by Tyler Frederick
Orange Daze
Retrovivo is back at it again with another release. I had the opportunity to check out their initial release of the RV01, which was a tool/field watch-adjacent design that had a slight dress watch vibe. It was super comfortable, lightweight thanks to the Seiko VH31, and was a watch that I would easily say is one of my top budget-friendly picks from 2025.
In 2026, the Italian brand came forth with another offering to the collector and enthusiast community, this time with something even more exciting—a dive watch. When I saw the initial images, and ones sent over from friends who were reviewing it at the time, I was excited to get my hands on one for myself.
I’ve had the RV02 in orange for the last few weeks, and I have to say, I’m digging it. I do have to be transparent though; the bracelet on my version did have some issues, and I wasn’t able to use it for this review, but I have it on a rubber strap, and I feel I can give a complete review just fine with this, so let’s get rolling.
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A true GADA?
Dive watches are my home. They’re my go-to for any and all occasions regarding casual, outdoor, or business casual. A great dive watch can be dressed up or down with any strap to fit wherever you’re going and whatever you’re doing. Basically, they should be the ideal GADA (go anywhere, do anything) watch.
The previous release of the RV01 was quite the surprise, and having that on my wrist created an odd paradox between me and watches. It was the watch I basically wore to take a break from watches. Does that make sense? It’s so light and airy; it felt like a Saturday morning, catch my drift?
Key Features of the Retrovivo RV02
More than specs
When I look for a dive watch, I want something I can confidently put through hell and know it’ll come out on the other side a bit scuffed up, but keep going with ease. Who doesn’t love a watch with some love marks on it?
It needs to cater to my life and what I’m up to, even if that means I wear it and appreciate it at a desk most of the time. There’s a certain heft that a dive watch should carry, and I always expect a fantastic spec list to follow.
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Hey how ya doin’?
Speaking of specs, the RV02 measures 39mm in diameter with a 45mm lug-to-lug and a case thickness of 10.8mm. Do you hear that? That’s me checking off all the boxes. I’ve mentioned it before, and I’ll say it again, and I’m so sorry you’ve read this a million times: 36-38 is my sweet spot, but for a watch like this, 39mm is just as perfect.
It’s comfortable across the board; it looks great and sits beautifully on my wrist. It’s a watch I barely notice on my wrist when wearing it, and I mean that in a good way. I know it’s there; it gives me a “hey, how ya doin’?” every now and then, but it’s not offensive. On the bracelet, I feel the heft would be there a bit more, but I’d personally wear this one on rubber and be completely happy; maybe even a great NATO or Zulu.
The 200m of water resistance, sapphire crystal, and ceramic bezel insert also make me happy; basically, I can put this watch through anything, and there shouldn’t be too much damage. I say that and should let you know the case is also brushed, so that adds even more to the aging factor; it’s going to look badass, and the slight polished chamfer around the edge of the lugs and case adds a bit of glint, which I love. I think most, if not all, tool watches should be finished this way.
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Reminders of the warmer weather ahead
The orange dial is vibrant and reminds me that warmer weather, the lake, and summer fun are right around the corner, and I can’t wait. It’s my little bit of sunshine through this extremely confusing weather we’ve been having, and the more I wear it, the more I appreciate it. I’m not usually one to gravitate towards orange dials, but this one is alright, and I appreciate it a lot more than I thought I would.
There’s so much texture and so much to take in, including the fauxtina numerals and indices on both the dial and placed throughout the ceramic bezel insert. It’s a great pairing with the already vintage-inspired design, but I do feel it clashes a bit with the orange. The brown, grey, and blue dials suit it beautifully, but the orange makes it a bit of a weird contrast. It looks great; I just feel maybe silver indices would have been the better option there.
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SPECS
| Case | 316L Stainless Steel 39mm Diameter 45mm Lug to Lug 10.8mm Thick 20mm Lug Width 200m Water Resistance |
| Dial & Crystal | Sapphire Crystal Orange Textured |
| Movement | Seiko VH31 Mecha-Quartz 2-jewels 2-Year Battery Life |
| Strap | Steel Bracelet |
Retrovivo RV02
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Quibbles
I already mentioned one with the fauxtina clashing with the orange dial, so I think maybe using silver numerals and indices on a colour like this moving forward is the best course of action. But again, that’s just personal preference and opinion.
On another note, I think it’s very clever to implement the Seiko VH31 to give it that automatic sweeping second hand vibe without the weight and cost of a mechanical movement, but I really think something like this should truly be automatic, maybe with something from Sea-Gull? That would be pretty sweet.
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Final Thoughts
All I can say is well done. The team at Retrovivo have created another comfortable watch that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. While I couldn’t experience it on the bracelet, it’s so good on rubber, and I can’t wait to experiment with other straps from my collection and see what works. With summer right around the corner, it might be time to break out some textiles, or stay with rubber, who knows, but it’ll look great either way.
I understand the use of the Seiko VH31 to keep pricing down and emulate the functionality of an automatic movement and that iconic sweeping seconds hand, but I think implementing a mechanical movement would be so cool, and a fantastic move from Retrovivo, but I understand the decision to go down the mecha-quartz road.
The RV02 is currently available through the Retrovivo Kickstarter campaign with some pre-order offers available; the best being a watch for $240 ($320 CAD), so feel free to head to their Kickstarter to learn more. The project is over half funded, so don’t waste time, get in there if this is your thing.
As always, thank you so much for taking the time to read my thoughts and opinions on another watch! Have a fantastic morning, afternoon or evening, wherever you’re reading from, and I’ll see you in the next one!
This article was written to completion on April 25th, 2026
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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.
Check out these other articles from Tyler:
Tone & Time – The Misha Mansoor Interview
Pulsar P2 2900 vs Hamilton PRS
30th Anniversary Casio G-SHOCK DW-6900TR
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.