Grandeur Strange 39mm

Review: Grandeur Strange 39mm (Silver/Black) – A Masterclass in Missed Potential

This one hurts. Not because I got a dud, but because I wanted this watch to be great. The Grandeur Strange 39mm, limited to just 100 pieces, had all the makings of a cult hit: weirdly beautiful case, offbeat dial layout, and a fresh brand taking risks. But what I ended up with was a harsh reminder that good design can’t save bad execution.

Let’s talk movement - or more accurately, whatever this thing inside is. Billed as “in-house” (and presented with just enough smoke and mirrors to make you believe it), it’s actually a modified "something" which i havent been able to find any info on, that tries to deliver a jump hour complication. What it delivers instead is confusion. The hour hand frequently lands between numerals, especially near the hour change, and doesn’t snap into the correct position until well into the hour. So unless you’re timing your glances with the precision of a lunar eclipse, telling the time becomes a guessing game. At £1,000, that’s not charming, that’s infuriating.

Now here’s the kicker: they’ve sold solid gold versions with stone dials for £9,000+, using this exact same movement. I wish I was joking. You’re paying five figures for the same flawed, misaligned jump hour mechanism, just dressed up in a heavier case and shinier stone. It’s outrageous. You’d expect an independent brand charging that kind of money to offer a unique caliber or at least a properly functioning one. Instead, it’s smoke, mirrors, and gold plating.

Zoom in on the dial and things don’t improve. The material looks and feels plasticky. There’s a toy-like finish to the numerals and dial surface that completely undermines the “avant-garde art piece” vibe they’re going for. It photographs well, I’ll give them that, but in person, under natural light? You can feel the corners they cut.

The case, admittedly, is still pretty cool. The melting, Dali-esque shape is what got me in the first place. And at 39mm, it sounds like it should wear great. But it doesn’t. It’s unnecessarily thick, rides high on the wrist, and the awkward lug profile makes it look bigger than it is. Definitely not as wearable as I had hoped.

They throw in a few leather straps in different colours to sweeten the deal - but again, the quality just isn’t there. Stiff, cheap-feeling, and a pain to break in. Another area where the effort looks good on paper but feels half-baked in reality.

I’ll give credit where it’s due: the concept is great. We need more independent brands willing to take design risks and challenge the status quo. But if you’re going to push boundaries, you have to nail the fundamentals — and this doesn’t. You can’t charge four figures and then flub the basics like timekeeping and build quality.

In hindsight, I let the limited edition hype and slick marketing cloud my judgment. It’s one of those watches you buy with your eyes and regret with your wrist.

Lesson learned. Won’t be fooled again.