It’s sort of endearing to me how new watch brands pop up on a regular basis. In the 15+ years that I have been covering the watch industry, I have experienced a countless variety of entrepreneurial personalities who have proceeded to launch timepiece brands that embody their own tastes, personality, and aspirations. The resulting variety of watch brands out there is almost as diverse as our species itself. Today, I’d like to review the simple yet satisfying “Blue & Gold Sport Automatic 44mm” (admittedly, the product name needs a bit more personality) from newer watchmaker Holgar. The company produces watches in Switzerland and was founded in 2021 by Mr. Nas Ekangaki, who lived in Switzerland for many years and worked in various areas of watch and luxury sales and distribution. I became familiar with Nas via his brother Elo, who told me that I should check out what Nas was doing with his brand. So, Nas and I met in Los Angeles and I got to hear about yet another excited watch lover, ready to his their own spin on timepieces.
Holgar offers a mix of familiar wearing profiles with enough visual distinction that Holgar watches do not resemble anything else. While the timepieces are enthusiast-grade in their construction and components, you can see that the more mainstream look of the products is attempting to appeal to a more general consumer. There is nothing wrong with that because not all timepieces out there should be intended for niche consumption. There does need to be a large stable of versatile watches meant to suit general watch-wearing tastes and needs. I think that Holgar, in large part, does that very well.
The Blue & Gold Sport Automatic 44mm is a model collection that has a few versions (different dial colors and straps), and this reference HO12GRBLU happens to be one I like. Holgar makes an almost identical model with matching silver-toned hour markers and hands if you prefer that look over the gold-toned hands and hour markers. I actually prefer the gold tone because, in many instances, it actually leads to superior legibility. This is why many vintage sports watches had “gilt” dials — because the gold colors led to excellent contrast against the black faces.
The 44mm-wide case is large on purpose and meant for wrists that want this size. Much of the case’s design personality comes in the form of the polished lug structures that integrate into the bezel. Small sections of the bezel and case side are brushed, adding more visual personality. The steel case is water resistant to 100 meters with a screw-down crown and is about 11mm-thick with a roughly 53mm long lug-to-lug-end distance. While the case is on the larger size, I found it to be comfortable even on my smaller wrist. I also appreciate that there are no sharp edges on the case (or deployant, for that matter), which vastly improves wearing comfort. On the larger wrists this watch is meant for, it looks conservative and dressy but with a bit of a macho twist on account of the severe design elements.
For me, the dial of the Holgar Sport Automatic 44mm watch is great. No, it is not a particularly original design, but it is very satisfying and ideal for people like me who really enjoy dials with dauphine-style hour and minute hands (which are also coated with Super-LumiNova luminant). The mixture of ideal visual symmetry, application of attractive textures, and a nice use of proportions and space make these dials stand out in my opinion. Again, Holgar isn’t treading new ground in terms of design with the Sport Automatic dials, but they are applying a high degree of refinement and sophistication that most new brands lack. This clearly comes from Nas’ many years of being in the watch industry, as well as what are probably excellent suppliers that Holgar works with to produce its timepiece products.
Inside the Holgar Sport Automatic 44mm watches is the Swiss Made Sellita SW200 automatic movement, which can be seen through the sapphire crystal display caseback. The movement operates at 4Hz with about two days of power reserve and displays the time and date on the dial. This movement is common but reliable and a good fit for a product such as this.
Attached to the case is a high-quality blue strap with white stitching. The black base strap is leather with a textured blue rubber section on the top. This is a nice mixture of style and comfort, and wearers could also swap out the strap for any 22mm-wide replacement strap they feel could complement the look of the Blue & Gold Sport Automatic 44mm.
The challenge a brand like Holgar has isn’t in convincing the world it makes a good wristwatch. It is rather the challenge to get people to know about the brand and to choose it. The company offers both automatic and quartz watches for men and women, and affordable, but not bargain-basement, prices. That makes sense as the quality of these products is pretty good, and, in general, much better than we find from most of the new companies that pop up. Ekangaki’s years of experience in the industry clearly show in both the initial appeal and refinement of Holgar products. Price for the reference HO12GRBLU Holgar Blue & Gold Sport Automatic 4mm watch is $1,695 USD. Learn more at the Holgar website.
