German brand Limes makes some watches that have something of Breguet’s looks, but in a very different – much lower – price range. The brand’s Pharo collection includes the Big Date with Power Reserve, now back with a new design. The Breguet looks come from the Roman numerals, the silver-colour dial with different types of guilloché patterns, the blued Breguet hands, and tne caseband with vertical fluting, though Limes’ fluting is much wider than Breguet’s. The result is a watch with a very classical appearance, with a nice touch of asymmetry in the power reserve indicator. It’s a nice size at 40.5 mm, 11 mm thick, in stainless steel, with a slightly domed watchglass. Water resistance is 5 atm. Leather strap.
Pharo power reserve
There is a hand-wound watch in Limes’ Pharo collection, and a power reserve indicator would have been more useful on that piece; the Pharo Big Date with Power Reserve has a self-winding movement and so the power reserve indicator is a nice extra but not really essential.
ETA movement
The watch is powered by the ETA 2892-2 in its “Top” version, with a Glucydur balance for optimum precision. Finish includes blued screws, Côtes de Genève, perlage, and a Limes-personalized rotor. The calibre can be viewed through the display caseback. The movement has been modified with the addition of the module for the big date and the power reserve indicator.
Price and reference
The Limes Pharo DayDate, reference U6117-LA4.4, costs €1,580 inclusive of VAT, plus shipping. It can be purchased directly on the Limes website, delivery time 1-2 weeks. Read more at the Limes website.
