I am wearing a Microbrand Watch of the Year contender. This Indian watch sold for $42, sold out in a flash, and they won’t ship to the United States. If you are a chronically online microbrand watch fan, you already know that I’m talking about the Delhi Watch Company Terra. A fellow reviewer was kind enough to lend me his first-generation titanium Terra so I could see if it was worth its modest price and the wave of excitement it generated.
Delhi Watch Company (DWC) has a diverse catalog of watches that it has released in small batches. While they all appear to be nicely specced, well executed, and surprisingly inexpensive, the Terra is, by far, their most inventive: a solid block of metal hewn by a water-jet cutter. The first release, which I have here, was Grade 2 Titanium. They followed it up with a brushed, blasted, or DLC black stainless steel variant for Rs. 4,499 or $47.20 at today’s exchange rate. That’s cheap, even by my penny-pinching standards. At that price, the question isn’t whether the watch offers value for the money; it’s whether it exceeds it by enough of a margin to make it worth an enthusiast’s attention. It does.
In my humble opinion, DWC deserves a design award for the Terra’s case. It is a single block, 32mm wide, 44mm long, and a mere 8.3mm thick, not counting the domed SCHOTT glass crystal, which adds a little more than a millimeter. It is flat, hard-edged, and unapologetically industrial. DWC says it was inspired by a carabiner, and you can see that in the upper and lower slots that form the Terra’s lugs. Calling this watch a fixed-lug design seems like an understatement. It’s more of an all-lug design. Decorative slots at roughly 1:30 and 7:30 echo the lugs’ open ends. A recess at 3:00 provides protection for the Terra’s signed octagonal crown.
I thought that the Terra might wear like a brick, even at its relatively diminutive size, but I needn’t have worried. While the shape provides plenty of wrist presence, its compact dimensions make it easy to wear. DWC advises that it is best for those with a 6″ wrist or larger. As you can see below, it worked just fine on my 6.75″ and even slipped under my buttoned shirt cuff, although I doubt many will wear it like that. This is a watch made for T-shirts or commando sweaters.
A stainless steel case back hides a Miyota GL32 quartz. That may not be the sexiest movement, but it is slim, reliable, and tough. If you are the kind of watch owner who uses tool watches like actual tools, quartz is the way to go. You will notice that DWC calls this watch a “5 Year Special,” in honor of the brand’s fifth anniversary.
This titanium model has an irregular surface that gives the case a tumbled, weathered look. Stainless Gen 2 models wear more conventional finishes, but the impression is the same: this is a tool watch with a capital T, and yet … is it? This titanium model is rated for just 30m water resistance. I know we enjoy a hobby where a 200m divers never encounter a body of water deeper than a kitchen sink, but 30m is really the bare minimum. The stainless steel versions managed 50m, which makes far more sense for a watch like this.
The Terra’s black dial has a traditional field watch layout displaying a full 24 hours. Dual-digit numerals in a chunky typeface give the Terra modern flair befitting its novel shape. The hours and flat silver-gray syringe hands are illuminated with what is only described as “vintage Japanese lume.” Whatever the formula, it provides a sufficient glow, although diehard lume freaks may long for a little more. I think DWC struck the right color balance between bright white and fauxtina tan. The numbers and hands a cream color that complements the dial’s otherwise gold printing. We get a pop of orange on the second hand’s tip.
This is a clean and sensible face. I like the way they wrapped the brand name over and under the index at the top of the dial.
DWC provides the Terra on a black, 22mm elastic paratrooper strap. Now, I am the only watch fan I know who does not love this Marine Nationale style. Still, I felt it was important to give it a go for the complete Terra experience, and I discovered it really is an ideal pairing for this watch. Paratrooper straps are a practical choice for outdoor wear, the thin elastic material takes virtually no space where it wraps over the thick ends of the case, and it hugs your wrist for a clean line. Adjustment is easy, and the strap’s tension holds the clip fastener securely in place.
That said, I find the sensation of elastic around my wrist to be off-putting after a while, so I had to try some others. It’s easy enough to remove the elastic by pulling it taut and wriggling it through the slotted ends. I tried a number of nylon and leather pass-throughs and quickly learned that this design does not tolerate thick or rigid straps. They may fit through the slots just fine, but they create awkwardly large humps as they pass over the boxy end bars. Thin, soft leather and lighter nylon weaves worked best. Pliability was key. While I hesitate to call the Terra a strap monster, its unique shape invites experimentation.
The Terra is a curious beast. DWC has married a uniquely modern slab of a body to a retro dial and a softly bulbous crystal, and it all works beautifully. Would I change anything? Probably not in the specs or design. By improving water resistance on the stainless edition, they have rectified the watch’s biggest drawback, and at the Terra’s price, I feel like asking for anything more would be greedy. Really, I just want them to ship to the USA, but given our nation’s bizarre approach to imports lately, I can’t say I blame them. A customer surprised by a high import duty bill is likely to direct his ire against the seller, and no one needs that.
So, until the brand changes its policy, potential US buyers will have to rely on reshipping services or foreign friends to help them acquire a DWC. Those of us who eagerly await a Terra will have some time to plan, as the current batch is sold out. DWC says the next drop will occur some time after all the watches in this current batch are delivered. I’ll be watching and waiting.
For more information about the DWC Terra or to check out the rest of their offerings, visit delhiwatchcompany.com.
