Latest Review
Kent Wang is no stranger to Worn & Wound. Last year we reviewed the Art Deco watch, Wang’s second timepiece and ode to Art Deco design philosophy. That watch had a sculpted geometric case and a beautiful guilloche dial featuring an ornate sunburst designed by Louise Fili. This time around we got our hands on the latest iteration of Kent Wang’s first-ever watch, the Bauhaus.
As the name suggests, the Bauhaus watch pulls its influence from the Bauhaus school of design. The dial bears no logo. Simple hash markers represent the hours and smaller hash markers fill in the minutes. There’s also a bordered date window, as well as a set of faceted baton hands. All watches feature a flat sapphire crystal up top and a display back. And that’s pretty much it. The only sign of branding or text is an etched “Kent Wang” along the perimeter of the case back.
The Bauhaus watch has seen a number of small changes since its inception. The first version (v1) came with a BWAF (Beijing Watch Factory) movement housed in a 42mm case. The v2 swapped out the BWAF movement with a Sea-Gull ST2130, a Chinese clone of the 2824, and tempered the case dimensions down to a more classic 39mm. The v3 is the latest version and it takes that same 39mm case and pairs it with the Miyota 9015. The v3 also brings a black dial into the mix, rounding out the collection.
The white dial is a true white and has an eggshell-like texture that isn’t obvious in the product photos but is actually quite apparent in person. All indices are printed black and a raised border painted silver frames the date window. The hands are hand-painted blue in an attempt to mimic heat-blued hands.
The black dial, despite its name, isn’t actually black. It’s more of a dark matte grey with applied silver indices representing the hour markers and white printed hash marks representing the minutes. The hands are also silver, as is the frame over the date window. Of the two styles, the black-dialed variant feels more subdued.
Both watches come paired with pretty basic leather straps of acceptable quality, but you’re likely going to want to swap them out. Kent Wang offers a Teju lizard strap and Horween shell cordovan straps in his store. I would personally spring for shell.
There’s not much to say about the Miyota 9015 that hasn’t already been said. It’s a reliable movement that has proven itself in light of the ETA squeeze on the market. I’ve had a number of watches powered by the 9015 and all have performed flawlessly, and the Bauhaus v3 is no exception. It’s a welcome upgrade to the series and one that comes at a very reasonable surcharge; the white v3 is $375 and the black is $395. The v2 with the Seagull movement isn’t significantly cheaper at $350.
Overall, the Bauhaus v3 offers an excellent value proposition and it is one of the few watches on the market to combine a logo-free dial, classic propositions, and a high-quality automatic movement at a reasonable price. It sits comfortably on the wrist and fits well under a shirt cuff. In terms of styling, the watch is basically timeless and it’s definitely one of the better takes on the affordable automatic minimalist dress watch.
To purchase, head on over to Kent Wang’s E-store. And while you’re at it, pick up a pocket square or two.
great looking watch I would have bought it immediately if there was a no date version of v3 in black!
Agree!
Spot on, but I still might.
That rotor is screaming for customization with a wide open view like that.
Take advantage of the 9015’s slimness and get the case under 10mm thick and it would be hitting a niche that needs some attention.
Edit: I like the watch and think it is well executed.
Tasteful watch.
Nearly USD400 and we get what’s essentially an off the shelf 9015, printed dial and painted hands…not even some real heat-blued hands?
I like the clean look of both versions but at that price I’ll pass.
Apples and oranges.
“a more classic 39mm”
Sorry, but 39mm is not a classic size. 34mm is a classic size. Possibly even 36mm. 39mm says, “I wanted to make a watch that seems small by contemporary standards, and to do that, I had to keep it under 40mm. But people still want large watches. So 39mm it is.”
38mm and 39mm are the contemporary sizes for dress watches, it seems. But in the old days, 34mm was the size. Even the handwind Max Bill watches — with authentic Bauhaus pedigree — are 34mm.
That’s why it says “more classic” and not just “classic.” You’re making a counterargument to an argument that was never made.