Win It: The Zodiac Grandrally

Zodiac Grandrally – $495 – $595

Regular readers will know that we’re suckers for well designed, moto-inspired wristwatches around these parts. And hoooo-boy does Zodiac nail it with their Grandrally.

Swiss Made and balancing the convenience (and not exorbitant price) of a quartz movement, with the feel of a mechanical chronograph, the Grandrally gives you a ton of the look and feel of Tag’s iconic Monaco, without the monster price tag.

The cushion case is gorgeous. Really sets it apart from the standard circular case sport watches out there, and the layout of the dial is perfect. Two contrasting sub dials at 3 and 9, and a rectangular date window at 6, calms the nerves of those of us who love symmetry.

But the watch isn’t some wearable piece of muted zen. It unabashedly says “I’d like to mash the accelerator. Please.” More contrast with the blue outer tachymeter ring and the orange seconds hand is an overt tip of the cap to motorsport watches from the 60s and 70s. As is the comfortable leather strap with the topside ridges.

The movement seems to be a Swiss version (the ISA SWISS 8371?) of the popular Seiko Mecha Quartz? The pushers are snappy like a mechanical, and the orange seconds hand has that ultra precise, elegant sweep, instead of clunkily trudging along like standard quartz chronos.

Case size is 41.5 mm x 48 mm but wears like a medium sized watch. Should fit most average sized wrists perfectly. Water resistance is 100m. Presentation is quite nice, with a wood box and suede-like interior.

This is a rare one. It’s the rare watch that should satisfy both sides of the quartz vs. mechanical/automatic divide. Even those that find themselves gravitating towards automatic/mechanical watches could find themselves pining after one of these. And being that at its heart, it’s a quartz, it won’t leave those lusting after one broke for months.