In 2022, Ivan Chua of Vario did the unexpected when he released the Versa, an affordable, dual-faced, art deco watch in the spirit of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Duo and Cartier Tank Basculante. I thought it was brilliant and later nominated it as a Microbrand Watch of the Year.
It seems the watch community agreed with me, because the Versa was a hit, but still, critics have pointed to two sticking points. First, it is a quartz—a double quartz, if you will —with two Miyota movements back-to-back. It makes perfect sense, but this hobby is weird about quartz. Second, dress watches tend to be thin, and the Versa’s 12mm-thick, 26mm-wide case looks a bit stout.
Both of those issues are resolved in the Single-Time ($498), which swaps the Dual-Time’s twin quartz movements for a single Miyota 6T28, a slim, small-diameter automatic movement with a 40-hour power reserve. Vario jazzes it up with a custom rotor and frames it with a brushed display caseback featuring an engraved sunburst. If you believed the quartz Versa lacked soul, this one has a soul you can show to the world.
To do so, you press the top or bottom of the face until it pops free of its ball-bearing detents. It will then pivot inside its frame to lock back into place, reversing the two sides. You will do this whenever you set the watch, because the outer frame otherwise hides the signed and recessed crown.
While the mechanism is the same as used for the original Versa, the case is not. A single 6T28 is wider and shallower than a stacked pair of Ronda Slimtech units, so the Single-Time case has different proportions and, to my eye, is more pleasing.
Where the Dual-Time was 26mm wide, 39mm long, and 12mm thick, the Single-Time is 28mm wide, 41.5mm long, and 10.5mm thick. That may not sound like much, but a millimeter here or there can transform a watch. In this case, the greater width and length, combined with the lower profile, physically flatten the new watch, while the rounded, polished edges on the frame and bezel enhance the illusion by highlighting the brushed central section and blurring the periphery. The result is both industrial and elegant; everything that the Art Deco Streamline Moderne design movement embodied.
The all-new dial carries this theme with polished and faceted dauphine hands and markers that complement an inset of fine, variegated stripes. Vario only offers two dial options: black and the white/silver tuxedo shown here. As you can see in my photos, the contrast between the white frame and the silver center varied widely depending on the light source, flipping from bright silver to gray to black. I’m pleased to report that it always remained legible, a quality no doubt helped by the inner AR coating on the sapphire crystal.
I found the automatic Versa fit my wrist (6.75″) and my style better than the quartz. Where the quartz relies on its compact footprint to establish its dressy tendencies, the automatic requires no such justification. It looks damn good with a suit, too.
Vario supplies the Single-Time with an excellent Italian leather strap that tapers from 22mm to 16mm, secured by either a traditional buckle or a butterfly deployant clasp (you’ll get both). I know 22mm sounds like it’s too much for a dress watch, but the rectangular case benefits from the narrow lugs and the smooth transition afforded by the arrangement, which marries the case and strap into a nearly uniform band.
This effect is even more dramatic if you buy the optional elastic metal bracelet ($32), which pushes the watch even further into the industrial-chic aesthetic.
The strap is fully adjustable, using what must be the easiest removable-link system on earth. Just depress the back of the link, and pull to release the tab from its slot. Remove all you like, then fit them back together. It takes mere seconds, zero tools, and no skill whatsoever. It’s ingenious.
The Vario Versa Single-Time Automatic is every bit as clever as the original Dual-Time, but is it as functional? With two faces, you can track two time zones, or as JLC suggests, switch to suit your day and night wardrobes. The original JLC Reverso flipped over to protect the crystal from impact during polo matches. A single-face watch with a sapphire window in the caseback can do neither of those things. Should you care? Absolutely not. The Versa exists for the same reason the modern Reverso does: it’s cool. That’s it. That is all the justification anyone needs, and Vario was good enough to make the back of the watch as worthy of display as the front.
Buy your Versa Single-Time Automatic, play with that brilliant pivoting system, and amaze your friends. The only problem is that you can’t do it just yet, as both variants are currently sold out. More will come, and while you are waiting, maybe head over to vario.sg and sign up for the newsletter to catch the next drop.
