Alcadus Velos Review

Only about a year or so ago, Alcadus (finally) debuted their first model, the Opus 39. It was maybe a sport watch or a dress watch or a pilot watch–my impression of it was a watch that didn’t know exactly what it was, but did it well. In our audio review on the 40&20 Podcast, Andrew and I both concurred that while the design was internally discrepant, the execution was exceptional.

Well, the brand is back with its second timepiece. The Alcadus Velos is a split-second, flyback chronograph powered by a Swiss quartz movement, with a killer dial with colorways taken from some legendary racing liveries. Racing-inspired watches are nothing new, especially chronographs. Where the Alcados Velos differs is in it’s reliance on historic liveries instead of overt design features to link itself to motorsport.

On the Wrist

One of the greatest benefits of quartz–in addition to the accruacy and ease of repair/replacement–is the reduction in case size it can offer against mechanical counterparts. Mechanical watches with chronographs of any kind are most commonly 14mm or more thick. Omega offers a somewhat obscure rattrapante at 16mm, while A. Lange & Sohne’s Double Split clocks in at 15.3mm. The Alcadus Velos, which features a flyback mechanism and a rattrapante (double chronograph) is well below all of those in it’s spec and effective heights. As a result, it’s one of the better wearing chronos I’ve had the chance to strap on.

The case itself shines brightly, dominated as it is by the polished finish–but I’m alright with it. Despite its ostensibly sporty inspiration, this watch can easily pull double duty as a dress piece, and I found myself with it under a shirt cuff more often than in any other attire.

This dial is outstanding. The polished hands only occasionally get lost against the silver dial, and even when they do, it’s for a fraction of a second. What is truly enjoyable is the texture afforded by the brushing and the (very) subtle radial pattern on the subdials. The colorway reviewed herein is dubbed “Silver Arrow,” a nod to Mercedes’ racing nickname. In the early days of Formula 1 racing, the likes of Juan Miguel Fangio dominated the sport, and did so in their sleek silver chasses for the Mercedes team. So swift and piercing were the Mercedes racers that the moniker “Silver Arrows” was given. I’m a big Formula One fan, and while I’m not a Mercedes fanboy, the nod to one of the most legendary teams of all time tickles me. (If you’re wondering, Gasly is my man, though I’m for Max to win this years championship.)

Dial Details

The deep, defined brushing on the dial is perfectly executed and really allows the watch to play with light beautifully. There are times when the dial seems to be a deep, dark gray, while others have it appearing a bright metallic white. Still other times have the watch dancing somewhere in between or showing both dark and light. As above, you can see how the flat white tachymeter ring sometimes clashes a bit with the dial, and (as below) sometimes works quite well. In any case, the dial is lovely to glance down at.

You can barely tell–and it’s a shame–but the subdials do have a radial finishing. I would’ve liked to see these executed at the same level as the rest of the dial. The red “Velos” is a subtle pop with even more subtle complementary accents around the tachy ring. I’ve spoken before about staying power with watch designs: at least part of this is subjective, but I argue that it is and always will be the more restrained colorways that remain in collections, leaving the initially more exciting variants to a saltatory life across a never-ending succession of watchboxes as owner after owner experiences an ephemera joy followed by a devastating crash as they encounter an inability to make the watch work with straps or outfits and inevitably sell the watch on to another enthusiast, just to have the cycle start again. The Silver Arrow colorway is the variant with the staying power for the Velos. Philosophical waxing aside, though, I am absolutely in love with the British Racing Green option.

The flyback, split-second functionality provides two advantages over the traditional chronograph. The flyback allows the timing to be restarted without having to first stop the chronograph, permitting rapid timing of a second event. The split-second function allows the simultaenous recording of two separate intervals with the same start but different end times. You know, like two cars racing each other. The functions are operated with your normal pusher arrangement, plus an additional 10 o’clock pusher to activate the second chronograph hand. It can all get a bit busy at time, but that’s part of the deal with such a watch. And, as you’ll notice above, the stark white of the sloped tachy ring is a bit less jarring with the matching white chrono hand out from under its black counterpart.

The two-tone lume pops instantly with just a flash of exposure. All the applications shine evenly, including the small chronograph seconds hand. As an added dash of flair, the Alcadus logo on the crown is also filled with lume.

Case and Strap Details

If not a direct copy, this case certainly pays overt homage to the Heuer Carrera cases of old. While numerous Carreras featured this slab-sided case with sharp, faceted lugs, the recent reissues (like the CBK221B), really make the likeness apparent. This isn’t a criticism, just an observation. The case style isn’t common enough to be overdone, and I think there’s good sense in aping a beautiful case design, especially when you’ve done so much with the dial. There are, however, entirely too many pushers. The extra one throws the traditional chronograph balance off (and I say this realizing that the “traditional chronograph balance” is itself off-balance).

It’s so shiny! I really like how the pump style pusher offer a bit more than smooth heads, with the groove to break things up. The single brushed portion doesn’t so much break things up, but it is a nice break from the polish. And while it generates some very minor distortion at extreme angles like this, the box sapphire adds more vintage charm to the already retro Carrera-style case.

The laurel wreath, while commonly associated with the winner’s circle in motorsport and victory in general, hasn’t been used in Formula 1 since the 1980s. The great Alain Prost was likely the last to receive one when he captured P1 at the 1985 Mexican Grand Prix. Word is that the FIA (Formula 1’s governing body) suspended the practice for financial reasons: as sponsor logos started to dominate every inch of the drivers’ race suits, covering them up with a giant wreath became untenable. As a feeble nod to the tradition, the Pirelli-branded caps worn on modern podiums feature gold laurels embroidered on their brims.

The Alcadus Velos comes attached to a quite nice leather strap. The strap is different for each variant, but I can assure you they are all comfortable and require no break in, and swaps are easy with the quick-release pins. The leather quality seems to be good and the clasp is substantial without being oversized (note the slightly wider tang).

Final Thoughts

This is a quartz chrono done right. If you’re going to make one, why would you settle with a standard chronograph with no additional functionality? I expect more, and the Alcadus Velos provides just that. Not only is the 2+1 dial layout atypical, but the flyback and split-second functions make me want to hop in a race car and try desperately not to crash. Or maybe I’ll just go karting. Whether you’re watching the race from your couch or in the driver’s seat–or maybe just cooking two things at once–the Velos will be a happy wrist companion.

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More Images of the Alcadus Velos