Vario always seems to know what watch enthusiasts want next. A small brass trench watch? Sure. A modern Dirty Dozen? Done. An ingenious and affordable take on the Reverso? They did that too. It was the same innovative energy that fueled their latest release, the Vario Futurist, a watch that channels the vibrant energy of the 1970s.
My press sample arrived in the usual Vario clamshell case, along with one of the brand’s excellent leather straps and two of its new expandable bracelets. Vario describes the Futurist as a space-age design. I confess that I was momentarily perplexed, as that description evokes silver jumpsuits, hexagons, and huge digital displays. The Futurist’s caseback, clearly drawn from the 1968 film, 2001: A Space Odyssey, seems to point in that direction.
Then I realized I was conflating 1970s sci-fi with 1970s space-age. Silver bricks with digital LEDs certainly had a moment, but if you look at what people were actually wearing in, say, 1973, you would find a perponderance of analog watches, a mighty influx of Seikos, and some bold expressions of color and shape. All of this is reflected in the Futurist.
An unusual tonneau case signals the watch’s break with convention. It measures 39mm wide, 48mm long, and 10mm thick with a broad, flat crown at 12 o’clock. This is an uncommon design choice, and while I recall quite a few bullhead chronographs in the disco era, I believe top-mounted crowns on 3-handers were rare even then. Still, it certainly seems period-correct, and it keeps the case sleek, allowing the slim, brushed sides and broad, polished bevels to stand uninterrupted.
Equally striking is the radial fluted pattern that graces the top surface, an unusual design choice that works brilliantly and sets the Futurist apart from the crowd. I particularly like the way it extends the dial’s sunburst effect beyond the polished bezel to the case’s edge. You can’t do this with a smoothly polished surface, and radial brushing would have been too utilitarian. Slim polished sides and a gentle arc create a graceful profile that sits lightly on your wrist.
Vario describes this case as a “starship form,” and why not? After all, starships live in our imagination. All I know is that this one is lovely. Practical, too. The push-pull crown is good for 100m water resistance, which is more than sufficient given the Futurist’s somewhat dressy presentation.
Vario offers the Futurist in four fume colors: silver, red, blue, and the green shown here. The applied, wedge-shaped markers and paddle hands are bisected with a thin channel of BGW9 lume. Pips of C3 lume top each marker over cutaways in the angled rehaut. Lume generally needs a fair amount of surface area to be effective, so those narrow strips and dits can only go so far, but I always appreciate a little glow when the lights go down, and Vario’s does the trick.
The dial is a neatly tailored expression of a retro Japanese aesthetic, evoking the Citizen Leopard or the Seiko Vanac. Indeed, Time Bum contributor Matt Kessler-Cleary deemed the Futurist to be a better expression of the Vanac than Seiko’s own revival. I suspect Seiko might bristle at Miyota 9039 automatic inside, but the rest of us benefit from its smooth (28.8k) action and low profile.
Most other watch designers might have popped a flat sapphire lens on there and declared victory, and that would have looked just fine, but Vario dug deep to pull out the most 1970s of all watch design elements: the faceted crystal.
Facteted crystals are objectively insane. They are tricky to manufacture and very taste-specific. They are glorious expressions of excess, announcing to the world that you are wearing a glistening gem. Some will tell you they impede your ability to read the time. I would reply, “So what?” First, Vario applied an inner AR coating to minimize reflections. Second, if you rotate your wrist a degree or two, the dial will switch from wild, kaleidoscopic distortion to clear visibility. Third, and most importantly, this isn’t a tool watch. The Vario Futurist is a fun, everyday watch. It’s extra. It’s fun. The faceted crystal is more than a clever homage; it is the Futurist’s pièce de résistance.
Vario ships the Futurist with a lightly padded, tapered Italian leather strap, like the jade-green one on my sample. It’s an excellent pairing, but those who want the complete experience should opt for the $32 expandable steel bracelet. It has quick-release pins, tapers from 20 to 18mm, and complements the Futurist’s overall style. I’ll also note that it looks great on the Vario Versa.
If I remember correctly, it seemed as if every watch came on one of these back in the day. Vario’s feels more robust than the old Spidel’s that I’ve accumulated through vintage watch purchases. I used the shorter of the two lengths on my 6.75″ wrist, but still needed to remove links from the center section to get it to fit. Those with a 7″ wrist or larger will likely do fine with it right out of the box.
With its distinctive design, the Vario Futurist won’t be everyone’s choice, but I’m quite sure there is a devoted cadre of watch nerds who will go crazy for the feast of retro goodness it offers. Even if you are not in that camp, I suggest you take a good look anyway, as the Futurist is a brilliantly balanced piece that is unlikely to be like any other in your collection.
The Vario Futurist is $648. Be sure to use the code VARIO10YEARS for 10% off, especially if you are shipping to the US, as this will offset the 10% tariff surcharge. For more information or to order your own, visit vario.sg.
