Gavox Blog, Review

James from Tempus Fugit is reviewing his Gavox Aurora

Revisiting the Gavox Aurora Watch

The Gavox Aurora is something of an outlier in the watch world.  On the one hand, it is without a doubt the most complex pilot’s watch you can buy for south of $5,000 US.  On the other hand, it is a quartz watch and for some purists out there, that is an unforgivable sin.

A single watch that provides two time zones, a chronograph, a timer, date (month and date) and moonphase.  It’s a lot going on made possible by a singular movement developed in partnership with Soprod.  But unlike a G-Shock or several of the other quartz options out there, the Aurora actually requires you to engage with it a bit.  You can just glance down and it’s there.  No, you have to earn it by cycling through the functions.  And honestly?  For me this is, in many ways, what puts it right up there with anything else out there regardless of the price point.  The Aurora is still available, and for those making the trip to DC for District Time next weekend, you’ll be able to check it out for yourself.

 

And in case you missed it, here was my original review -When you write a watch blog, even one that caters to a small readership such as Tempus Fugit, you get to test drive a lot of watches. And when you stop worrying about satisfying advertisers and stroking egos, you get to be honest.  This past spring I got to review the Gavox Aurora and to say that it made an impression on me would be a great understatement.

As I have said more than once, I am not a person driven by gadgets or the latest technical whimsy. I suspect whatever thirst for knowledge of the horological minutia of micro mechanics I might have once had got beaten out of me during my time at DOXA listening to armchair blowhards wax on about their superior knowledge (yes, that is sarcasm) of the fine points of the ETA 2824-2, or other sublime topics.

So the question is, what made such an impression on me?  Simple Complexity.  Yes, the Gavox Aurora has some pretty cool and sophisticated functionality, but all of the functions can be controlled even by a brain as “un nimble” as my own.

But the other thing I really liked about about the Aurora was that it didn’t just roll on its back like a faithful puppy waiting for you to rub its tummy.  No, if you wanted to check out or use the functions, you actually had to engage your brain, and the watch, by way of the crown/central pusher.  It makes the entire experience a bit more personalized, a WHOLE LOT MORE interactive.  It makes a complicated watch fun, without being an exercise in “haute behavior”.

So yes, this watch made a big impression on me, and hence I found myself in New York, cash in hand, to pick up my own and visit with Mr. Happe.

To a large extent, a watch is a watch is a watch.  And maybe it is just where I am emotionally, spiritually and intellectually in this world of watch fanatics of which I am a  member, but I want more than the latest innovation.  I want something that registers on a human, an emotional scale.

Something that provides a warm and fuzzy feeling.  And that is what the Aurora provides me.

When you find that special watch, well it is a love affair of sorts that you indulge in form the beginning of the day, until the sun sets.

So as the kitchen calls and I go to rattle a few pans to make dinner, remember that watches should be fun, as well as functional. The two are not mutually exclusive! So now I’ve got mine, and I am a happy guy!

I hope you find yours, whatever it is, or whoever makes it.

That’s all for now – enjoy your watches!