consequently has a raised profile on your wrist which I like, whilst the strap attachment is also seamless and something a little special and different from average. Battery replacement is apparently a specialized operation, but otherwise a very cool and attractive chronograph.

Looks good, although a little bulky for me personally. After a couple of weeks i stopped wearing it and it has been resigned to the drawer. The retaining pin for the strap only sits a short distance in to the watch casing. This means than any kind of force will snap the pin out. Once this is done once the casing gets scored by the pin, creating a nice channel for it to do the same next time. I would find myself sat at my desk and it would just fall off my wrist without warning; it's not as if i was knocking it about at all. I've gone back to wearing other watches which don't suffer from this problem. Beef up the pin/casing and it would get 5 stars. As it is, it's only useful for the drawer.

Bargain. Silly price for a Dieter Rams designed watch. Lugless case and good strap. Iconic face. Feels well made with good adjustment. I have seen some reviews stating that the second hand misses the marks, well mine is spot on. It is possible to put this watch on NATO straps. Great buy.