Leville Regulator

This entry in the Kickstarter review category is also the first regulator I have owned and overall I am quite pleased with the product of this particular campaign. Leville is the name on the watch, but it was created by serial Kickstarter company, Lenvino.

Enjoy the review and pictures!

The review video: [https://youtu.be/-k2Ouc88-2k]

The details:

• Model: Leville Regulator – Champagne & Silver
• Diameter: 42mm
• Height: 9.6mm
• Weight: ~58g
• Case: 316L stainless steel
• Movement: Japanese Seiko VH83A, mecha-quartz
• Lume: N/A
• Accuracy: +-15 seconds/month
• Crystal: Sapphire, Flat
• Water Resistance: 50m/150ft
• Strap: 20mm
• Price: $165 (backed on Kickstarter for $99)

The review:

Pros:

• Excellent size at 42mm
• The second hand color and motion (for a quartz)
• The color of the dial is well done and fairly unique
• The hovering minute disc is a modern touch
• Good quality case and crystal
• A great buy for the price of $99

Cons:

• The color of the 24-hour hand and minute circle should match more closely
• The lengths of the subdial hands could be more optimal (given constraints of the subdial sizes and locations regarding hand interference)
• The extra strap is quick release, but did not come with a buckle

The Unboxing

The campaign was in January 2019 and I took delivery in May 2019, so I was quite pleased with the timeline. The packaging was also fairly good, given the price range.

The Watch Box

I liked that there was enough room in the box to accommodate the watch and extra strap without being scrunched. The company has been around a bit, particularly on Kickstarter, and they do provide a 2-year warranty.

The Watch

Referring back to the pros/cons list, there are a lot of things to like about this watch: the 42mm size, the well-done champagne dial, sapphire glass, the crown at 4, and the modern twist of a rotating minute disc. But my favorite characteristics are the blue second hand and the movement.

They could have gone with a low-end quartz movement, but the creators did something smart, and I suspect it will become more of a trend. They chose what is sometimes called a mecha-quartz movement, in this case a Seiko VH83A. Being a quartz watch, it is battery powered, but two jewels and added mechanics help give the seconds hand more of a sweeping motion and the visual feel of a mechanical movement.

Depending on the movement, the second hand on most mechanical watches moves four to six times a second which provides the sweeping motion. This movement moves in 1/4 second increments. Most days, I prefer mechanical watches for the feel, sound, and soul provided by the movement itself.

Mechanical watches are “in” but quartz offers better accuracy and less maintenance, which suits most watch buyers (as opposed to watch enthusiasts or collectors). Mecha-quartz is a nice alternative for people who want the pros of quartz, including lower cost, but do not want that distinct tick, tick, tick between full seconds.

To give some emphasis to this feature, they top off the look with a great shade of blue and a counterbalance. Just great choices.

Make note that in terms of the printing on the dial, that some things are purposely black and some are grey (I point out what is what up close in the video).

I do like the crown at four, which adds to the traditional tone of the watch. The case is good-quality stainless steel and has a shape and lug design that sits nicely on the wrist.

I do wish the red hour hand and red minute circle matched in color more closely and that the lengths of the subdial hands were more in tune with the markings on their respective dials. Still, the clear disc is fully transparent and clean so you don’t really notice (without magnification) where it ends due to the tight tolerances of the disc size and the printed circle for the outer seconds track.

To provide some color context, here are a couple pictures that show black and brown straps next to the Leville on navy. Also, how the champagne dial compares to black and white dials.

The Strap

The strap is adequate and about what you would expect for this price range. They are fairly comfortable and the only thing to really complain about is that the extra strap did not come with its own buckle. So even though I quickly changed the strap from brown to blue with the quick-release pins, I had to use my handy tools to transfer the buckle. Lenvino should not have skimped on that part.

I will say, the buckle that was included is excellent. The design is unique and the engraving against the polished surface is a nice look that matches the case well.

When I backed the watch, I thought I might like the brown strap better, but I much prefer the dark navy blue. It contrasts better with the other colors and really helps the dial and surface pop.

On the wrist…

The diameter (42mm), height (9.6mm), and weight (58g) are all contributors to a comfortable wear. I have been wearing it around quite a bit and I am pleased with the feel.

On dark navy…

The dial really can look different depending on the light, which is interesting.

On light brown…

Final Thought

This is a very well done regulator that has good bones, smart design, and a good price. The Leville Regulator is a keeper and has found a home in my collection. I recommend this watch.