I have been waiting for this watch for months and am happy to finally have it in hand! I pre ordered the watch mid March and unfortunately, the original shipment never arrived. Luckily, Watchdives was able to send me this one as a replacement.
The version I purchased was the Matte Black/Orange Hands/No Date (VH31), since it was closest to the original watch’s color combination. I would have loved the date window on the Ronda 515, but I’m a sucker for a sweeping seconds hand. Plus, I wasn’t a fan of the faux patina on the Ronda version.
First impression is that this is an awesome watch and offers an incredible bang for your buck at $144:
-Killer bracelet with excellent finishing
-Sapphire crystal with VERY impressive AR coating
-Insane lume on both the bezel and the dial
-Signed screw down crown and a signed clasp with micro adjustments
-Very satisfying clicky bezel with zero alignment issues
-They even included a sizing tool, which made that part a breeze
The bracelet really is the strongest part of this watch. The alignment to the case is perfect and the transition is smooth like it should be on an integrated bracelet. A big thank you to Watchdives for listening to us and adjusting this last minute!!
I would say the finishing is almost as good as my powermatic PRX, which is impressive considering one is an $800 watch and the other is $144. The difference, in my opinion, comes from the clasp. While the clasp looks great on the WD0017, it does not feel quite as premium as the bracelet. The one area where Watchdives is actually much better is the sapphire crystal’s AR coating. It’s not even close, WD is miles ahead here.
I am a pretty picky guy and I have not spotted any QC issues with my particular watch. WITH THAT BEING SAID - there is one thing I am really disappointed about.
When we first proposed this homage, many of us requested the case size be 37mm to make the watch more wearable. This watch being 41mm is great for those with large wrists, but just a bit too big for my smaller 6.25in wrist. Although I adore the watch, I cannot see myself wearing it day to day and will likely end up selling it for this reason. Watchdives, if you are reading this, PLEASE make this in a 37mm case size and I promise it will fly off shelves just like this one did. Hell, I might even buy two!
I know this color combo is sold out on the Watchdives website. If any fans in this sub missed out and would be okay with buying an already opened watch, please let me know and I’ll give you a decent discount.
TLDR -> Amazing watch, but too large for my wrist. Selling if anyone missed out on this color combo.
Edit: Watch has been SOLD as of 5/4, thank you for the interest!