It's like a race car meter! The Reservoir "GT Tour Racing" is surprisingly practical!

This is a wear review of the Reservoir "GT Tour Racing," a watch based on the design concept of racing car instruments. Reservoir is a brand that focuses on the design of instruments that cannot be misread, and this work incorporates an RPM counter display format with a jumping hour display and retrograde mechanism. After actually wearing it, I found that the time was easy to read and there were no problems with usability. In addition, the watch's level of completion as a practical device, including its operability, was also good. Therefore, for motorsport fans who can relate to the worldview of this work, it is a watch worth picking up.

About Reservoir "GT Tour Racing"

　There are many watch brands, each with its own unique characteristics. While many brands tend to offer a lineup of basic models and models that strongly reflect the brand's distinctive features, there are also brands that have a lineup unified by a certain theme. One such brand is Reservoir.

　A distinctive feature of the Reservoir is that many models incorporate a design that incorporates the display format of a measuring instrument. What is distinctive about this design is that it revises the conventional display format, which uses one rotation of the dial to display 12 hours or 60 minutes.

　What is the best display format for Reserve? The company focused on measuring instruments that cannot be misread in harsh environments. Therefore, Reserve incorporates the functional style of measuring instruments, focusing on the combination of a 240° retrograde minute hand and jumping hours, and incorporating the designs of automobile RPM counters (also known as tachometers) and pressure and depth gauges used in submarines and diving.

　Of these models, the one we'll be reviewing this time is the "GT Tour Racing," which is based on the design of a racing car's RPM counter. It features a 240° retrograde minute display with indexes from 0 to 6. The center of the dial reads "MINUTES x 10," another detail reminiscent of an RPM counter.

　Among the various variations of the GT Tour, this model stands out for its carbon dial, which, combined with its red, slender hands, evokes the design image of modern racing car instruments. It also features a large jumping hour display at 6 o'clock and a power reserve indicator below it, modeled after a fuel gauge.

Don't be afraid of the unique display format

　Retrograde watches are not particularly rare, but many people have never owned one. Concerns arise about legibility (is it easy to see?) and readability (can you tell the time?). First of all, there are no issues with the legibility of the GT Tour Racing. It's clear where the hands are pointing, and the lack of an hour hand means there's no confusion about mistaking it for a regular two- or three-hand model.

　Next, how easy is it to read? As someone accustomed to seeing various instruments from my work experience, I had no problems. It's true that it might be difficult to get accurate time readings instantly after only wearing it for a week. However, after wearing it for a few days, I was able to get a rough idea of ​​the time; if the hands were pointing straight up at a glance, it meant half an hour, or about 30 minutes. From there, I could read the time in 5-minute or 1-minute increments as needed.

　As for the time display, I never got confused unless I was engrossed in work for hours and lost track of the time, and the large jumping hour display makes it easy to read.

　The dial is made of a woven carbon sheet. The dark color tone changes depending on the viewing angle, making it easy to read. Also, when viewed from an angle, the three-dimensional effect of the weave is emphasized, creating a unique look, which is another point to consider when choosing this watch.

Good operability and winding efficiency

　The crown is screw-down and has some sharp notches, making it easy to operate. At first, I was a little nervous about adjusting the time because it has a retrograde time display, but as soon as the minute hand reaches "6," the jumping hour display changes clearly and stably while immediately returning to zero. It seems like there won't be any problems if you just operate it slowly and carefully.

　When manually wound using the crown, it quickly winds up to about halfway, and even with my lifestyle, which doesn't involve much walking, the daily balance was only slightly negative, giving the impression that the winding efficiency is good.

　The movement, Cal. RSV-240, is based on La Joux-Perret's G100, and some of the basic design is based on Miyota's highly acclaimed 9000 series. It certainly sounds good. The power reserve indicator, modeled after a fuel gauge, makes it easy to manage the power reserve.

　When wearing the watch, you can enjoy (if you're lucky) the pleasant "click" sound that sounds like the date changing every hour, accompanied by the minute hand resetting to zero. There is no error that can be seen with poorly adjusted date changes.

Large but comfortable to wear and has a comfortable strap

　With a case diameter of 43mm and a thickness of 13.3mm (measured by the author), it is on the large side, but for me, whose wrist is about 18cm in circumference, it was comfortable to wear. This is probably due to the lugs being curved to fit the wrist.

　The strap is a thick leather strap with a perforated mesh. It is a rally type with large holes, which matches the theme of this work, motorsports. The impressions were made at the end of June when the number of humid and muggy days was increasing, but it was more comfortable than expected, with less stuffiness. The large holes certainly seem to be effective.

　The strap is made of a slightly thick but supple leather, which quickly became comfortable and improved the fit towards the end of the impressions. The thickness also gives it a sense of rigidity, which firmly supports the large head, resulting in a comfortable fit.

Its uniqueness makes you want to make extravagant requests.

　After wearing it for a while, I found it to be quite comfortable, contrary to my initial impression that it would be difficult to wear. However, because it is a unique model, there were some parts that made me want to make some niche requests, even though I knew it was a luxury item.

　The first issue is visibility in the dark. This model does not have luminous material, and the dial is black with red hands. In slightly dark surroundings, the hands blend into the dial, making visibility difficult. This is an area that could be improved by adding luminous material to some of the indices and the back of the hands to resemble a real meter.

　Another very personal and selfish wish is that the jumping hour display should be in 24-hour format instead of 12-hour format. This piece features a carbon dial with a modern racing car motif, and the image also features a machine reminiscent of the WEC LMP class.

　Since LMP class cars are the class used in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, I felt that a 24-hour notation would be appropriate. If the goal is to appeal to avid motorsport fans who choose this game because they relate to the worldview of this game and Reservoir, wouldn't it have been worth going that far?　

There are some points to talk about for car enthusiasts.

　The GT Tour Racing is not a model that can be recommended to everyone due to its distinctive design and display format, and Reservoir is not aiming for that either. On the other hand, it will be appealing to those who can relate to Reservoir and the worldview of this work.

　The GT Tour series not only samples the dial design from automobiles, but also uses an unusual retrograde mechanism to incorporate the RPM counter display format. In other words, the dial design and mechanism are rational.

　This will be a "talking point" for users, and will be a motivator for car enthusiasts and those who work with cars to choose this game. The design has a classic feel, so it will be well received not only by fans of the latest super sports cars, but also by classic car fans.

　The visibility (readability) is good, and the mechanism is stable, so it can be evaluated as being highly complete as a practical device. For those who empathize with the worldview of this work and can accept the price tag of approximately 78 yen, it is well worth going to the store and picking it up.