If you have been in the microbrand watch world for a while, you have probably seen PerpetuaL. This Hong Kong watchmaker was one of the original microbrands and has been on my radar for more than a decade, so I’d say my review of the Simple Classic SC-03 ($250) is long overdue.
PerpetuaL’s founder, Alex Lee, is a veteran of the Swiss watch business. In 2005, he took advantage of the then-emerging Chinese watch manufacturing industry to launch his own brand. It is a very personal operation, as Alex still designs the watches, commissions the parts, and assembles the watches himself. He uses high-quality Chinese mechanical movements tested and regulated at his workbench. As a result, he produces only about 20 units a month.
Perusing PerpetuaL’s website is a glimpse into the past. It is simple and sparse. It has all the information you need but no webstore. If you want a watch, you will need to submit a request through the contact form or by email. The prices are retro too, ranging from $250 for a three-hand or regulator, up to $1,400 for the Tourbillon 2.
The SC employs a Sea-Gull ST1701 automatic. It’s nicely finished with Geneva stripes and a signed rotor visible through the exhibition case back. Alex selects only the best units (Sea-Gulls have a notoriously high rejection rate) and then regulates them to within +/-15 seconds per day. This is key. When watchmakers take the time to weed out the weak units, the remainder are rock solid. I’ve owned dozens of Sea-Gull movements through the years and have yet to encounter a single problem.
Like all of PerpetuaL’s designs, the SC-03 is highly traditional, displaying a charming, old-world aesthetic from its heat-blued whip-and-spade hands to its elegant (yet refreshingly not Breuget) numbers. A railroad track index and small seconds counter complete the picture. All of this is presented on a luscious white enamel dial. If you want something different, the SC-04 is black enamel with white, and that’s it- just two variations. You will find that same simplicity throughout the PerpetuaL range.
Incidentally, while the capital L at the end of the brand name looks odd in a sentence, it works beautifully on the dial.
The SC’s Patek Philippe-inspired case is 41mm wide, 48mm long, and 11mm thick, with an AR-coated sapphire crystal. It blends design elements that make watches appear larger (steep sides, minimal undercut) with those that tend to make them look smaller (polished surface, rounded bezel). When you add functional screw bar lugs and an onion crown, the resulting watch has considerable presence. In my hand, I thought it was too much, particularly for a dressier style of watch, and yet, when I strapped it to my wrist …
… it just worked. The fat bezel, the screws, the crown, it all came together to give the SC-03 a kind of antique gravitas. It’s pretty and burly at the same time. My fears that it would be too much for my 6.75″ wrist were entirely unfounded.
A 20mm alligator-embossed, padded calfskin strap is standard. It appears to be of good quality, but I suspect many buyers will opt to upgrade later to a strap that better reflects the SC’s patrician bearing. PerpetuaL also offers sailcloth straps for a sportier look. If you really want to go wild, they have a heavy link shark mesh option, but I didn’t sample it. Personally, I’d stick with leather, as the watch’s modest 30m water resistance rating makes it ill-suited for the kind of conditions the sailcloth and mesh were designed for.
You won’t get much packaging with your SC-03, and that is a bonus in my estimation. I famously have little use for heavy display boxes or other extraneous packaging. PerpetuaL watches arrive in a simple leather case rolled in bubble wrap, and the manual is an electronic file, so there is minimal waste and no excess shipping weight. It’s perfect.
The PerpetuaL SC-03 is a lovely watch, designed and assembled with great care. At the bargain price of $250, it’s an easy watch to recommend. Having given it a whirl, I’m now curious about the brand’s other offerings. It may have taken me some time to get around to PerpetuaL, but I’m glad I did. I’ve clearly been missing out.
If you would like to avoid my years-long delay, I suggest you head over to perpetual-watch.com and have a look for yourself.
