Geckota W01

Creating a modern dress watch can be challenging. The freedoms that are allowed with dive watches and other tool watches are not afforded to a dress watch. Dial layouts, lume options (or lack thereof), and finished surface options are all set in stone to consider a watch a dress watch.

The Geckota W01 attempts to take a dress watch and do something different with it while still making it available to those looking for an affordable option. Using a unique movement, case design, and design aesthetic, the W-01 might just the bill for those looking for a dress watch outside of your everyday 3-hander.

On the Wrist

The first thing you notice about the W-01 is there is only one central hand. There is a subdial for running seconds, but it blends into the dial of the watch rather well. The party trick of the W-01 is that it is a jumping hour dress watch. As the minute hand passes the 60 minute mark, the hour display quickly jumps to the next hour. If you’re familiar with a date wheel that switches quickly at midnight, the effect appears the same.

I was curious how this complication would affect the readability of the watch. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it did make it easier to read. When I glance at my watch to read the time, I have a good idea of what hour it currently is; I’m usually checking the minutes in that hour. Because of the long minute hand, I was able to read the time more quickly than with a normal 3-hand watch.

As one would expect from a dress watch, the W-01 wears well on the wrist, is unobtrusive, and does not command a ton of wrist presence. The 37mm case is paired with a 47mm lug-to-lug distance, creating an elegant look on the wrist. The lugs slope down to conform to the wearer’s wrist, which helps create a seamless appearance.

This is one of the few watches I’ve worn that started conversations. Almost anyone who catches a glimpse of it and has a passing interest in watches wants to know more about it. The single hand on the dial is enough to create interest from others. It is a fun watch to talk about and everyone I showed it to got a kick out of watching the hour jump as I spun the minute hand around (and so did I).

Dial Details

There is no question that the dial on the W-01 is highly detailed and intricate. The central 2/3 of the dial has textured, radiating lines that reach out toward the minute track. The silver catches the light and can create some heavy glare.

The small seconds subdial at 6 o’clock contrasts nicely with the textured pattern on the central portion of the dial. The subdial is flat silver with black markings. The blue seconds hand matches the larger central minute hand.

The minute track is laid out with numerals every 5 minutes with hash marks flanking them at every minute. The current hour is displayed at 12 o’clock, making it easy to see at a glance. The window for the hour tapers inward slightly toward the center of the dial.

Geckota was obviously going for vintage flair with the font choice for the hour and minute markers but it feels like a miss to me. The font is different between the small seconds subdial and the rest of the watch. The main font used for the hours and minutes doesn’t resonate with me and due to the hour window being tapered, some of the numerals had to be flipped to fit. Using one font for the entire watch, preferably the one used on the seconds subdial, would have better complemented the overall aesthetic of the watch.

Case, Movement, & Strap

The case of the W-01 is fully polished, as you would expect from a true dress watch. When a watch case is fully polished, you can miss some of the details that are found in cases that have mixed surface finishes. However, Geckota added details to the case that are complemented by the polishing.

Stepping down and out toward the middle of the case, the W-01 has some visual interest apart from the dial. The gentle curve of the steps pays respect to the vintage flair Geckota was aiming for.

I was happy to see Geckota chose an acrylic crystal for the W-01, adding a touch of warmth and old- school cool that sapphire can’t achieve on a watch like this. The crystal has a large dome and adds 5mm to the overall height of the watch, but it never feels too tall. If you ever scratch it up, some Polywatch can fix it up in a few minutes.

Powering the W-01 is Seagull’s TY2709 jumping hour movement. I wasn’t too familiar with this movement before handling this watch, but it should hold up fine under normal use and can be easily serviced. My only complaint about the movement is the rotor. It is louder than Miyota movements and sounds a little more clunky. With that said, it winds smoothly and easily and keeps good time.

The included leather strap with the W-01 is fantastic to wear. The 18-16mm taper on the strap feels light on the wrist. It is pliable and comfortable out of the box and matches the overall look and feel of the W-01 well.

Final Thoughts

I don’t wear a lot of dress watches as I don’t often get dressed up. However, the W-01 is a fun watch to wear despite it being a dress watch. I had fun showing it to others and the dial is simply gorgeous. The texture on the dial combined with the silver and blue color scheme makes it stand out.

The W-01 looks elegant and would be right at home with a suit and tie, but manages to stay casual enough that it can be pulled off with a T-shirt and jeans. It isn’t too often that something a watch does, rather than how it looks, makes me smile but the W-01 manages to do that. I found myself starting at it at the top of every hour waiting for the hour to jump. Any watch that brings back that level of joy in me is a winner in my book.

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