The case and especially the bracelet that D1 Milano craft is a force to be reckoned with; it’s a work of art at this price point. However, the RRP of €545 / £490 for a watch housing an NH35 seems a bit steep at first glance. Let’s check out the watch in closer detail.

The specs

• Dimensions: 41.5mm diameter x 11mm height x 49.6mm lug to lug
• Weight: 157g
• Water resistance rating: 5ATM / 50m
• Movement: Seiko NH35A
• Accuracy: +4.8 sec/day
• Warranty: 2 years
• Price: €545 / £490
• Available from: https://eu.d1milano.com/collections/mechanical/products/automatic-bracelet-41-5-mm-atlas

The video review

Let’s start with how it wears on my 7” wrist. Well, it’s perfect. The 41.5mm diameter case doesn’t wear as large as that, thanks to the integrated bracelet and down-turned lugs. It truly hugs the wrist very well indeed, helped by the very malleable and flexible nature of the brilliant bracelet.

There’s barely a curve in sight; instead, D1 Milano has opted for an extremely angular and aggressive case shape with pronounced angles, edges and corners. It’s impressively machined, showcasing very definite lines and extremities.

The case is all brushed, bar four polished edges of the bezel which provide a bit of glitz and glamour to an otherwise rather industrial vibe. The overall quality in construction is to a very high standard, with definite lines and corners as well as tidy finishing.

The flat sapphire crystal has an effective anti-reflective coating on the underside; it’s very clear and provides a pleasant viewing experience of the dial.

The hexagon screw-in crown has a clean and crisp bevelled edge and is super easy to grip and use.

50m water resistance is a bit of a disappointment, especially as the watch has a screw-in crown. Perhaps this is due to the industrial styled caseback, which is octagonal and secured in place by 8 screws.

Moving on to the dial; it’s straightforward in design but I’m smitten by the blue dial and complementary orange outer second track and seconds hand.

The pitched and polished hour and minute hands alongside the applied hour markers are simple yet bold, and impeccably crafted.

And now, the star of the show: the bracelet. D1 Milano’s bracelets are some of the best I’ve ever come across under £500. Each link is created to the minutest detail, with millimetre-perfect precision. Fully brushed to ensure it remains scratch-free for as long as possible, due to the relatively short length of each link the bracelet wraps around the wrist very well, is straight forward to get a comfortable fit, and it provides a glorious array of reflections. The viewing pleasure is compounded by the bevelling found along the outer edges of each link.

There’s one minor point – it’s a nightmare to open. The concealed butterfly clasp looks excellent; the only tease of its existence is a ridge with the D1 Milano logo neatly and deeply engraved on one side which overlaps the other side of the clasp. But, as it’s just a push-fit clasp (no buttons to open it), it’s extremely tight and tough to open just by pulling it. Of course, it’s good in a way, as it ensures the clasp won’t open up willy-nilly; but I just wish it wasn’t quite as tough as it is.

Now, on to the question that we’re all asking. How can they justify that price when it’s powered by an NH35? I must admit, I’m struggling to do so. After all, you can get some amazing Swiss Made watches boasting the peerless ETA 2824-2 around the £500 mark.

Now, I don’t want to poopoo the NH35 totally, as it’s quite possibly the most popular automatic movement found within affordable watches at the moment, and there’s no doubt about it – it is a brilliant piece of engineering. Solid, dependable, reliable; but it’s also cheap and uninspiring. For a watch costing £500, I would expect at least a high-beat Miyota 9XXX series. There is one positive; it’s clearly been regulated as it’s been running at an impressive +4.8 seconds a day. It has a hacking seconds hand and hand winding capabilities and runs at 21.6k bph (6 ticks per second) as well as 24 jewels and a 41-hour power reserve.

It’s such a shame, as whilst it’s a good movement, it just not special enough for the asking price.

Final comments

There’s no doubt about it, this is a gorgeously crafted timepiece. The case and bracelet are to die for, particularly in the sub-£500 bracket. It’s also a modern, clean design throughout.

But, that RRP is a tough one to take. Personally, I can’t justify the RRP due to the movement within. If you can find one either in a sale or with a price discount then I’d wholeheartedly recommend one. However, that is a subjective case; after all, some of you may not necessarily care too much about the movement. In which case, you’ll get a delightful watch.

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When they reached out for me to check out the D1 Milano X-ray, I certainly was intrigued. I mean, just look at it – it still boasts that GG style, but with a very modern take.

The question is, is it worth it at €630? Let’s check it out.

The specs

• Dimensions: 41.5mm diameter x 11mm height x 48.5mm lug to lug
• Weight: 157g
• Water resistance rating: 5ATM / 50m
• Movement: Seiko NH70
• Accuracy: +10.1 sec/day
• Warranty: 2 years
• Price: €630 / £575
• Available from: https://eu.d1milano.com/collections/man/products/skeleton-bracelet-41-5-mm-xray

The video review

The case

The case heavily features the curvaceous yet angular approach of Audemars Piguet, in a full black IP coating. It’s certainly eye-catching with its primary brushed finish and polished edges of the bezel.

The size is very wearable on my approx 7” wrist; I’m not usually happy to keep a watch on all day at work at my desk, but I’m happy to do so with this watch. An 11mm height is surprisingly slender taking into account the dial so it easily fits under a cuff or sleeve, and is right at home in a suit.

The sapphire crystal is very clear, offering a great view of the “X-ray” dial.

The hexagonal screw-in crown offers excellent grip and is easy to use. It has a neat bevelled edge which is impressively machined.

The caseback is all about the exhibition window; it’s secured in place with 8 screws with a radial brush from the centre.

There’s a neat engraved and painted message on the underside of one of the lugs; with the serial number and “Italian design” and “Japanese movement”.

One thing that intrigues me is the fact that it’s only 50m water resistance – with a screw-in crown and well-secured caseback you’d assume it could be better rated, but I guess it’s not the kind of watch that you’d swim in anyway.

The dial

Let’s face it, the watch it all about the dial. Utilising the skeletonisation of the movement, the open heart / balance wheel on show at 9 is your primary focus due to the intriguing applied overlay.

However, whilst it very much a talking point of the watch; it’s also its biggest flaw. The legibility is pretty terrible. The matte finish on the black pitched hands and similar hour markers are fantastic, but used on top of a busy and dark dial makes it exceedingly difficult to read at a glance. I have pretty good vision, and I struggle to read it without paying close attention. If you can live with that, then no worries – and the dial is still awesome – but it’s a key issue that needs to be raised.

I like the way the D1 Milano and “automatic” is printed on the underside of the crystal, creating a floating effect. This also adds to the insane depth of the entire viewing experience due to the wheel volume of different layers, levels and details on the dial.

The bracelet

Another star of the show is the bracelet. I was really impressed with it on the Ultra Thin, and this is the same. Thin and short links mean it fits well on the wrist – with excellent contouring properties.

There’s such a copious amount of facets and angles due to the number of links and their bevelling, it’s a real joy to behold in the light. Every single angle offers a different view.

The wearability of the bracelet is increased by the concealed butterfly clasp; the only visible representation of it is the flap on one side which sits over the other, with a very neat engraving of the logo.

The movement

The movement powering the D1 Milano Xray is the Seiko NH70. It’s not a movement I come across very often at all, mainly due to the fact it’s used for its skeletonisation properties and style.

Specs include a beat rate of 21.6k bph (6 ticks per second), 24 jewels, Côtes de Genève decorated rotor, hacking seconds, automatic and hand winding, and a 42-hour power reserve.

This one is coming in at +10.1 sec/day, which is just about acceptable for me.

Final comments

There’s no denying it, this watch oozes class and is a hard 10 on the scale of coolness (if that existed). The build quality is brilliant, and it’s such an easy wear.

However, its greatest flaw is legibility. Black hands on a dark and detailed dial make it difficult to read at a glance. So, it’s all down to whether you can live with that.

If you can, then it’s a lovely watch in a style that is difficult to find in the affordable watches circuit. The Gerald Genta / Audemars Piguet character alongside the skeleton vibe is one that’s sure to please.

The post D1 Milano Xray Watch Review appeared first on 12&60.

I’ve been on the lookout for a while for an affordable alternative to those style of watches, so my eyes lit up when I first saw what D1 Milano had to offer. Let’s take a closer look to see how it stacks up at the price of €365 / ~£320.

The specs

• Dimensions: 40mm diameter x 6.6mm height x 47mm lug to lug
• Weight: 99g (with links removed)
• Water resistance rating: 5ATM / 50m
• Lug width: 25mm, custom strap / bracelet
• Warranty: 2 years
• Price: €365 / ~£320
• Available from: https://eu.d1milano.com/collections/ultra-thin/products/utb02

The case

The case is a key part of why this watch looks so much like more luxurious timepieces. It is a delightful mix up of brushed and polished accents, chamfered edges, and angular lines. When I first opened the box, I got one of “those” moments – wow was I impressed with what I saw.

The finishing and machining is very good – the case is super slick thanks to the slender 6.6mm height of the case, which means it fits so easily under cuffs and jumpers etc. It also flows seamlessly into the bracelet from the sides. There’s so many angles – when you are looking at the watch in day-to-day life there’s a wide variety of reflections going on, it’s really interesting to look at.

On to the biggest negative of the watch – the fact that it comes fitted with a mineral crystal. It’s such a shame it’s not sapphire; but when you consider it from a visual perspective it’s a beauty – stunningly clear with an exquisite anti-reflective coating. That being said, I know this will be the end of the road for many of you. Such a shame, especially on a watch costing this much.

The small, unassuming push-pull crown has a black crystal fitted into the end. It’s easy to use, and hexagon shaped to match the rest of the case.

The octagon caseback is very simple – secured by 8 screws, vertically brushed, with some minor details engraved at the top and bottom.

The dial

When you look at the dial as a whole, it’s simple really, but remarkably splendid.

A key aspect of the appeal of the dial is the fact that it has a glossy base which catches the light well. Whilst this is tricky to show in photos, take a watch of my video review and you’ll see what I mean.

The hour markers are applied batons, which are polished gun metal to match the case. They’re all flawlessly manufactured and applied.

The hands are dauphine shape and gently pitched. Again, they have a cool gun metal finish – this does result in legibility being effected (it’s not the best having gun metal on black), but boy does it look good.

The printwork is minimal, but crisp and clean. It just consists of “D1 Milano” in the top half and Ultra Thin in the bottom, keeping the entire dial minimal.

The bracelet

The two main things to note regarding the bracelet are firstly, the fact that it is built into the lugs in a very specific way (so no standard leather straps are going to fit), and secondly how it tapers a surprising amount to 16mm wide at the buckle. Normally I prefer the wider strap / bracelet, but there’s something about this one that really catches my eye.

Each and every link is closely and precisely thought out; providing a splendidly smooth sweeping form from the case to the buckle. They also all have the same matching brushed gun metal finish to them as the case, which looks fantastic. The links are all rather angular too, which catches the light really well as you roll the wrist.

The butterfly clasp has the logo deeply and accurately engraved on the top bar, which slightly folds over the other side of the clasp creating a single top block. It secures just by pushing shut – which doesn’t sound the securest but it’s very tight when closed and I’ve not had any issues of it opening unexpectedly.

The movement

There’s no mention of what the movement is. D1 Milano just mention the fact that it has a 2 year battery life. If I was to hazard a guess, I’d say it’s most likely to be a Miyota quartz, in particular one of their slim line ranges.

Final comments

It’s such a shame the D1 Milano only has a mineral crystal, especially considering the fantastic anti-reflective coating it has, and the price too.

It’s not very often nowadays that I’m genuinely wowed when I open the box, and this was the case with the D1 Milano. It really does look like it’s worth much more than it is, and at the end of the day, that’s pretty important when looking at the “affordable” range of watches.

The case and bracelet are simply delightful – there’s so many angles and facets which catch the light just right – and it is a lovely sight to behold. If you can overlook the face that it has a mineral crystal, then this will be an excellent choice.

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