Edox has recently started selling its “sporty” quartz-powered Grand Ocean Calibre 27000 (ref. 357JN NID), which is equipped with the thinnest in its class calendar movement. The most interesting thing about this new mechanism is that Edox claims to have developed it using its own resources.
Mechanism
The movement in question –the Edox Calibre 27000 quartz caliber— is only 1.40 mm thick and holds the title of the thinnest among its direct competitors.
For example, Ronda’s thinnest caliber in their Slimtech collection, too, measures the same 1.4 millimeters top to bottom, but its functionality is limited to just displaying hours and minutes, opt-in for a simple calendar, and you get the caliber’s thickness increased by half a millimeter. Not that it matters much in the grand scheme of things, but it is still nice to have a relatively affordable Swiss-made watch that is the best in something!
Of course, only time will tell how reliable this mechanism will be in the longer term.
Case
Thanks to the use of such a thin movement, the timekeeper’s 33-millimeter case is only 3.20 mm thick.
I am pretty sure that lots of ladies who ever considered buying a nice sporty timekeeper were turned off by their relatively thick case. This one, thanks to its impressive thinness, will make an almost perfect accessory even for a person with a very skinny wrist.
What’s even more pleasant is that Edox’s designers managed to successfully and almost impeccably adapt Grand Ocean’s signature styling to this ultra-slim model without losing a single bit of the original line’s boldness and beauty.
The secret here is the thin notched bezel that -thanks to its profile- look rugged and strong while not increasing the timepiece’s overall thickness much.
Even the ultra-small setting crown doesn’t detract too much from the Grand Ocean’s spirit of adventure, although, I would prefer to see its diameter increased by 0.5 mm or so.
Of course, in terms of craftsmanship and ingenuity the Grand Ocean Calibre 27000 doesn’t even come close to the real wonders of Swiss mechanical watchmaking, but, unlike some other contenders, it doesn’t try to fool you pretending that it is. In fact, it makes it explicitly clear that this is just an accessory, not some piece of high horology.
Dial
Thanks to the chosen color scheme, the dial of this new Grand Ocean 27000 offers good legibility even when the light is not that great. Of course, given its sporty styling, it would be also nice to have at least thin strips of Superluminova applied to its hour and minute hands, but the lack of the luminous compound doesn’t look like a deal-breaker to me.
Price
Lume or no lume, this version of the Grand Ocean family may be an ideal choice for those seeking a watch, which is both sporty, elegant and combines the high accuracy of a premium quartz caliber with surprisingly moderate pricing. At this moment, the Swiss-based brand plans to sell this beautiful trinket for about €990.
See also: Dior La D de Dior 25 mm Ladies
WWR Verdict
Originality 4/5
Build quality: 4.5/5
Usability: 4.5/5
Overall Legibility: 4.5/5
Nighttime Legibility: 1/5
Value for money: 3/5
Overall Rating: 4/5
Photos: Edox
Edox Grand Ocean Calibre 27000 (ref. 357JN NID) specification
Price: €990 (MSRP) / $1800 (Retail)
Movement: Quartz, developed by Edox, Swiss Made
Functions: Hours, minutes, date
Case: Stainless steel, DLC treated
Bezel: Stainless steel
Shape: Round
Size: 33.00 mm
Case height: 3.20 mm
Dial: Black
Hands: Steel
Water resistance: 50 meters
Strap: Black rubber on steel deployment clasp
Crystal: Sapphire, antireflective
Back: Solid, engraved