BYOP Avitimer Testimonial

"Fantastic Fit and Finish at an Affordable Price

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Long story short: this is an amazing timepiece for a great price! While the reviews (correctly) led me to expect the Avitimer to punch well above its weight, the Avitimer definitely fit the bill and the overall fit and finish are remarkable for an affordable watch. Longer story longer: I had admired BYOP watches for some time after seeing them in watch collecting groups on social media and was highly impressed with Brian, the owner, because of how he engaged with the community. Finally, after a paycheck a couple weeks ago, I was able to take the plunge and buy an Avitimer. The watch was mailed almost immediately and arrived just a couple business days later. The leather travel pouch which accompanies the watch feels great to the touch and seems to be of high quality. While the packaging and presentation were fantastic, I have to say the watch itself remained the star of the show.

 

My first impression upon seeing the Avitimer for the first time in person was that it must be smaller than the 42mm listed online, but the specs on the site are correct. The next aspect of the watch that stood out to me was the remarkable contrast between the black dial and the bright white hands, which makes checking the time easy with a quick glance. The face of the watch seemed darker than other watches I have, so much so that I placed the Avitimer next to a couple black watches in my collection from other manufacturers, and the Avitimer's face definitely appears darker than those, absorbing more light. The visual effect is different from any other watch in my collection, and it gives this piece a unique look. One last aspect of the dial (other than the lume) which stood out is the unusual and unobtrusive date window, which usually remains unseen unless I am looking specifically for it - a sort of Room of Requirement on a watch.The exhibition caseback provides a view into a nicely signed rotor on an NH-35A movement which seems to keep time well. The bottom crown, a screw-down, sets the time and date and allows one to hack the second hand. The internal bezel has exactly the right amount of resistance to set it when I want to time something (it's a great watch for cooking) but has not yet been moved accidentally while just wearing the watch, which was a concern of mine before the watch arrived. My primary reason for picking the Avitimer over a couple of the other BYOP offerings was my love of lumed Arabic numerals, and I was not disappointed in my choice. In addition to the strong lume on the hands, the numbers on the face, along with those on the bezel, glow nicely as do the pips just outside of the face's numerals. One last pleasant surprise for me was the quality of the strap, which comes with a signed buckle. Like the travel pouch which came with the watch, it seems to be of quality leather, and it was remarkably supple even before it was worn. As you can probably tell, I am thrilled with the overall fit and finish of the Avitimer. It ticked a lot of boxes for me: 42mm case, super legible hands, striking face, unique (and color matched!) date window, exhibition case back, utilitarian bezel, and a high quality strap at a fantastic price.

 

In fact, I was so impressed with the craftsmanship of the watch that I ordered a BYOP excursion bag to replace my aging computer bag. I'll type up a review of that later but here is a partial spoiler: my wife saw it sitting in our kitchen and was visibly disappointed when I informed her it was not a Mother's Day gift that arrived early. As mentioned above, the Avitimer is a wonderful product at a super-competitive price, and with an engaged brand owner like Brian I am confident that your experience will be the same as mine."

 

-Mike