New Brand Vostra Debut Vector Wristwatch with Retro-Futuristic Design

From the same team behind RZE’s accessible titanium tool watches comes a new brand dedicated to equally accessible but not necessarily titanium watches. The new brand is called Vostra after the Italian pronoun “yours” because they want to make watches for you. Yes, you specifically, reader. They’re refreshingly open about the types of watches they want to create: fun, sporty and not so precious that you’ll spill a tear if you scratch it. Their debut timepiece is the Vostra Vector, which is being made available via Kickstarter from February 14th.

Perhaps it’s because the new Fantastic 4 trailer dropped recently but the word that comes to mind when looking at the Vostra Vector is retro-futurism. The term was coined in the 1960s and 70s to refer to that nostalgic, sci-fi vibe where people ride around in Jetsons-style flying cars that look suspiciously like vintage Buicks and Cadillacs. It’s a combination of soft round shapes with a hard modern edge – perfectly encapsulated by the Vector’s 40mm steel case which has a wide, round shape but also the steep facets of an integrated bracelet and a dodecagon bezel.

It’s an appropriate connection because it was also in the 1970s that famous designers like Gerald Genta revolutionised watch design with the first wave of integrated sports bracelet watches like the Royal Oak and Nautilus. So, in some respects the idea of retro-futurism and luxury steel sports watches are related because they both reflect a desire for new growth and fresh design impetus in the decades after World War II. The Vostra Vector feels like it was plucked directly from this period, though without the Patek Philippe or Audemars Piguet price tag.

Even the bold, block colours on the dials of the three variants help to cement this aesthetic. The Atomic Blue has a matte blue dial with white subdials and orange accents (perhaps this is where the Fantastic 4 connection was made as those are the colours of The Thing and Human Torch in their costumes). Then Gamma Grey is, unsurprisingly, grey with black subdials and teal green accents. Leaving the Electro Yellow in its bright yellow with white subdials and red accents. The names of the colourways, Atomic, Gamma and Electro, are also inspired by that late 20^th century drive towards new energy, tying a perfect bow on the 70s design of the Vector.

Getting into the details of the dial, it has a 60-minute scale on the flange around the circumference of the display. Inside of that is a chronograph seconds scale and then the baton hour markers. Then, inside of that are the tricompax chronograph functions with small seconds at 6 o’clock intersecting with the date, then a 24-hour subdial at 3 and a 60-minute counter at 9. The central hand-stack consists of hour, minute and chronograph seconds hands. Activating the chronograph is done via the rounded pushers at 2 and 4 o’clock.

Powering the Vostra Vector is the Seiko VK63 meca-quartz movement. It’s a hybrid movement that bridges the gap between quartz and mechanical, combining battery powered regular timekeeping with a mechanical chronograph. It’s not a prestigious movement by any stretch of the imagination but then, as I noted in the introduction, Vostra make no pretences of being a prestige brand. Instead, it’s practical and accessible.

Speaking of accessible, the Vostra Vector in any of its colourways is $199 on Kickstarter with a future retail price of $279 (approx. £160 / £225). Is it going to be the flagship watch in your collection? No. Is it going to be a fun runabout watch that you can slap on before heading down Camden Market or Shoreditch? Yes. The Kickstarter is live from February 14^th.

More details at Vostra.

​Oracle Time 

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