Praesidus boasts an impressive and expanding collection of vintage military-inspired watches that cover conflicts from the 1940s through the 1970s. With the Victory Watch, they momentarily put aside the question, “How did my forebears tell time in combat?” and instead answer, “What watch did they buy when they got home?”
The Victory Watch takes the wayback machine to the end of the Second World War. Several countries mark the day with different dates, depending on their role in the conflict. Praesidus has settled on September 2, 1945, the day Japan surrendered to the United States. (Fun fact: Rhode Island is the only state to close its offices in observation, but it does so in August. Really, look it up.)
When great-grand-dad retired from fighting fascism overseas, he might have had very different needs for a new civilian watch. Maybe he could take his place in the booming post-war economy with something a bit fancier than his old Dirty Dozen or A-11. Perhaps he could splurge on something gold (or more likely, gold-capped). He might even want a watch to wear on his wedding day. I think my grandmother engaged in this same process when she bought my grandfather his own post-war watch (a cold-capped Roamer).
To that end, the Victory is Praesidus’s first dress watch, and it acquits itself quite well. The polished stainless steel case is 38mm wide and 48.6mm long, which would have been large for a watch in the late ’40s, but is perfectly appropriate for a dress watch today, and quite fetching on my 6.75″ wrist. Praesidus offers it in a “Silverline” stainless and black variant, but I think PVD gold is more in keeping with the era that inspired it. The review sample has the White Dove dial. Champagne gold and Classic black are also available.
The watch cuts a svelte profile, measuring just 10.8mm including the retro-style sapphire box crystal. Yes, acrylic would have been the period-correct choice, but buyers expect AR-coated sapphire these days, and who am I to argue? I still enjoy the throwback looks and cool edge distortions.
It’s a straightforward case design, appropriately traditional with a nice little inward twist to the lugs. Also note the signed crown. It’s pretty, and it screws down to seal the Victory for 100m of water resistance. That’s a nice practical consideration on any watch and relatively uncommon for a dress watch.
The Victory deftly captures mid-century elegance. Its dial features razor-sharp, faceted Dauphine hands, and applied markers in Arabic (12), dart (3, 6, 9), and ball (the rest). An elegant 60-increment index frames it. The Praesidus logo is already quite period-correct, and perhaps it is my imagination, but the typeface appears ever so slightly lighter in weight on this model. The model name is rendered in a flowing script style that was common on products in the immediate post-war era.
It all works – right up until you realize that “Day” isn’t capitalized. Why? Praesidus, why? “Victory Day” is a proper name! I can only presume that the capital “D” did not look right, but if that were indeed the case, the appropriate solution would have been to change the typeface, not to commit a grammatical sin.
Viewing the case back is like visiting a war memorial. The classical image of Victory, with its raised inscriptions, gold laurels, and weighty details, all convey a sense of gravitas. I’ve got to award bonus points for its execution because it absolutely nails the design brief.
Behind it, you will find a Miyota 9039. Grandpa’s watch would not have had a Japanese movement, but that was then, and this is now. No doubt, the returning soldier or sailor would have appreciated reliability and accuracy, and the 9039 delivers both with a 28.8k bph sweep and easy serviceability. It also has the distinct advantage of being one of the slimmer movements in its price range, which allows the Victory to maintain its elegantly low profile.
Praesidus supplies the Victory on a 20mm leather strap that terminates in a 16mm signed buckle. I’ve found Praesidus’s straps to be a mixed bag, but this is one of the better ones. The dramatic taper and pronounced grain give it the right amount of retro charm, and the quick-release pins are a welcome modern touch.
Overall, the Praesidus Victory Watch is a fine addition to their line. I’m pleased to see that they are expanding their range in a manner that stays true to the brand’s identity, and grammatical issue aside, it is a lovely piece that tells a charming story.
The Praesidus Victory Watch is available now for $580. Head over to praesidus.com for more.
