WATCH REVIEW Movado Datron Chrono Automatic

Foreword

Now American, Movado was synonymous with sophisticated elegance at an affordable price from the 50’s to the 70’s.
At the end of the 60’s, Movado and Zenith gave birth to a chronograph movement oscillating at 36,000 vibrations per hour.
It was used in the Movado Datachron under reference HS360.
Zenith used it in the El Primero watch under reference A386.

In 2010, the movement of the Datron (nickname for Datachron) was replaced by an ETA 2894-2.
Aware of the ongoing revival for timepieces from the seventies, Movado reissued it.

Delightfully vintage

Right from the first glance, the Datron proudly claims its date of birth: 1969.

Its 40 mm case size, which was a bit of a gamble back in ’69, is now considered as a minimum standard for mens’ watches.

Regarding its overall look, the Datron skillfully mixes contrary design elements while still managing to seduce immediately.
The dial is round but tightly fit within a tonneau shape.
The lugs are small but with a rather standard width between them.
And the watch is made 100% of steel but with a subtle alternation between brushed and polished surfaces.

In fact, even if it’s quite simple, you can never tire of the global design of the Datron.
Some would even surprise themselves staring at it over long minutes just to admire the details of its falsely simple alchemy.

A heavy but comfortable chronograph watch

On the wrist, the piece is rather heavy (163 grams) with its steel strap – a little bit less with its black ostrich one.
You can feel it, but it won’t restrict your movements and this Datron remains quite comfortable.

Its deployment clasp seems to be strong enough to count on and you can easily assume its longevity.
Nevertheless, adding or removing a link in order to adjust the strap will require some skill and specific tools – and maybe a professional intervention!

Anyway, we would have preferred a thinner deployment clasp, as you can feel it under the forearm when it lays down naturally but heavily on hard surfaces (like a desk or a table).

Excellent diurnal legibility

Reading the time during the day is always easy. Even when the sun shines, legibility is perfect, as the notches and the two hands are bevelled.

On the other hand, nighttime legibility could be improved: both the notches and hands have only a small zone filled with SuperLumiNova.

This has two consequences: a rather narrow luminous surface and a limited period of time during which the light shines out of the hands. Then, you’ll be able to check the time when going to bed, but not if you are insomniac during the long winter nights…

One damper: the date display (using a grey background instead of a white one like the three counters) is positioned at 12, meaning that the seconds’ hand of the chronograph is always just over it and “hides” it.

Movement

A small detail will please all the watch enthusiasts: the sapphire glass on the back allows you to see the automatic movement and the blue-tinted screws (except the groove). It is usually a standard of high-end watchmaking timepieces.
The rest of this calibre is not revolutionary at all. But this movement will do what is expected from it: sturdiness and liability.

Aficionados might regret that Movado did not reissue, even in a limited edition, a model powered by the original HS360 movement.
Meanwhile, this ETA calibre gives us the opportunity to buy a Datron at “only” €2,500…