Securing the dial of the Bausele Terra Australis in place are five steel arms, a design element the brand claims was inspired by claw settings in diamond jewelry (with the Bauselite case acting as the “diamond” in this instance). The case tapers upwards towards the edged crown guards at 12 o’clock, set with a pair of PVD-coated black hexagonal screws that match nicely with the black crown in-between. Additional black hexagonal screws secure each steel arm in place, and each screw protrudes slightly from the setting, which adds to the general chaos of visual and textural elements in this watch.
The caseback is deeply curved to better hug the wrist and displays the brand’s slogan, “Keep a piece of Australia with you,” at 12 o’clock. Through a sapphire crystal, the Swiss made Soprod A10 movement can be viewed—an automatic calibre featuring 25 jewels and a 42-hour power reserve, which oscillates at the very modern frequency of 28,800 vph (or 4Hz). The watch is water-resistant to 50m, which is a tad disappointing for a large Australian-themed timepiece; we’re a nation obsessed with beaches and water sports, and I see little reason why a case this size couldn’t offer a depth resistance of 10 Bar (100m) for more protection. I also wish the Bausele branding was applied directly to the movement’s rotor rather than printed on the crystal. The Soprod A10 is a relatively well-finished movement, with Geneva striping, blued screws and perlage, but it’s hard to admire with all that text in the way.
The Bausele Terra Australis watch I wore for this review was serial number 3/50, from an initial limited run of 4 different configurations of the watch. This version is called “Ice Blue,” and alternate options including “Red Black” (entirely PVD-coated black steel case with a carbon fiber dial and red dial elements), “Graphite” (PVD-coated black steel claws with a natural steel case, carbon fiber dial, and red second hand), and “Flinders” (PVD-coated rose gold case with a matte black dial and rose gold dial elements). When the initial limited edition versions run out, non-numbered production units will still be available and can be customized on the Bausele website with any configuration of case and dial elements.
The brand tells us that 850 different configurations of the Terra Australis are available and are provided at no extra cost to the buyer. Bausele’s brand ambassador Dominic Purcell wore the “Red Black” configuration on season 5 of Prison Break, but when offered my choice of version to review, I felt the steel-dialed “Ice Blue” configuration provided a more industrial, outback-Australian look (and this version is apparently the most popular, according to Christophe).
My personal taste in watches tends to run almost entirely in the opposite direction to the Bausele Terra Australis; I usually wear 37-40 mm dials with slim cases, with classic styling and maybe a few pops of color. Wearing the Terra Australis for a few weeks was certainly a change of pace, but despite the case size it wears relatively well (of course, once that abominable strap had been ditched). The Bauselite material is lightweight, so while this watch looks like a solid slab of steel and stone, it actually weighs less than 150 grams. The crown at 12 filled with red earth was a great conversation-starter at the office, where my colleague’s opinions on the watch ranged from “Wow, that’s unusual” to “Is that a watch or some sort of satellite dish on your wrist?”.
Despite my initial misgivings, I found myself unable to completely deny the appeal of the Terra Australis. This is a watch quite unlike anything else on the market, which in an industry currently dominated by vintage re-issues and endless variations of similar designs, is quite refreshing. Australian competitors like the Melbourne Watch Company also tend to focus on more traditional designs, while Bausele seem to be striving to create something new despite all the challenges that entails. That being said, the cost of manufacturing locally in Australia is apparently quite high; the Bausele Terra Australis retails for $4,850 AUD, which is a large chunk of change for a Soprod-powered watch from a lesser known brand. Prospective buyers will need to decide if the uniqueness and Australian flair of this timepiece is worth the asking price. bausele.com
Necessary Data
>Brand: Bausele
>Model: Terra Australis “Ice Blue”
>Price: $4,850 AUD
>Size: 46 mm wide by 15 mm thick
>Would reviewer personally wear it: No, although I can’t deny it makes a great conversation-starter.
>Friend we’d recommend it to first: Those who dress a bit alternatively and have the wrist girth to pull off a large timepiece.
>Best characteristic of watch: The Bauselite case, which looks and feels unique, and the red earth from the Kimberley in the crown.
>Worst characteristic of watch: The OEM leather strap, which I hope will be replaced with a mesh-style bracelet from the brand in the near future.
