Origin Vintage Field Watch | Hands on Review

Origin Vintage Field

Classic. Ageless. Timeless. These are all good descriptors for the Origin Vintage Field Watch. A watch that will always be in style, no matter what decade. Something you can wear whether you are 20 or 80. Boy, that sure does sound like an advertisement, but I do enjoy this watch. There is something about the simplicity that draws me in. Just because it is not flashy does not mean it is boring. There is quite a lot going on with this watch, but it is all done subtlety. It is a watch that you have to look a little closer at to notice some of the finer details. I hope to provide you with that closer look in this review.

Origin Vintage Field Specifications:

• 42mm Stainless Steel Case
• 14mm Height
• 22mm Lugs
• 50mm Lug to Lug
• Domed Sapphire Crystal with Internal AR Coating
• 7mm Water Resistant Pull Out Crown
• 10 ATM Water Resitant
• Seagull TY3600 Mechanical Movement based on ETA 6497

Price: $495.00 USD

http://www.originwatchco.com/shop/vintage-field-watch-2nd-edition-white

Let me get a few things out of the way first. The green canvas you see on the Origin Vintage Field in some of the pics does not come with the watch. It is an aftermarket strap. I hesitated showing it in this review, but so many of us watch nuts are also strap nuts, so if nothing else, it gives you an idea of what it would look like on a strap other than what it comes with. Plus, I think it looks damn good on it. Moving to something a little more important, the similarity to Weiss Watches. Yes, I am aware, as are others who have been commenting on social media posts of this model. I have spoken to the owner of Origin about this specifically and, yes, he admits they are similar, as far as the basic look. The case is very different though, especially the profile, so is the case back, crown and finishing. Since it uses a similar movement, dial layout with the sub seconds will obviously be the same. I wont harp on every difference, I feel you can check both out yourself if you are interested in this style of watch, but I always had an affection for the Weiss, so it makes obvious sense that I like this Origin as much as I do.

On to those finer details. At first glance the Origin Vintage Field looks like a pretty standard field watch but up close, there are some elements you might not expect at the $500 price point. One of them is the recessed small seconds sub-dial. Instead of just going the route of printing the sub-dial on the dial and affixing a hand to it, they went the extra mile and had the dial made with a cutout for a silver radial pattern register and even polished the edge as well. This really does stand out and gives the dial some needed depth.

Another great element is the dial texture. You do have to look close or let it hit just the right light to see it, but the Origin Vintage Field dial has this eggshell type of texture to it that I just really love. I should not say all models though, as there are black and grey dial models available and I do know if they have this dial texture or not, but this white one certainly does. As you can see the dial text is crisp and clean, and also kept to a minimum, no unneeded nonsense on the dial, just the brand and model name. I know, we are all upset they didn’t put “Hand built in Tennessee” or “Second Edition” (It is the second edition) jammed onto the dial. Obviously that is tongue in cheek, but I am glad they kept the dial clean. The Origin Vintage Field is assembled and tested by hand in Tennessee, in case you didn’t get that from above.

Seagull movements have come a long way in the last decade and with this one being a clone of the ETA 6497, I have not experienced any issues in the past few weeks. Of course, this is your old fashioned hand cranker, and if I am being honest, I do not wear a lot of mechanical watches these days. While it may sound odd, it was quite refreshing. I normally do not wind my automatic watches, rather I will pick them up and set the time and date etc and just give them a good shake before I put it on my wrist. There is just something satisfying about having to manually wind this watch that I am not sure why I don’t do it more often. As far as the Seagull in the Origin Vintage Field, there is still apart of me what wishes that they went with the actual ETA. Not for myself really, but rather for the street cred. Even though this movement will perform just as well, there is still that stigma out there in the watch world from certain collectors and I think the ETA movement would have got this watch onto the wrists of said collectors.

The leather strap that comes with the Origin Vintage Field is exceptional. It is a deep reddish brown, and is absolutely luxurious. I know, over the top description, but it truly is. As you can see, I have worn it on this strap and my aftermarket canvas, but if you want to wear this to the office or for a night out, do not take it off the stock strap. It will look good with almost anything you are wearing and is super comfortable. I mention it in the video, but this watch does use curved spring bars, and you want to use these spring bars for any other strap that you choose to swap onto it, otherwise it will not fit. At 42mm, the Origin is right in my wheelhouse when it comes to size. Here it is below on my 7 1/2 inch wrist.

It goes without saying that I love the Origin Vintage Field. I mean, you already know that reading this review. The design, the dial color, the strap, the mechanical movement. I love everything about it. It is a great looking watch that you can put countless straps on and at $500, it is not going to break the bank for most. I do not want to put down any other watch brand and after all, this is just another choice, but it is almost half the price of the Weiss as well. If you have always wanted one of those, but the price was too steep for you, maybe check this one out. Or not. I am not here to sell you the watch. I will tell you it has become a favorite of mine. Nothing more to say than that.