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Drive time with jumping hours and retrograde minutes.
One of the coolest brands to have emerged recently on the “independent scene”, Reservoir stands out with its original way to display time. Created by François Moreau, the brand made its debut at Baselworld 2017. His inspiration was fueled by his passion for all things mechanical, and in particular, yesteryear measuring instruments mounted on dashboards or in cockpits: pressure gauges, speedometers, manometers, rev counters… which inspired an original time display. Let’s have a look at the Reservoir Supercharged Sport Red Zone II.
Jumping hours and retrograde minutes require an exacting mechanism capable of accumulating power before releasing it one go with a swift movement precisely on the hour. This needs to be achieved with a sharp snap but no extra bounce. With this in mind, Reservoir developed a proprietary module developed and manufactured with Telos in La Chaux-de-Fonds. It is made of no fewer than 124 parts and incorporates a security device to prevent any damage to the movement when turning the crown anti-clockwise.
The three-complication mechanism is mounted on a tried-and-tested workhorse, the ETA 2824. For more information, you can read our review article about Reservoir here and watch the video at the top of this article to get a better understanding of the display.
The Reservoir Supercharged Sport Red Zone II we are going hands-on with here is an edition that is inspired by retro racing design and analogue dashboard instruments of classic cars. Its black dial features a 10-minute red zone, reminiscent of red zone danger areas on rev counters. The power reserve is displayed via a large aperture on the lower part of the dial and echoes fuel or oil gauges with “E – ½ – F” inscriptions. The sloped retrograde minute indication, the applied logo and framed hour and power reserve display provide great depth to the dial. Naturally, the display is a bit unusual at first but it is cool and perfectly functional. All the indications contrast clearly against the black dial providing instant legibility.
Fashioned out of 316L steel, the round case of the Reservoir Supercharged feels solid and well crafted. It features a sloped bezel, angular lugs and a well-proportioned crown engraved with the brand’s logo. Its finishing combines a polished bezel with brushed flanks. Measuring 43mm in diameter, it has great wrist presence but feels relatively comfortable. Water-resistance is of 50m. The engine under the hood is visible via the exhibition caseback, opened across 240 degrees and secured with 5 screws. Beating at a 4Hz frequency, this self-winding movement delivers 37 hours of power reserve. Its decoration is modern and the rotor is ribbed and emblazoned with the red Reservoir logo.
The Reservoir Supercharged Sport Red Zone II is worn on a black alligator leather strap with motorsport-inspired red stitching and lining. It is secured to the wrist with a butterfly folding clasp. It is fitted with an easy-change system allowing you to change the strap and the personality of your watch in seconds. The watch is delivered with a spare NATO strap. Price is set at EUR 3,750, which seems fairly priced given the complexity of the mechanism.
Elegant and casual, clean, well-designed and with an original touch, the Reservoir Supercharged Sport Red Zone II will have no problems finding fans. For more information, please visit www.reservoir-watch.com.
