In today’s review we are going to Singapore to review Gane Watches. The model which we are going to review is the C3 Automatic Steely Silver on Leather Strap. Before we get to the review, let us know more about the brand. Ganes Watches was founded in 2021 by Raymond Pee. Originally from Malaysia, Ray’s passion for horology started when he while taking pictures of watches in 2018. Wanting to bring something elegant and reliable to the watch market, Ray launched Gane Watches with a partnership with a trusted company from Switzerland, a member of the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry FH.
Features of C3 Automatic Steely Silver
DIAMETER: 38mm
THICKNESS: 13mm
LUG TO LUG DISTANCE: 45mm
WEIGHT: 82g
CASEBACK: Decorated closed stainless steel case
CROWN: 6.5mm non screw-down crown
MATERIAL: 316L surgical grade stainless steel
CRYSTAL: Boxed sapphire crystal + underside AR coating
WATER RESISTANCE: 5 ATM
MOVEMENT: Miyota Caliber 8215
VIBRATIONS PER HOUR: 21,600 bph
POWER RESERVE: ~42 hours
ACCURACY: -20 to +40 sec per day
MADE IN: Japan
JEWELS: 21 pcs
FUNCTIONS: Hours, minutes, sweep second
WINDING: Automatic and hand winding
STRAP: High quality 4mm thick-cut, ‘Wrinkled Tan’ (tan brown) European leather with quick-release function
STRAP WIDTH: 20mm narrowed down to 18mm
CLASP: 316L solid tang buckle
First Impression
The packaging was not too exuberant. It came in a simple veneer box. The Gane Watches logo was imprinted boldly on the box, so there will be no chance of you missing it out. The watch gave a cold and steely look at first. It has a vintage feel to the watch and we cannot wait to review the C3 Automatic in a more detail.
C3 Automatic Unboxing
Dial
The dial on the watch has been created to have a 3D effect. There are two layers in the dial. The first layer is for the index. The index itself is simple and deep cuts have been embedded to create the batons for the dial. The batons have a light colour to the grey steely dial and is legible. One issue from the index is that it does not have any luminous lighting. We feel that adding luminous coating in-between the cuts for the batons would be ideal. It will not have space on the dial and it would be useful feature at night.
The second layer is for the “face” on the dial. It only has the Gane Watches logo and Type C3 Automatic writing. The two layers work together to create the 3D effect and another feature which helps to amplify the 3D effect is the lens used. It is a boxed sapphire crystal and quite thick. The lens does stick out slightly from the casing and the thickness does help to enhance the 3D effect.
Let us move on to the hands. They are simple batons, with Super-LumiNova. The colour theme on the hand is the same throughout the whole watch to keep the steely and cold look. In terms of size, the hands are large enough to read.
The dial is simple. It gives off a 60’s vibe and just looks good. We did point out one feature which was missing, the lumed index, but we also believe a date window would actually fit the Gane Watches C3. There is more than enough space on the dial and it would be beneficial to have the date window.
Casing
The watch is 38mm by 13mm and is made from 316L surgical grade stainless steel . While the number does not make the watch sound big, it actually is. The case follows a boxed shaped design and actually is large enough. The case sits well on the wrist and it does not overloads the wrist. The lug on the watch is short have curved. There is a sharp drop/slope at the end of the casing to the curve. It is a first for us to see such a feature but it helps to create the box effect and fix the case on the wrist.
The case back is closed off and is a screw down case. The case back has been hand engraved with a design to pay tribute to Ray’s mate mother.
A polished and teeth cut design has been used for the crown. It is nicely joined with the rest of the casing and it is not too big.
Strap
Italian leather strap has been used here. They are thick and but soft at the touch. They do wrap around the wrist and is comfortable. The thickness of the strap goes well with the 13mm width of the casing. It reminds us of the strap used in the AVI-8 Hurricane Bulman but this one is much better and more luxurious. Quick release pins have been added to the strap. The tan and wrickled feature does go well with the vintage theme.
Movement
A Miyota Caliber 8215 is powering the C3 Gane Watch. It is a reliable and serviceable movement. It has a 42 power reserve and 21 jewels inside. From what we have seen, the time accuracy is better than claimed by Gane Watches. -20 to +40 sec per day has been reported by we have seen better time accuracy. The movement is a good debut movement, but going forward, venturing and exploring stronger movement would be a good shout.
Buy, Shortlist or Avoid?
Selling at a mid price range of $495/£365/ € 435. Given than it is a new brand in the market with a new design, the price is on the upper end. But given the watch market and finding a watch design echoing a vintage style, you cannot go wrong with the C3. It is a good looking watch and we cannot get away from the steely and cold look. It just captures your attention and just will not let go of it. Yes, there are a couple of feature missing which we would love to see, but as a debut watch it is a good. If you are looking for a vintage watch, this is a must buy, but if you are just looking, then shortlisting the watch.
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