by Tyler Frederick
Versa-tility
I’ve been around the watch industry for 10 years now, both as a collector/enthusiast and as a writer and photographer. I’ve been beyond grateful for the opportunities and watches I’ve had the chance to work with and experience, but as time goes on, you get this feeling like you’ve kind of seen it all. Over the last couple of years, my objective in watches has been to find the weird, the unique, or the pieces that make me vocalize along the lines of, “Oh hello, what’s that?”
I’ve seen the name Vario pop up in so many conversations and spoken of in such high regard among my friends, and it genuinely bummed me out that I’d never taken the opportunity to check one out—until recently. After a quick exchange of DMs, the folks from Vario sprang into action and sent out their Versa model, so let’s get right into it.
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Key Features of the Vario Versa
Made with intention
Vario has been around since 2016 and has quickly expanded across markets in Asia, Europe, and North America by creating accessibly priced, vintage-styled watches with one thing in mind: sentimentality. They create watches by collectors and enthusiasts, for collectors and enthusiasts—or those just discovering the love and hobby of watch collecting. Their entire premise is about a passion for watches and crafting tools to express yourself and the things that mean the world to you. Each piece is made with intention, and all their collections are fantastic reflections of eras gone by, with a unique spin on what’s possible with a watch.
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James Bond-esque
I’ll be honest: this review is going to be a bit biased, because this is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen—and it’s one of the most comfortable watches I’ve had the opportunity to experience. The ability to flip between dials on a vertical axis makes me way happier than it should, and the fact that I essentially have a watch for both casual and dressy occasions on my wrist at the same time, ready to go whenever I need it… go-go gadget watch! It’s kind of James Bond-esque, and it feels so cool to basically change personas in a flash—especially if you equip it with the stainless-steel stretch bracelet. You don’t have to take it off; you can just lift, flip, lower, and you’re done. So damn cool.
I spent so much time just flipping between dials, but once I settled down and finally decided to wear the thing, it made my heart smile. It’s also the watch I’ve received the most compliments on from people outside the hobby, which is really cool.
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How It Wears
Okay, enough about the cool flippy thing—time to get serious (I flipped it two more times while writing that sentence). The main question you probably have is, “How does it wear?” To keep a long story short: freaking fantastic. While it does look slightly chunky, the watch sits perfectly against the wrist, especially considering the overall dimensions and the completely flat caseback. There are technically no lugs, so it’s just 39mm of flat, and it’s a narrow 26mm wide, which doesn’t take up too much real estate on the wrist.
It’s super comfortable and has tremendous wrist presence, especially with the two dial selections: the first being your silver dial, which includes numerals and block indices—your more casual option—and flipping it over to that blank slate of mother-of-pearl shimmering in the light with those blued hands. It’s so, so good. Wears great, looks great: the formula for a great watch.
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SPECS
| Case | Brushed 316L Stainless Steel 26mm Diameter (39mm long) 40mm Lug to Lug 12mm Thick 20mm Lug Width 50m Water Resistance |
| Dial & Crystal | Flat Sapphire Silver/Mother-of-Pearl Printed Markers Leaf Hands |
| Movement | 2x Ronda Slimtech 1062 Swiss quartz 1 Jewel 6-Year Battery Llife |
| Strap | Vegetable Tanned Italian Leather |
Vario Versa
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Quibbles
This is going to be quick, and it’s really just about strap options. I love the leather and the stainless-steel stretch bracelet, but I wish it also came with a Milanese mesh or beads-of-rice option. I’ve been tinkering with my shoebox full of straps, and the Versa is an absolute strap monster—it looks great with literally anything. Stupid quibble, I know, but all I can say is: more strap options, please. There’s so much room to play with.
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Final Thoughts
I’m going to ask you one simple question: do you want two watches—each with a unique dial and a rectangular case—that you can literally flip between in the blink of an eye, beautifully designed and comfortable on the wrist? Look no further. I now fully understand why people are absolutely in love with Vario, and I can safely say I fall into the same category. If you guys (Vario) want to send some other goodies, call me; I’m absolutely down.
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Pricing & Availability
You can get the Versa for yourself from Vario. The watch retails for $615 CAD and is available in a variety of different colours, so check them out for yourself. As always, thank you so much for taking the time to read my thoughts on the Vario Versa, and until next time, have a great rest of your day!
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About the author
Born into a family obsessed with motorsport, Tyler Frederick became enamoured with speed and beautiful cars at a young age. His love of Formula 1–and all things mechanical–eventually lead him to horology. You can follow him on Instagram.
Off The Cuff articles are full-length, hands-on reviews of the watch in question and represent the opinion of the author only. All photos are original, unless specified otherwise. If you would like to have your watch reviewed on this site, contact us here.
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