There is a rise in watch brands sprouting up in the founder’s home country and utilizing Swiss watchmaking techniques and parts. While these brands can’t use the label Swiss Made on their watches, they want to let you know they have the makings of a great Swiss watch. Bravur is a Swedish watch brand and takes this to heart, quite literally. Their watches all have text at 6 o’clock that reads Swedish Soul Swiss Heart.
The Bravur Geography is the brand’s flagship GMT and combines elements and themes of some great Swiss watches while still having its own original design.
On the Wrist
What jumped out at me the most (or rather, didn’t) was how subtle the GMT complication is. The inner portion of the sector dial contains the 24-hour track for the GMT hand. Given the Geography’s relatively small diameter of 39mm, you might expect the GMT hand to be unreadable given it is in such a small space. However, because the dial takes up almost the entire case, it provides plenty of room for the 24-hour track and always remains readable.
The subtlety of the GMT complication is indicative of the theme of the entire watch. There isn’t one element on the Geography that screams for attention, yet nothing is lost. The case profile is thin (10.5mm) and comfortable on the wrist and with its modest lug-to-lug distance of 44.5mm it can disappear on the wrist. With that said, the dial elements all stand out when you need them. The Geography is a masterclass in properly executing wrist presence without creating a huge watch.
Reading the time on the Geography is a breeze. The large applied numerals and markers are black and add a ton of depth to the dial. They stand out and provide plenty of contrast to the lighter colors used on the rest of the dial. While the rhodium-plated hands are often readable against the dial, I can’t help but wonder how polished DLC-coated hands would have looked.
The Geography is meant to be a dressed-up GMT, built for the business traveler who wants to go from client meetings to happy hour. The watch is designed to fit into each of those scenarios and more. There is just enough class to make it a dress watch and just enough brushing and color to make it also feel like a sports watch.
Bravur Geography Video Review
Dial Details
If you’re looking at the Geography and getting some JLC Master Control Sector vibes, you’re not losing your mind. It was one of the first things I thought of when I got the watch in for review. There are some obvious design cues from sector-style watches like the numerals at the cardinal positions. I like where Bravur took this theme by simplifying it and removing the minute track. It cleans up the dial and it surprised me how it simplified reading the time. A quick glance is all you need to determine what time it is.
The sector dial is broken up at the 6 o’clock position with another subtly executed element, the date window. The window is a circle, as opposed to a rectangle or square, and fits in well with the design of the rest of the watch. A small polished bevel on the aperture dresses it up a little bit. What isn’t apparent at first glance is how the date window cuts into the inner portion of the dial. Bravur carried the sunburst silver into that cut. The detail jumps out at you once you notice it.
While there is a small amount of lume on the tips of the hands, the rest of the dial is unlumed. I found this didn’t hinder reading the watch at night. There is enough contrast between the numerals and the dial to maintain readability in all but pitch blackness.
The outer portion of the dial is a sunburst silver that illuminates beautifully in daylight and softens in darkness. The inner portion, which contains the GMT hand, is a stark white with blue numerals for the 24-hour track. I love the light blue of the text and GMT hand. It complements the silver sunburst beautifully and doesn’t take over attention from the rest of the dial.
Case and Strap
I really like the dial of the Geography, but the case is really the star of the show that I fear will go unnoticed. It is thin, yet it doesn’t feel delicate. Bravur did a great job adding a little heft to the Geography’s case. A seam runs down the middle of the case and adds a small amount of definition that gives the case a sporty look.
Bravur has added polishing in the right places to dress up the Geography a little without overdoing it. The fixed bezel is polished and there is a small undercut on the sides of the case that is also polished. The brushing used on the case has a tight grain and looks great with the thin case profile. The exhibition caseback, which shows off the ETA 2893/Sellita SW330, has engraving on it reminiscent of a worldtime dial. It’s a nice detail.
The crown is small yet has enough grip to wind easily. This is thanks to the gentle taper that was applied only to the last little bit of the crown as it comes toward the case. It keeps the crown slim and elegant without making it impossible to grip.
The leather strap provided with the Geography doesn’t have a ton of frills, but it was comfortable and conformed to my wrist easily out of the box. Bravur includes a deployant clasp with the strap that is engraved with their logo. Unfortunately, my wrist was just the wrong size to work well with the clasp as it pinched the side of my wrist. If my wrist were a touch larger or smaller, I don’t think this would be an issue. This could be entirely specific to me so I can’t really knock Bravur for it.
The Competition
Monta Atlas
The Monta Atlas is one of my favorite GMTs. Monta packed a GMT into the Triumph case without many changes to the dimensions and used their kinked GMT hand to allow the hand to the extend to the end of the dial. It is one of the best-executed GMTs on the market today. The Atlas is about $500 higher than the Geography but is offered on a bracelet if that matters to you.
Farer Maze
If you’re looking for a white-dial GMT but want something more traditional in its general styling, the Farer Maze is a good option. Farer uses some funky colors on their watches, but the Maze is probably one more of the more tamed-down options. The Maze will also wear slightly larger than the Geography so if you’re trying to keep it incognito, Farer may not be the way to go.
Final Thoughts
If I were buying a GMT right now and didn’t need water resistance, it would be the Geography. The entire watch is wonderfully executed; it is comfortable on the wrist and is priced right. I’ve been finding that thin case heights are becoming preferable to watches with small lug-to-lug distance or case widths. A thin case can slim down the entire watch, regardless of the rest of the dimensions. Thankfully, the Bravur Geography already has those dimensions in check, so the thin case makes it even better.
Even though GMTs have become less important this year for me personally, there are plenty of people still traveling and using them, or those who just like the charm of a GMT. The Bravur Geography checks all the right boxes and when the entire package is considered, I think Bravur is underpricing the watch. The Geography is one of the best value propositions in GMTs available today.
Check out more GMT watch reviews at The Watch Clicker
Check out the Bravur website
Bravur Geography Specs | |||
Case Width | 39mm | Thickness | 10.5mm |
Lug-to-Lug | 44.5mm | Lug Width | 20mm |
Crystal | Sapphire | Strap | Leather Strap |
Water Resistance | 50m | Lume | SuperLumiNova C1 |
Movement | Sellita SW330 | Price | $1,450 |
