Cadola Taurus Gearshift Grey Review: A Bold, Vintage-Inspired Racing Chronograph

by Tyler Frederick

Inspired by the track

A couple of weeks ago, I had the Farina come in from the motorsport-inspired watch brand Cadola. While it’s a beautiful watch, I had issues with the sizing in every regard, from diameter to case thickness. After sending my review to the Cadola team, I was given the option to check out another watch; this time, instead of the 44mm I received previously, it was 39mm. This was already a step in the right direction, so, of course, I was intrigued to see what they had in store. Cadola recently stocked several colourways of their Taurus model—a racing-inspired chronograph available in some pretty cool and in-your-face colours, and that’s what I have on my wrist today: the Cadola Taurus in Gearshift Grey.

The Cadola Taurus racing chronograph — ^{Cadola Taurus Gearshift Grey @horologyobsessed}

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Key Features of the Cadola Taurus Gearshift Grey

Go fast energy

In my previous Cadola review, I mentioned that the motorsport-inspired watch didn’t look very motorsport-inspired, nor did it really feel like something that would be on the wrist of a driver. Now that I’ve experienced the Taurus, I feel that racing vibe—that “go fast” energy—and see a lot more speed inspiration throughout its design, especially considering it’s a chronograph, but only with timing functionality—no tachymeter. Nonetheless, the Taurus checks more boxes in all regards and looks and wears much better. It’s a stronger representation of motorsport and carries a more “aerodynamic” look. It went from previously reviewing a racing truck (bulky, big, cumbersome) to now being in the cockpit of a race car (smaller, nimbler, faster).

Up close shot of the Cadola Taurus in gearshift Grey demonstrating the layered multi-coloured dial — ^{Crown at 12 @horologyobsessed}

Case Dimensions

The sizing of the Taurus is definitely more in my wheelhouse overall, featuring a 39mm case with a lug-to-lug measurement of 47mm and a case thickness of 13.8mm, giving it a much more compact feel on the wrist while maintaining its presence. The Taurus pulls inspiration from 60s and 70s racing chronographs, and while that’s a vague description, I get some vintage Heuer Monaco vibes from the colour choices, specifically the ref. 1133B, as well as the Breitling Datora with the dial design. The implementation of a bullhead chronograph is a unique choice, but also very cohesive with the chosen 60s and 70s design elements throughout.

Cadola Taurus on wrist with a bullhead 60s-inspired design — ^{Bullhead 60s inspired design @horologyobsessed}

Dial

Let’s turn our focus to the dial, shall we? There’s a lot going on, but there is a level of cleanliness and a structure behind the busy. The deep charcoal foreground is the monochromatic piece, with layers of red, white, and blue creating an eye-catching display, but it’s not obtrusive or too much. While motorsport or automotive designs, in any regard, can look cliché, the “instrument cluster” design for the 1/10th of a second counter (3:00) and chronograph seconds counter (9:00) is cool, and the 60-minute counter (6:00) is reminiscent of a steering wheel or additional dial on the “instrument cluster,” depending on how you look at it. It’s a playful and colourful take on a racing chronograph with plenty of detail to look at and some great vintage cues.

Cadola Taurus caseback attached by four screws and providing 50m water resistance — ^{50m water resistance @horologyobsessed}

SPECS

Case	316L Stainless Steel (PVD) 39mm Diameter 47mm Lug to Lug 13.8mm Thick 20mm Lug Width 50m Water Resistance
Dial & Crystal	Mineral Crystal Layered Dial Pencil Hands Luminous Markers
Movement	Hattori (Seiko) VD57 Quartz 0-jewels 32,768 Hz 2-3 years of battery life
Strap	Black Genuine Leather

Cadola Taurus Gearshift Grey

Quibbles

So close to greatness, but a couple of things stood in the way. I still enjoyed my time with the watch, but I have some “whys” that I need answered. The biggest one is that asymmetrical date window. This is a watch that doesn’t need a date, and adding it feels like it was thrown on there for an extra complication, which breaks the design. Moving away from the design and focusing on the wearing experience, the Taurus feels very thick, much thicker than its 13.8mm measurement dictates. The rest of the sizing is great; I just wish it was thinner. I would also like to know their demographic; I think the target audience is those who have thicker wrists than me, because I had this on the last hole of the strap and it was still slightly loose. I’m a very snug-against-the-wrist type of wearer.

Cadola Tuarus on wrist with a height of 13.8mm — ^{Case thickness is 13.8mm @horologyobsessed}

Final Thoughts

The Taurus is a watch that’s more my style in comparison to the previously reviewed Farina, but there are a couple of things that need to be addressed: the date window, thickness, and strap size. If these aren’t issues that trouble you, then it’s worth checking out. With the right strap, it feels great on the wrist, and while slightly on the thick side, it’s still a fun watch to wear and experience. It’s a whole lot of colour with some vintage racing chronograph edge and inspiration.

Pricing & Availability

The Cadola Taurus will run $250 USD. If it’s up your alley, I suggest checking it out through the Cadola website. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my thoughts on the Cadola Taurus. It’s been fun, and until the next one, cheers, and have a fantastic week!

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.

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