While Beda’a is a name I’ve been aware of in a sort of peripheral fashion like many of the other, smaller design led brands that populate the edges of the watch industry, it’s not one that Oracle Time has ever had the fortune of seeing in the metal. That is, until Geneva Watch Days last week where we were introduced to the new Beda’a Angles Mecaline, the first mechanical expression of the brand’s signature timepiece. A modern, minimalist watch that really captures the attention.
Naturally the first thing that stands out is the case, which is octagonal with dimensions of 37mm x 34mm x 6mm. It’s got a stepped bezel with polished flanks and a vertically brushed finish, which matches the finishing of the case body below. Slightly curved lugs lead into a leather strap and in combination with the slim proportions make the watch incredibly comfortable on the wrist. It feels very light even in steel. Conceptually it feels like a fusion between the Bulgari Octo Finissimo and Gerald Charles Maestro.
Where the Angles Mecaline differs to previous editions of the watch, other than the fact it houses a mechanical movement, is the minimalist dial. It has done away with all the Roman numerals of previous versions to present an incredibly clean face with a small seconds subdial and dauphine style hands. There are two colours being produced: taupe grey and black. The black offers a more traditional style while the grey is my preferred option thanks to its more contemporary feel. I also enjoy the contrast between the smooth finish on the main dial and sunray subdial.
The mechanical movement they’ve opted for is the tried and tested ETA 7001 with 42-hour power reserve. A manual winding movement that’s having a bit of a renaissance at the moment with several recent releases making use of it, including our own collaboration with Isotope. It’s the ideal movement for maintaining the watch’s slim proportions, since there’s no bulky automatic rotor taking up space. It’s protected by a brushed steel caseback with eight exposed screws.
It’s priced at $1,456 (approx. £1,080), which feels like an appropriate price point. It definitely leans into a luxury, dress style aesthetic but at the same time it is made from steel with a widely available movement. So at this price, it offers good value both as an aspirational but attainable watch for those with a lower budget and as a quick purchase for those with higher. Certainly, if they continue with releases like this, Beda’a will move from being in the periphery to more central on my radar.
Price and Specs:
More details at Beda’a.
