Along with our review of the Jorg Gray 1900-14, we requested a closer look at the 1950-12: a casual quartz watch with some Italian dive watch styling. The 1950-12 is even nicer looking in person than in photos, and after wearing it for a while, I can say it definitely has a style and feel all its own.
Here are the specs:
- 45x12mm stainless steel case.
- Black PVD style coating.
- Screw down case back.
- Japanese Quartz movement with date.
- Black leather strap (with signed buckle).
- 100m water resistant (about 330 feet).
- List Price: $285.
- 20mm lug spacing.
The Jorg Gray 1950-12 is powered by a standard Japanese quartz movement, and its only real feature is the inclusion of a date window at 3 o’clock. Normally, I’m not a fan of simple quartz watches unless they are under $100 (which the 1950-12 is not), but there’s more to this piece than just its movement.
This Jorg Gray seems to meld Italian (Paneria/U-Boat/TW Steel) styling into something with an almost Bathys feel too it. The watch is large at 45mm, and with no bezel to speak of, it wears a lot like my OCEAN7 LM-2, even sharing the same visual impact. I like the sparse black-and-white dial and matching strap (with signed buckle). The lugs are 20mm, which on paper is very small for a 45mm watch, but on my wrist, it works perfectly. Being quartz, it sits very low and the small crown (not screw-down) hides on the side of the case — the opposite of most Italian divers. The hands and markers are luminous with a white paint, and although they do not glow very brightly or for very long, it is an improvement over the 1900-14.
The case is solid stainless steel covered in a glossy PVD-like coating and fitted with a screw down case back. The black coating seems quite effective as I wore the watch on several occasions and did not put a scratch in it. The crystal is mineral glass and seems to be slightly domed. The leather strap is simple and of predictable quality given the price of the watch.
Jorg Gray is selling the 1950-12 on their site for $285. At nearly $300, this is quite expensive for a quartz. That said, when compared to other watches that list in this range, I would take the 1900-12 over anything comparable from from ESQ, Bulova, or any of the other similar brands. I think the 1900-12 has quality to match its competitors, but a design that exceeds them.This watch looks great; its simplicity and bold contrast shines as you wear it. Its not complicated, tech laden, or flashy, but it wears well and has a unique style.
The Jorg Gray 1950 is available with white or orange markers, and options include a white dial and stainless steel case. They even have an option with a military style dial layout if the diver look doesn’t fit your style.
We would like to thank Jorg Gray for providing a review sample
By James Stacey
