Hello everyone, and welcome to another Singaporean watch review! This Sunday, I’m reviewing the Scuro Bronzo.

The Scuro Bronzo is described as a “custom designed pilot/dive watch”, a watch which exemplifies the brand’s commitment to “robust and well-designed timepieces”. Let’s see if the Bronzo is any good!

Scuro – the Brand

I previously covered Scuro as a brand in my review of the Scuro Volante here. Interestingly, the Scuro Volante will also be relaunched on Kickstarter soon, so keep your eye out for that!

Scuro Bronzo – Build Quality

I’m mixed about the build quality of the Bronzo.

Let’s start with the positives. Firstly, the Scuro Bronzo utilizes a domed sapphire crystal. As aforementioned numerous times in my previous reviews, I’m a huge advocate of sapphire crystal due to their inherent scratch-resisting properties. Personally, I always look for sapphire crystal in my modern watches as it adds greatly to the durability of the watch. The sapphire crystal here is also AR-coated, preventing potential nasty reflections from occurring.

As the name suggests, the Scuro Bronzo features a CuSn8 bronze case. Exotic materials seem to be Scuro’s trademark – the Volante I reviewed previously featured exotic materials in the form of a titanium case and a carbon fiber dial as well. Bronze watches are the rage currently, and with the Bronzo it is clear that Scuro is seeking to jump aboard that train. I personally think that is a great thing, as I simply love bronze watches. I love the natural patina that bronze develops with age, and the unique character that it brings. As the patination of bronze depends on a variety of factors (exposure to air, water, etc), no two bronze watches patina in the exact same way. Starting as a shiny, rose-gold case, the watch will eventually patina into a rustic brown. It is this transformative trait of bronze that makes them so desirable in watches currently – many luxury watch brands are now turning to bronze (Oris, Tudor, etc) as the case material of choice for their watches!

In my opinion, the Miyota 9015 is probably the most bang-for-buck movement out there, being generally seen as a more affordable alternative to the ETA 2824. It has a high beat rate of 4Hz (same as the ETA 2824), 42 hours of hour reserve, 24 Jewels, and features hacking seconds. The high beat rate translates to a smoother sweep of the second hand, which is a treat to the eye. If you would like to know more about the movement, A Blog to Watch did an in-depth article about the Miyota 9000 series here.

The stock strap on the Bronzo is a sailcloth strap, which is befitting given the fact that the Bronzo is supposed to be a robust, tool watch. The strap comes with a supple leather lining, which makes wearing the watch on the wrist a relatively comfortable affair. Unfortunately, the strap buckle is not made of bronze, which is a shame as I would have loved to see the buckle age alongside the watch.

Now to the negatives. My greatest issue with the Bronzo is the WR rating. It is listed as a mere 100M, which is a shame given that the watch is billed as a diver, modeled after the super-compressors of old. With its 100M WR rating, this restricts the Bronzo to being a mere desk diver –  a pity.

Due to its sandwiched dial, the Super-Luminova lume on the dial of the Bronzo shines rather strongly in the night. However, the lume on the internal bezel is noticeably much weaker than that of the indices, which again is a shame.

Overall, I think that the build quality of the Bronzo is decent. There’s sapphire crystal, the beautiful bronze case, and strong Super-Luminova on the dial for clear legibility in the night. My main pickle would be the mere 100M WR rating and weak lume on internal bezel, which in my opinion is inadequate for a watch that bills itself as a “robust watch with diving capabilities”.

Scuro Bronzo – Design

I love the vintage aesthetics of the Bronzo!

Firstly, I absolutely love that blue fume dial – I simply think its gorgeous. Coupled with the rustic patina of bronze, I think the combination is a showstopper. I also like the usage of cathedral hands here, as I think it increases the vintage charm of the watch. In addition, I appreciated the usage of white accents in the dial. The markers are painted in white; the date window is white and framed by a barely perceptible white window; the tip of the second hand is also painted white. There’s coherence in the design here – something that can’t be said for every watch.

Secondly, the Bronzo features a sandwiched dial, with deep cutouts for its Arabic numerals. I think this was a smart move, as it not only adds depth to the dial but also reinforces the vintage appeal of the watch. I especially liked that even the Scuro logo is cutout too! Elsewhere, the Bronzo features an inner rotational bezel, which in theory divers can use to count elapsed time. From an aesthetic point of view, the bevelled inner bezel adds even more depth, resulting in an multi-layered watch. I especially like how the inner bezel features markers that protrudes out and points towards the dial – it’s something unique that I have not seen done on other watches before. Overall, I think that the dial of the Bronzo is incredibly appealing. I love the fume dial, and there’s contrast in depth present in the watch too.

In addition, I appreciated the alternating indentations of the case bezel – again, it reinforces the theme of depth in the Bronzo. For some inexplicable reason, the way the indentations are made gives me a nautical feel! We also get some ornate looking crowns, incredibly detailed and signed. They are also proportionately sized, making winding of the watch a breeze. However, they are made of stainless steel (ion-plated in rose gold) instead of bronze, and their shiny looks seem out of place to me especially when contrasted against the matte, deep brown of the bronze case. I would have greatly preferred for the crowns to be made of bronze here as well. In addition, both crowns do not screw-down, which perhaps explain the paltry water-resistance rating of the Bronzo. As the top crown does not screw down, the inner bezel tends to get misaligned slightly especially when you accidentally brush the top crown against objects. Again, this undercuts the tool watch billing of the Bronzo for me.

The screw-down caseback of the Bronzo is rather pedestrian, featuring a simple motif of the Scuro logo. As per the usual for bronze watches, the caseback is made of stainless steel, with some basic information inscribed. This is because brass/bronze leaves a green residue when it oxidises, which would be undesirable on the skin.

All in all, I find the design of the Scuro Bronzo the main highlight of the watch. That blue “burst” fume dial, paired with the bronze case and sandwiched indices, makes for a eye-catching timepiece.

Shootout: Scuro Bronzo vs Zelos Helmsman 2

When I think of bronze supercompressor-styled watches, the first watch that pops to my mind is the Zelos Helmsman 2.

From a build quality perspective, it’s a toss up. Both watches features bronze cases, sapphire crystal, and strong lume. The Scuro Bronzo has an edge due to its higher beat, more accurate Miyota 9015 movement, as compared to the pedestrian Seiko NH35A movement found in the Zelos Helmsman 2. However, the Helmsman 2 boasts a 300M WR rating, as compared to a mere 100M WR rating on the Bronzo. As such, you can actually bring the Helmsman 2 out to dive – the same cannot be said of the Bronzo. In addition, both crowns on the Helmsman 2 screw down, and along with the internal bezel of the Helmsman 2, are lumed. This makes the Zelos Helmsman 2 a more appropriate choice as a diver.

In terms of aesthetics, it is again splitting hairs – but if I have to choose, I would say that I personally find the design of the Bronzo more intriguing. Both watches have possesses depth in their dial. The Bronzo boasts a sandwiched dial with a bevelled internal bezel, while the Helmsman 2 features a multi-layered dial with applied indices. However, as much as I like the sunburst blue dial on the Helmsman 2, I would say that the “burst” fume dial on the Bronzo takes the cake for me. It’s really unique, and paired with the bronze case, makes for a stunning watch.

Both watches are priced similarly, with the Helmsman 2 retailing for $649 USD/~$885 SGD while the Bronzo is listed at $799 AUD/ ~$796 SGD. Ultimately, I would say that which watch is better for you depends on your needs. If you are looking for a tool watch which you can bring out to dive, the Zelos Helmsman 2 is probably the better choice with its all around strong lume, 300M WR rating, and dual screw-down crowns. However, if you’re more of a desk diver, the Scuro Bronzo may be the better option with its striking fume dial and high beat Miyota 9015 movement.

Conclusion – so the Scuro Bronzo “shiok” or not?

That depends. If you’re looking for a tool watch for diving, I would say give the Bronzo a miss. With its 100M WR rating, lack of screw-down crowns and weak lume on the internal bezel, I don’t think that the Bronzo would be the best choice as a diver. However, if you’re unlikely to ever go to the ocean (much less dive), and you like the looks of the Bronzo, I would say go for it. There’s a lot to love about the Bronzo. The fume dial is striking, the sandwiched dial makes an impression, and of course, there’s that beautiful bronze case. Altogether, it’s a watch with rustic, vintage charm in spades.

Currently, the blue dial version of the Scuro Bronze retails for $799 AUD/ ~$796 SGD. That’s a fair price, but Scuro currently has a massive promotion on the other colourways of the Bronzo, with a brown fume dial variant on sale for just $599 AUD/ ~$597 SGD! At less than $600 SGD, I think that the Scuro Bronzo presents a great value proposition.

View Scuro’s full range of watches here.

Specifications:

Case Diameter : 42 mm 
Lug to lug : 50 mm
Thickness :  13 mm ( including domed sapphire crystal )
Case Material : Bronze Cusn8
Bezel : Bi-directional custom designed internal bezel  
Crown : Custom stainless steel dual crowns with embossed S logo  
Crystal : Domed sapphire crystal with AR Coating 
Movement : Japanese Miyota 9015 Automatic Movement  
Dial : Sandwich dial, index & hands painted with Super-Luminova  
Strap Material : 20mm black sail cloth strap. 
Water Resistant : 10 ATM/100M
Warranty: 12 Months

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