Uniform Wares is certainly a watch brand worth looking into if the terms “modern, minimalist, contemporary, European, or understated” are terms you want associated with your wrist wear and overall look. Their watches have simple numeric names and very simple designs that at the same time don’t skimp on style or detailing. For review here is the Uniform Wares 250 Series watch (specifically model reference # 251/SG-01).
They call it a unisex watch and it is. The case is 39mm wide which is in that gray area between womens and mens sizes. It wears a bit large thanks to the long pointy lugs that help it extend from one end of your wrist to another. The 250 Series is a thematic update to the brand’s previous 150 Series (which is no longer in production). Pretty much everything has been upgraded, especially the dial. Thankfully, that is the best part of this watch. Uniform Wares seems to describe it as a contemporary homage to post WWII men’s watches. I honestly have no comment on that, but I quite like the looks of it. For me, it is an interesting combination of minimalist and non-minimalist features coming together for a satisfying result.
It does look like a rather minimalist design with a stark dial, no numerals, and two contrasting colors. At the same time it has full markers for all the hours and minutes, applied hour indicators, and an angled flange ring for added legibility. These features aren’t typically found in most minimalist design watches. The result is a dial that is not only deep looking, but one that is also very easy to read. Over the dial is a sapphire crystal.
In addition to this black and white dial, there is a black and tan, as well as silvered dial available (each with a matching case color). The 250 Series watch case is in steel for all pieces. Here it is PVD gold toned and done with a brushed polish all around. There is a small minimalist crown and I like how the caseback is attached via a series of screws.The broad lugs work for male wrists but women should ensure that the watch is not so large so that the lugs protrude beyond their wrists for the 250 Series timepiece to look best on them.
Attached to the case is a surprisingly nice calf leather strap. It is a bit thicker than you might expect and the ardillon style clasp is one that makes it easy to put the watch on without even looking at it. Wearing comfort for the 250 Series is high, and if you like the design, it is a very stylish and noticeable timepiece on the wrist. It feels to me like a very upgraded Skagen or something like that. What I like about Uniform Wares is their attention to detail. They could easily make money via their designs alone and offer cheaper prices with lower quality watches. What they do however is pay a lot of extra attention to details and materials to come up with what they feel is the best watch possible given a relatively reasonable price. That shows a lot of pride in their product, and is something that I can appreciate. Even the presentation box – while nothing super fancy – is impressive.
Inside the 250 Series watch is a Swiss ETA 955.432 quartz movement. I don’t think that Uniform Wares has produced a mechanical watch up until now, but they might in the future. For a two hand design I think that having a quartz movement is just fine. Overall I can easily recommend the 250 Series watch and any others from Uniform Wares if the quality of this model is telling for the entire collection. You need to be sold on the look, but I think enough people are. Price for the 250 Series watches are $600 in the European Union $500 outside of the European Union (no VAT) – and you can buy them online via their website.
