REVIEW WILLIAMS L 1985 Chrono
1. HistoryName: founder Guillaume Laidet, born 1985, France, inspired by the vintage chronograph of his grandfather.
He started his own company with watches at reasonable prices and tough good looking watches.
To have better resonance he took an “english” name: William L 1985.
Website story:
https://uk.williaml1985.com/content/7-story2. Arrival (1st impression)The carboard package contained the pouch, and there in the watch and some additional papers.
Once the pouch is opened, the magnificent panda looks to you! Tough a nylon is still over the crystal to protect.
3. DescriptionCASE: 316L stainless steel polished and brushed
DIAMETER: 40 mm
THICKNESS: 13,1 mm
CRYSTAL: Ultra-resistant domed mineral with anti-reflective coating
WATER RESISTANCE: 5 ATM (50 meters)
DIAL: Panda, with tachymeter scale, telemeter.
HANDS: Dauphine with Luminova treatment
INDEXES: Applied / Baton
MOVEMENT: Quartz Miyota 6S21
FUNCTIONS: Chronograph, date, small second, 60 minutes counter
STRAP: Mesh band with easy spring bars
LUG WIDTH: 20 mm
BUCKLE: 316L stainless steel ratchet
CROWN: engraved “WL”
PRICE: 189€ according to the website
The chronograph hand (centre one), once activated, makes 4 beats per second. This gives the feeling of an mechanical one. Nice!
The 40mm watch is just perfect to the wrist of the most of us. The crown is a bit hard to pull, but maybe because the watch is still new. The chrono pushbuttons have a nice vintage feeling, as the start like a mechanical calibre. The big seconds hand (chronograph hand) progresses with about 4 tics per second, as it looks like a mechanical chrono. Reset looks pretty as it turns smoothly clockwise to “12”. In darkness it is not perfectly visible, but to be serious, this is more watch for during daylight! Or as a dresswatch.
The particularity here is: this is one of the rare watches that have also a TELEMETER scala, beside the Tachymeter scala.
Use of the telemeter:Example: Fire range of artillery.
Start the chronograph upon seeing the explosion of your artillery shell down range.
Stop the chronograph upon hearing the explosion.
The chronograph hand points to the approximate distance from you to where your shell has impacted. If 51 seconds have passed the telemeter value is 17, the shell impacted approximately 17km down range.
Example: Distance from lightning strike.
Start the chronograph upon seeing a strike of lightning.
Stop the chronograph upon hearing thunder.
If 21 seconds have passed the telemeter value is 7, the lightning strike was approximately 7km from where you are.
In general, use a telemeter by following this process:
Start the chronograph upon seeing an event.
Stop the chronograph upon hearing the event.
The telemeter value at which the second hand points approximates the distance between your position and the event, in the stated units of the telemeter.
4. Remarks:It is a very nice chrono-watch. Especially the white dial with 2 black subdials – Panda !
As two subdials look more vintage then three subdials, this was a main criterium to me.
Also, a reliable quartz movement was important, as mechanical chronographs need more, and also more expensive maintenance. It is part of my (not expensive) collection and so, it is not worn every day. I pull the crown and the battery is set to off. Restart is simple as there is no date, just set the time.
To make it more comfortable (to me), I changed the mesh strap into a classic oak colour leather strap. And sometimes a black leather rallyestrap.
The watch comes with a nice synthetic grey leather pouch. There is place for 1 watch and 2 separate straps.
I can fit another watch even! This is a very useful accessoire.
MUCH better then all those boxes that fill the cupboard for the rest of there life…
5. Other “panda” chronographs:LIP and Williams (miyota quartz)
Vapaus and Newmark (Seiko Quartz)
Mechanical Seiko and Zodiac
6. Conclusion:A watch much value for money.
Apart for the “cheap” mesh strap, this watch fits me perfectly, and with another strap, you can personalize your watch as you want. Also a black or beige rally strap would nicely fit, and seems quiet good as dresswatch.
It looks brillant and with 40 mm, it is just OK for the most of us. And last but not least: you don’t spend to much money, so there is still “spare” for other watches/straps/accesoires!
As it is a French company it is EU and maybe this is also important to many customers! Of course, it is probably assembled in the PRC but the final quality check is in France. And Japanese Miyota in 100% OK!
If you like a panda-chrono in your collection to wear only from timr to time, a quartz one is recommendable to me. This one fits the requirements!
Σας ευχαριστούμε για το ενδιαφέρον σας! Thanks!
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