An open letter from Samuel Tay introducing the Reverie GT.

By way of introduction, I founded Reverie, a micro-brand based out of Singapore, in 2014. Since then, we’ve gone on to launch two collections: the Sea-Spirit and the Classic. I’m now writing to introduce our latest collection, the GT, which is currently live on Kickstarter. Instead of dishing out sleek sales-copy, I intend to focus on my thought process when designing the key features of the GT.

Inspiration

I love cars, in particular classic cars with a fastback styling such as the Ferrari 365 Daytona or the Bugatti Atlantic. The GT is inspired by such automobiles and, cliché as it sounds, the spirit of driving. It is hard to describe this feeling in words. I wanted backers to experience it first hand and that was my brief to the film crew. The video had to capture the freedom and nostalgia of driving a classic sports car.

The crew painstakingly shot the video over two nights (no stock footage in there!). We managed to find a beautiful 1970s Porsche Carrera Turbo to work with. For context, classic cars are incredibly rare in Singapore. Due to car ownership laws and taxes, cars here generally only have a 10-year life span before being scrapped/exported. We spent months sourcing around and finally found someone willing to loan us his classic. I still remember that feeling of awe when the car drove into the compound. That raucous exhaust note, outstanding blue paintwork, and those menacing black rims – it was perfect.

I cannot be happier with how the video turned out. It does an excellent job of conveying the spirit of driving and gives an insight into the inspiration of the GT collection. You can check out the video for yourself here. I can guarantee that it will be a minute and a half of your time well-spent.

The GT’s case

As for the GT’s specifications, let’s begin with the case. Reverie’s first two collections had cushion-shaped cases. I opted for a round case as a starting point for the GT. There are plenty of watches with round cases around so I had to do something special.

I designed the lugs of the case to resemble the Bugatti Superatlantic’s tear drop-shaped fenders, which is just such a piece of art. The contours of the fender are curved such that, on the GT, the lugs almost wrap around the wrist. It sure makes for a secure fit. To further enhance the design, I added a stepped bezel. The stepped bezel really adds drama to the profile of the case – it provides a visual frame and draws your eyes towards the dial. It took countless design adjustments to marry the elements but it came together delightfully in the end.

In terms of dimensions, the case diameter is 40mm, lug width is 20mm, and the case height comes in at 11.6mm. I personally lean towards watches with restrained proportions and to me, 40mm strikes a good balance between being refined and being suitable for the modern wrist. The height of the case also allows it to slip under a shirt cuff with ease.

The GT’s dial

We pride ourselves on the artistry and quality of our dials and that’s where I feel the GT really shines. The dial has three layers to create visual depth. The base layer has our signature guilloché effect, which for the GT, is evocative of a radiator grille. The paintwork is equally important as it really affects how a watch looks under different lighting conditions. If you own the Sea-Spirit or have seen one in the metal, I’m sure you’ll notice how the dial almost sparkles, giving off various hues depending on your surroundings. We made sure to recreate that effect in the GT. You’ll have to see the GT in person to truly appreciate the way it shines with a flick of your wrist.

The lume we used was also important to me. When done right, it almost seems like the watch is alive in the dark. We went for Super-LumiNova lume, which is really the industry benchmark, for the GT’s hands and hour markers. To make things more interesting, we used two different colors, such that the hands emit a blue glow and the hour markers emit a green glow. It is incredibly easy to tell the time in the dark given the brightness of the lume and the contrasting colors.