vit157
This time we are going to take a look at Poljot International Beringo. New model comes in several colors and offers quite unusual qualities for a relatively affordable price. Just take a look at the main photo – skeleton dial, extremely limited production batch – and all this comes for a price of your average mainstream watch. Sounds attractive, right? Well, I managed to get two watches from this series, so let’s take a closer look together and see what is packed under nice dial.
Here you can read review with Alexander Shorokhoff watch.
Like our Facebook page, so you won’t miss new reviews.
History Note
First of all I would like to make a small explanation about note. Beringo might sound familiar and strange at the same time. Well, there is no wonder because this word is made up out of two. Of course, the main part relates Vitus Bering, who helped Russian Tzar to discover new lands and seas. Nevertheless, authors decided to add “O” in the end. It should remind about exclamation when you discover something new. Combine these two together and you would get simple to remember combo which is easy to pronounce.
This might be the first review of the watch from Poljot International, but brand itself is not young. It is founded on heritage of Moscow watch producer which was active in 20th century. It is interesting to note that Poljot International was founded by Alexander Shorokhoff and now he also works on design of these watches. I think it will be easy to notice some of his signature design queues in today’s watch. Now we can start with the main showstopper in Beringo.
Dial
Well, it is really hard to miss this feature – skeleton dial is perfectly visible on the watch, no matter which color you choose. In the video-review you can see both black and silver versions, and it is easy to notice how color choice influences the overall image of the model. I suggest we start with basic things which are common for both and then talk about main differences.
Whole dial is build up from curved parts with engraving. Those are visible through skeleton opening and let you appreciate the work of movement inside. Note that there are no digits for time indication, only indices, which are not that huge in size. There is no date indication, but I would mark it as a plus because, date window would only clutter the whole composition. Moreover, how often do any of you adjust this indicator for a right date? 😀 Handset is standard – two large minutes and hours hands. Note that seconds indication is incorporated with help of small subdial with bright yellow-tipped hand on it.
Top right dial has quite interesting role – it acts as power reserve indicator. This is something I really like about this watch, such simple yet elegant solution on how to use exposed barrel. Special tab features green-yellow-red markings which should hint you on power reserve left in the watch. I guess it is something you will be checking often, especially if you consider how long Beringo can work.
Now we can turn our attention to colors I had – black and silver. These two have different paint not only on the case, but also on some dial and movement parts. As you can imagine, such combos have their own influence on legibility. Silver dial is a bit more tricky to “read”, but in my opinion it looks a bit more elegant. Well, it is matter of personal taste, but definitely take a careful look at photos before choosing the color for your collection…or maybe just get them both. 😀
Jokes aside, color change has great influence on the watch perception, and these two don’t look like the same model. I would rather deem it as an advantage because designers managed to create variety inside model line. It should be noted that there are three versions in total, and third one offers combo of silver and gold on the dial.
As for the night time performance, both hands are surprisingly bright. It is easy to see them in dark conditions, but I wish there would be luminous indices, at least four of them. This would help to read the time even faster in night. Note that whole dial is covered with domed sapphire glass. This creates interesting silhouette and avoids boring look as it could have been with plain glass. Of course, rear cover is also transparent.
Case
Poljot International Beringo comes in classic round stainless steel case. Width is clocked at 43mm, so it should be fine for average-sized wrist. As for thin wrists, I would rather suggest to try mockup on your wrist first. I am saying it because thickness is just 12.4mm, so there is a chance that new watch would sit fine on thin hand. Note that we get brush polishing on the case itself, so it should be more scratch-resistant. Mirror-polishing is also here, but it is kept at possible minimum, so you will find it, for example, on lugs.
Crown is really prominent here and difficult not to notice. It is big and easy to handle. On its side you will find manufacturer’s log. As you remember, there is no date indicator in the watch, so crown has only one position. Winding watch is done with noticeable clicks, what might be pleasant for some watch fans. 🙂 Overall we get really sleek combo of the case and crown, it looks “clean” and let’s you focus attention on the dial.
Water resistance is set at 5 atm, so this is definitely not a great choice for diving. Note that rear cover also carries watch number, so that you know which piece you own. There is no space for additional engraving in case you are planning to add some words.
Movement
Beringo features manual winding caliber 9910.1942111 with 17 rubies. You will be able to appreciate its beauty through the front and rear, which is nice and hypnotizing thing to look at. The only thing you should keep in mind – power reserve which equals to 36 hours. This implies winding your watch at least once a day, so I am glad to have large crown here.
Movement parts feature hand engraving what adds visual interest to the caliber. As a small reminder I would say that there is no date indication, and I am happy to see it in this way.
Strap
Both watches come with black velour strap. Each end also features contrast stitching which should make whole design a bit more playful. Strap quality is great – it is flexible and smooth, so there are no issues with fitting around your wrist.
Frankly speaking, I see Poljot International Beringo with NATO or ZULU strap, so it might be a great idea to try one. Some contrast color would also give “background” for the dial in this case. Classic leather option can also do wonders, especially if you go brave and try some bright colors. As for the bracelet…well, it should look nice, but such choice would make whole watch even more strict-looking.
In Use
First thing I have to note here is the legibility. Large luminous insert on both hands is a “double-edged sword” here. From one side it gives you nice legibility in the night, but from the other you might have issues with legibility on silver version. Well, for me it was easier to “find” hands on black watch. Who knows, maybe, you might get used to such layout. I hope that Poljot International would bring slightly different design to those hands in the next iteration of Beringo.
Watch size is not the problem – it is easy to wear and I didn’t have any issue or discomfort. Moreover, it is nice to have case in brush-polished finish. Such design should be a bit more durable, so watch can be worn everyday and still would be a good-looking piece. Large crown didn’t give me any troubles. The only thing that might be handy on it – cross-engraving to make it easier to pull out. Watch has 36 hours power reserve, so you will be setting the right time quite often, especially if this won’t be your main one. Such number also hints on daily winding ritual, and some might like, while some would rather pick an automatic caliber.
I see this watch as a great “base” for straps, so it would be a wise idea to try some alternative options. I mentioned some before, but you can also think of something even more original.
Poljot International Beringo – Price and Availability
Today’s watch should be already available for price of 669 EUR (applies to all colors). Whole production batch is limited to 400 pieces (what is promptly noted on the caseback) for each color, and you will find watch number on the case back. So let’s sum it up – for the price mentioned above you would get a skeleton dial, manual caliber and extremely limited production number. Sounds attractive, but Beringo will be in a quite tricky area with many rivals.
I know, some of you would mention Japanese watches with longer-lasting automatic movements, but can any of them offer the same exclusivity? Moreover, it is also safe to say that small power reserve and manual winding would increase your interaction with watch. This is definitely something we are forgetting about. True watch fans will be happy to hear these loud clicks while winding the watch. Moreover, power reserve indicator would come handy in order to avoid fully stopped watch.
I can recommend Beringo to those who would like to have something truly rare without spending a fortune on it. Special design would be also a great bonus which would make you appreciate your purchase even more. Who knows, maybe, this model will become the main daily choice for some of you.
As usual, I would be happy to hear your opinion about this model. Write it in the comments section below. 🙂
