This model is the Consillio, and Duxot has the following to say about it:

“Proportioned and styled in the 70s but built for today, the Consillio delivers the best of nostalgic watch design while arming itself as an unrelenting timepiece for modern wear.”

Certainly agree on the nostalgic watch design of the 70s. But with an RRP of $640 / ~£490, is it an unrelenting timepiece for modern wear? Let’s check it out.

The specs

• Dimensions: 40mm diameter x 12mm height x 47mm lug to lug
• Weight: 138g
• Water resistance rating: 10ATM / 100m
• Movement: Seiko NH35?
• Accuracy: -1.5 sec/day
• Lug width: 20mm
• Warranty: 2 years
• Price: $640 / ~£490
• Available from: https://duxotwatches.com/collections/consillio/products/consillio-dx-2007-11

How does the watch wear? Very well indeed. On my 7” wrist, the 40mm diameter feels great and very comfortable. The size and shape of the case are most definitely inspired by watches from the 70s, so if you love that vintage vibe then the Consillio has it in droves.

The case is a distinctive tonneau shape, with lugs which contain the end links of the bracelet. Another very 70s thing to do.

The case has a vertical brushed top and bottom, with polished sides. The side profile is more or less a flat barrel, although I do like the slight tuck in and the bottom edges.

A flat sapphire crystal sits above the case, with pretty decent clarity.

The bezel action is firm but purposeful and has a decent click. It’s pretty annoying that the alignment is slightly off though. The insert is painted aluminium, not the most exciting but I do like the splash of dark orange.

The screw-in crown has the Duxot “D” engraved in the end and is rather quaint in size. The caseback features the logo in the centre, with various specifics surrounding it.

The dial is relatively straightforward, clean and effectively simple. The printed Duxot logo itself immediately introduces a retro vibe, which is aided by the syringe hands and bold applied baton hour markers; both of which have a rustic brushed finish.

The dark orange of the bezel insert is again introduced with the funky seconds hand, which features a lume-filled block near the end. The lume is fairly average.

Moving on to the bracelet, which is designed to be just like the Rolex President style. This style was first released in 1956 for the launch of the Oyster Perpetual Day-Date and features distinctive semi-circular 3-piece links. The links wrap around the wrist well and aid the comfort. However, I’m surprised by the finishing on these links. With a bushed top and bottom alongside polished outer edges, I would expect the corners where the two finishes to meet to be a clean line. However, it’s easy to see that the polished finish overflows into the brushed finishing which shouldn’t happen.

The buckle is a standard, solid-looking locking deployant clasp. It has a brushed top and polished sides to match the bracelet, as well as polished pushers. The Duxot logo is neatly and accurately engraved on the top it has 4 micro-release pins which allow you to get a pretty great fit.

Duxot hasn’t specified the exact movement, but rather state that it’s a “Self-Winding Japanese Automatic Movement With Date Display”. Whilst I can’t say for certain, as it’s a low beat rate of 21.8k bph, I’d be willing to bet on it being a Seiko NH35. A solid and dependable movement in itself, but not something that justifies the high RRP for me.

Final comments

I rarely find a watch that disappoints me. Mainly because when selecting watches to review, I do my best to filter out poor watches so I only review decent ones that are worth my time reviewing and your time to read. Unfortunately, disappointed is exactly how I feel with the Consillio. I won’t lie, the RRP of $640 / ~£490 is wildly overpriced for a watch with average specs and a wonky bezel insert. It’s very confusing to me, as Dartmouth Brands clearly know how to make a solid budget timepiece – just look at Spinnaker and Avi-8!

Sure, it looks great, especially if you like the 70s retro vibe that comes along with it. But in terms of the Consillio, I’d rather have a Spinnaker for half the price. Perhaps their other models will be a much better option; we’ll have to wait and see.

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