One of the nice things about being a watch collector is that I have a watch for every occasion. It is not uncommon for me to change my watch multiple times a day. When the dual opportunity of taking a cruise around the southern and western sides of Australia coincided with VEJRHØJ’s offer to check out the new GUN, I jumped at both opportunities. Our boat was to be the Silver Whisper from Silver Seas. Each night required some level of formal dress and the GUN was to be my dress watch and dinner companion for our 23-day adventure.
Enter COVID-19 and the end of the world. Four days before we were to fly out of Dulles International airport outside of Washington DC, the cruise line cancelled the cruise. It was probably for the best that the trip was cancelled, but I’m super bummed as this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. On a positive note, the GUN is rocking it on my wrist even though I’m in pajamas, eating ramen out of the cup, while watching reruns of Magnum P.I. on Amazon Prime.
The GUN’s Watch Specifications
Case: 40mm x 7.25mm thick
Dial: Split Dial with brushed metal and Dark Stained Walnut
Glass: Mineral Crystal with Sapphire Coating
Case: Walnut Wood and Polished 316L Gunmetal Stainless Steel
Strap: Tapered 20mm Gunmetal Stainless Steel Mess with Quick Releases
Movement: Miyota 2025 Quartz
The GUN is VEJRHØJ’s new top seller and lands definitively on the more upscale and dressy side of the brands offerings. In my review of the the Nautic 65° North I describe the watch as a “dress watch” that could be your everyday wear. I think the GUN although wearable everyday falls squarely in the dress watch category. VEJRHØJ has taken all the elements that make the Nautic a uniquely Scandinavian statement and boiled it down into a leaner and more elegant version.
The GUN arrived in the now familiar bamboo box engraved with VEJRHOJ on the lid. For this watch I requested the gunmetal strap and I’m really glad I did, it really makes the watch feel special and is super comfortable. The 40mm case diameter on the GUN is still a little on the larger size for a dress watch but is almost ideal for my 7.25” wrist. Most watches that are smaller than 40mm do not look or feel right on my sized wrist. Check out this great guide for watch sizing if you have any questions about size and fit for your wrist size.The use of wood in VEJRHØJ’s (pronounced: ViaHoy in Danish) watches has always been part of the brands design language, but in the GUN it has been turned down and used as an accent, rather than a featured aspect. I especially love the thin wooden bezel of walnut mounted under the glass. This simple ribbon of wood is a nod to the Nautics comparatively huge bezel of wood yet imparts a warmth and elegance to the dial that another material would not. It blows me away how Janus and his team have figured out how to work with wood at these small sizes.
Another aspect of the GUN that I find fascinating are the lugs for holding the strap on. I have watches with huge lugs, and I have watches with no lugs, but I have never seen a case with such small lugs. The design is most clever, it is essentially a lug-less look with lugs. This makes perfect sense, to go lug-less in the traditional way would require beefing up the case to create mounting points for the spring bars. This way they have do not and it keeps the case slim and elegant.
While I’m talking about the lugs on the GUN I need to make special note about the mesh strap that came with this watch. It is awesome! The mesh is incredibly fine, check out this photo comparing it to my largest mesh, mesh band. Also, the double clasp mechanism is excellent and very secure. Easily my most comfortable mesh band. I am huge swapper of bands and straps on my watches, but I have not done so with the GUN and have no intention of doing so, the band that comes with it is ideal even though it has quick release pins.
The choice of the Miyota 2025 is a good one for this watch considering its very slim case size of 7.25mm. The 2025 is 3.15mm but has a respectable 3-year battery life from the SR626 battery. With an accuracy of +/-20 seconds monthly there should be very little adjusting of the time over the life of the watch.
The dial of the GUN much like the Nautic, originally came off as super simple and clean. But the more you look at it the more you see. It wasn’t until I got out my micro lens that I notice the indices on the outer ring are actually indented into the metal as are the numbers on the bottom metal plate of the dial. This is a super nice touch and adds to the overall quality feel of the watch and its jewel like nature.
So, what is the GUN like to live with? This is a tough question for me, having been stuck in my parent’s house now for over a month. My only trips out have been to get groceries and take the occasional hike. I have worn the GUN to cook, hike, write, pay bills, watch television, and lay around with. The only thing I have not done with the GUN is to work in the yard, that is job for my G-Shocks. Although the VEJRHØJ GUN was super comfortable and did its job perfectly, it never quite felt “at home”.
The problem is that the GUN needs to be shown off and is most at home under a white cuff. It would have made the perfect diner companion while on the cruise. It was my intention to have wonderful photography of fine cloth napkins and gilded silverware with the GUN prominently displayed along side world class cuisine. Unfortunately, all I was able to pull off was some shots on my pajamas and a couple of nice shots on moss while hiking. In my current situation I am afraid that I am not doing the GUN justice, it deserves better than sitting around the house.
The fact that I feel that I have not given the VEJRHØJ GUN the respect it is due says a lot about this watch. For €209.00 Euro’s or about $230.00 USD you get a watch that deserves more than its price suggests. This is one of the few watches I need to dress better for. Sure, I can wear it with Jeans and a t-shirt, but I can hear the GUN whispering “you really should put on a button down and maybe a pair of decent slacks.” Do not get me wrong I have more than a few other dress watches, but none of them guilt me quite as successfully to “up my game” like the GUN does.
Until this self-isolation is over and business’ and office’s open back up, I am going to have to instigate fine dinning night at home. Once a week we are going to have the whole family put on nice clothes, light the candles on the table and break out the fine china. When my eleven-year-old son starts complaining I will have to make him understand that “the GUN made me do it.” If I could just find someplace to order some beluga caviar and foie gras online, I might even be able to pull off a fine dining night!
Keep on a Watching!
Edward
VEJRHØJ The GUN
- VEJRHØJ The GUN
Summary
Unique and interesting watch like its brother the Nautic. Wears super comfortable and looks great. Nice subtle use of wood with a jewel like fit and finish. Overall a solid watch that makes you want to dress better in every way.
