It has been two years since I last reviewed a variant in Vario’s Empire line of Art Deco watches. Last time, it was the Empire Seasons True GMT, which was a bit of a departure from the original Empire layout. Today, I have the Tachymètre Chronograph. When compared to the previous Empire Chronograph, it is more of an evolutionary tweak than a revolutionary change, and that’s just fine, as it demonstrates that the Empire remains a thriving model within the Vario collection.
We at The Time Bum have enjoyed the 38mm Empire from the very beginning. I still wear my original three-hand mechanical, and I found the Seiko VK64 MechaQuartz to be a delightful addition to the line, as it successfully incorporated the movement’s 60-minute and 24-hour registers into the Empire’s Art Deco design.
The brushed and polished case remains excellent, proudly displaying its distinctive stepped bezel. Its push-pull onion crown is perfectly proportionate and arguably works better on the chronograph models than the three-hand because it is balanced by the oblong actuators flanking it.
Measuring 38mm wide, 46mm long, and 11.5mm thick, I find the Empire Tachymètre to be a comfortable fit on my 6.75″ wrist. This is true across the Empire line. With its tidy proportions and stylish bearing, the Empire is a frequent addition to my daily suit-and-tie wardrobe.
The Tachymètre gives up none of the Empire’s elegance. Like others in the line, it is available in one of many Tuxedo variants, including black, gray, salmon, gunmetal, and white, some of which feature gold accents. Its dial contains three distinct sections terminating in a guilloché center. The applied hour markers are rendered in a lovely, period-correct typeface. The distinctive, skeletonized syringe and dart handset also remains unchanged and is complemented by a blue sweep hand. The one departure from the previous Chronograph is the addition of a tachymètre index inside the 60-increment index. It is one more level of detail on an already busy dial, but it is easily readable and does not overwhelm. In fact, I prefer the extra dimension of the two-tone, bisected band.
Like other Empires, the Tachymètre is made more for dress than for sport, but it can still hold its own. A sapphire crystal and 50M water resistance should easily withstand the bumps and dunks of daily life. Drilled lugs are an unexpected bonus.
The case back is the same as previous incarnations’, displaying a clean, geometric style engraving of the Empire State Building.
Like others in the line, the Tachymètre accepts Vario’s excellent beads-of-rice bracelet, which I covered here. My sample arrived on a 20mm blue leather strap from the brand’s Vintage Italian collection. I particularly like these and have amassed a healthy selection for my other antique and retro-styled watches. The leather is supple and displays a pleasant pull-up effect that creates variations in color for a softer look. They are slim (3mm), unpadded, and sharply tapered to 16mm at the signed buckle. I found the mellow blue to be an outstanding complement to the metallic silver, charcoal gray, and blue present in the dial.
The Vario Empire Tachymètre is now available for $328, representing only a slight increase over the Chronograph I reviewed in 2022. It remains an excellent value. US customers will be charged a 10% surcharge to cover the newly imposed tariffs; however, they will not incur any additional charges upon entry. But wait! If you use code 2025YE8 before December 31, you can get 8% off.
Overall, we have another attractive, well-executed, and reasonably priced timepiece from a trusted name in the microbrand watch world. If you want one for yourself, I’d suggest not sleeping on that discount and heading over to Vairo.sg to place your order.
