Last September, I brought you a full review of the Imperial Watch Company‘s debut model, the Royal Guard 200, a vintage-style diver of the Scafograf variety. I liked its size, faithfulness to that early 60s icon, and affordable price tag — so much so that I bought one for myself. Since then, I have taken delivery of my Royal Guard, had a nice brunch with the founder when he was in town, and collected three prototypes of the exciting new Limited Edition models to play with.
As the new models differ only in color and date, I won’t dive quite so deeply in this review (you can read all of that in my original article). Here are the highlights. The Royal Guard 200 is a Seiko NH35-powered, 200m diving watch with a big screw-down crown, a crisp 120-click bezel, and vintage effect Swiss lume. Its brushed and polished stainless steel case is 38mm wide, 47mm long, and 14mm thick from the caseback to the top of its high-domed sapphire crystal. The watch comes equipped with a 20/16mm 3-link bracelet.
When I sat down with Ben, the man behind Imperial, I discovered he is an affable dude with a passion for watches and a keen eye for detail. Like me, he loves mid-60s watches and wanted to create one that he could use daily without guilt or worry. I say, mission accomplished.
I’ve worn my Royal Guard quite a bit. It’s a perfect fit on my 6.75″ wrist, displaying just the right amount of sporty wrist presence. The black and faded blue color combination is versatile and looks particularly fetching on a minimally-stitched brown leather strap, which, to my eye, caps off the Imperial’s retro vibe.
The Limited Edition variants are evolutionary, moving the needle just enough to provide some variety and keep prospective Royal Guard customers something to dither about as their fingers hover over the “add to cart” button. The black, gilt, and cream face retains the same layout as before, but now one can opt for a 3 o’clock date.
I am not a date guy. I can take them or leave that particular complication, and when given the option, I will usually choose the cleaner, date-free dial. Usually. I can be be swayed if there is something special about that date. Ben is offering two somethings. First, he ordered a lovely hand-drawn typeface with the classic flat three and open six and nine. Sharp-eyed typography fans will notice the tiniest of serifs as well. Second, it’s a roulette date, alternating red and black. Both elements are period-correct, enhancing the Royal Guard’s mid-century aesthetic. Do I regret my no-date purchase? No, I do not. Might this date have tempted me? Well, maybe… It is pretty damned cool.
Imperial offers the Limited Editions in three new bezel colors: Ghosted Green, Classic Black, and Tropical. Like the original, the matte aluminum inserts look weathered and faded, so the green is desaturated, the black is more charcoal gray, and the Tropical is a mellow auburn that walks the line between dark red and brown. All are lovely. Imperial will produce only 50 of each.
The Imperial Royal Guard 200 Limited Editions will go on sale May 16 at 9:00 am. The price has bumped up a bit from the first edition, from $450 to $500, but those who are quick on the draw can snag theirs for $399. That price will last 72 hours after launch or until they sell out.
If you are interested and don’t want to miss out, sign up for alerts at imperialwatchco.com.
