The latest edition of the We Love Watches Show allowed several brands to unveil their latest new products and among them, echo/neutra. I don’t know if it’s its Italian roots that give me this feeling but I appreciate the work done by the brand founded by Nicola Callegaro and Cristiano Quaglia. The aesthetic approach is always pure and careful, the execution is very clean and the prices remain within reason. Of course, until then, watches were not wildly original, but they were not without charm. And then, the Rivanera arrived. From a brand identity and collection logic point of view, it is better to avoid analyzing this piece. It is nothing like the other watches in the collection except for the attention to detail and impeccable manufacturing.
But from an aesthetic point of view, it really stands out from the rest. First of all, echo/neutra dares to use the rectangular case and we must salute this courage. It’s never simple from a commercial point of view and very quickly, you can be accused of plagiarizing the Tank or the Reverso depending on the mood of the day. Well, the success of echo/neutra is to have defined a rectangular watch with its own identity. The design is both classic and very contemporary. The grade 5 titanium case is balanced, having attractive proportions. The total width of the case is 27mm for a length of 40mm while the total thickness is 5.9mm. The style is slender while maintaining a reasonable size, which is important for a shaped watch. The fine-grain sandblasted finish gives a lot of originality and modernity. This finish contrasts with the polished edges and helps to emphasize the geometric and angular design. The crown is easy to handle, which was an obligation because the watch is powered by a manually wound caliber.
Two versions of the Rivanera are available: with a black dial or a gray dial. I have a preference for the second for the harmony it creates with the case. The design of the dial is also very successful, simple, effective with a unique timer. The needles are interesting, like a sort of cross between apple and stick needles. Of course the second hand is located near the center given the size of the movement but this allowed echo/neutra to achieve an uninterrupted timer. In any case, on the dial side, the specific dimensions of the movement do not harm the balance of the whole.
The Rivanera uses a well-known ETA 7001 caliber, in an elaborate grade. Its power reserve is 42 hours, which is sufficient for this type of riding. Indeed, daily winding is part of the concept. We also buy a hand-wound dress watch for the lifestyle experience it provides. The finishing of the movement is correct, with some embellishment efforts such as the Geneva stripes. echo/neutra chose to make it visible, why not. A hand-wound movement is always nice to look at and it fits the spirit of the Rivanera.
Beyond its style, the Rivanera makes a difference once the watch is put on the wrist. It surprises with its lightness: 21 grams apart from the specific weight of the bracelet. The feeling this weight gives is amazing. The watch is in any case well positioned on the wrist thanks to the cordovan leather strap. The bracelet is rather wide (it represents 20mm out of 27mm) but this width fits well into the overall aesthetic. Note that the Rivanera is sold with a second calfskin strap.
The Rivanera was therefore a very nice surprise for me. I like shaped watches and I find it interesting that a brand, not necessarily very well known, dares to tackle the challenge of creating a rectangular watch and that it succeeds with talent. The harmony of colors (especially with the gray dial version), the touches of modernity, the quality of the whole make the Rivanera a singular and attractive piece. It pleased me to see that we can now find a rectangular hand-wound watch with its own identity, without it being a clone of a model from the past with a reasonable price (1,490 euros). Please note that orders are taken via the echo/neutra website and that the first 200 orders will be shipped before Christmas.
