Van Brauge New Yorker Empire Silver Watch Review

As much as I try not to be judgemental, first impressions do matter, so when a watch arrives on my desk for a review my first impression is usually coloured by the packaging it arrives in. When a brand goes above and beyond to make the event of receiving a watch exciting, it piques my interest. So, when the Van Brauge New Yorker crossed my desk with its retro style map of a New York box jacket, large case and commemorative owner’s medallion, you can say that my interest was thoroughly piqued.

Of course, in realistic terms you’re never going to buy a watch just because it has unusual packaging, it’s simply a nice bonus. What actually matters is the watch itself. The New Yorker is, as its name implies, is a watch dedicated to the Art Deco history of New York. It’s a design theme that’s popped up a surprising number of times recently through brands like Hesili and Bremoir.

A common element of these Art Deco watches is the sector pattern dial. What that means is the hour scale takes the form of a distinct ring with alternating numerals and indexes that appear to section off each portion of the scale. The New Yorker uses Roman numerals, which I find enhances the Art Deco aesthetic due to their geometric shapes. The model I have here is the silver edition, so it has a double curved silver dial with vertical brushed finishing in the centre and circular brushing on the hour ring. I really like the combination of finishes because it catches the light in satisfying ways. Although, as I move the watch in the light, there is something that bugs me slightly.

The hour markers are very green due to the modern C3 SuperLumiNova, which feels at odds with the retro display. It’s definitely a minor issue and one that ultimately comes down to personal taste, but my preference would be for a little more cohesion in colour, perhaps through the use of beige lume to work alongside the vintage aesthetic, instead of against it. But again, it’s a minor point and the Art Deco styling of the dial does capture that early 20th century New York vibe.

Zooming out from the dial to consider the case, the Van Brauge New Yorker has a very nice construction. It’s 38mm with a thickness of 10.4mm, meaning it’s very svelte with vintage-style proportions. It feels great to hold and wear, sitting close to the wrist with that thinness. The vintage styling continues with the double curved, box sapphire crystal that protects the dial.

So far I’ve mostly been talking about the Art Deco and New York vibe of the watch, but there hasn’t been anything concrete beyond the packaging to tie this watch to that iconic city. That all changes when you turn the watch over and discover through the exhibition caseback (which has a notably wide opening for viewing the calibre housed inside) that the rotor has been shaped and engraved to look like the Empire State Building.

At first I thought it was a bit on the nose to have such an obvious icon of the city as the rotor but then I saw the motion that it has as it rotates and I instantly fell in love with it. The way it has been machined means that the body of the building acts as the bridge connecting the centre of the movement to the peripheral weight in the manner of a conventional rotor. However, it creates this kind of illusion where it appears that it’s an actual peripheral rotor, with the Empire State Building floating over the movement.

The movement itself is the modified calibre VB – 24A automatic, which is based on the top grade Sellita SW300. The modifications include the custom rotor as described above, as well as the introduction of an anti-shock rubber ring that suspends the movement within the case to protect it. As with all 38-hour power reserve Sellita movements, I wish the reserve was a bit longer but that’s more a criticism directed at Sellita, not the New Yorker.

I started this article with my first impressions of the packaging and now, having had time to explore the many aspects of this watch, we come to my final impressions. On a conceptual level the Van Brauge New Yorker combines an unlikely mixture of international influences: the design is inspired by America, the movement is Swiss and Van Brauge are based in Britain. But ultimately I think that adds to the charm and story of the piece and does nothing to take away from what is a cool, vintage-styled watch. It’s also great value at £2,200 in a limited edition of just 75 pieces, making it fairly exclusive at the same time.

​Oracle Time 

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