Awake Concept Son Mai Owner Review : Animal, racy and luminous

This limited edition model pays homage to the eye of the Velociraptors featured in the first episode of Jurassic Park. We had to choose with the orange version of the T. Rex. I preferred this lime green "wink" because I didn't have a green dial; because it's a nice green, bright and acidic, and classic greens are boring; because green is more in keeping with my idea of a dinosaur (even though I've never seen one, and even though I suspect that in real life, they must have been less fluorescent); and finally, because Raptors are cooler and more cunning than Tyrannosaurus Rexes, even though I've never met one. For the color and texture (which I find even more incredible), Awake used a traditional Vietnamese technique that consists of covering a silver leaf with lacquer. The result is truly successful, the variations in the light are infinite. For the rest, Awake had the good idea of not overdoing it to leave the iridescence of the dial to the forefront: no unnecessary literature, just the name and the three claws of the Raptors (on the T. Rex model there are only two) between the center of the watch and the index at 6 o'clock. The indexes take the shape of the reptile's claws. In very small print, it says "hand made." This is more original and less controversial than the eternal "Swiss made" label, especially since Switzerland didn't exist in the Cretaceous period. The hands are simple and effective. In my opinion, the greatest achievement of this watch is its luminescence: Superluminova wasn't applied to the hands, but rather the hands and indexes are coated with Luminova. As soon as the light fades, it gives a surprising and pleasing impression of levitation. The 39mm case is simple and beautifully crafted, with short lugs allowing for a seamless fit on the wrist. The modified La Joux-Perret caliber is decorated with a foliage border that references the animal's habitat, as is the phrase "Life finds a way," a phrase uttered by James Goldblum in the film (on the T. Rex version, it reads: "Spared no expense"). The power reserve is decent at 68 hours; I have a deviation of about 30 seconds per The watch is water resistant to 5 ATM. I find the balance perfect: there are numerous references to the film, yet the watch is particularly understated; even if you look closely, the untrained eye wouldn't guess it's a tribute to the film. For me, the downside is the strap. It's salmon leather, made in France. In the photo, I thought the choice of a "reptilian" texture and color was clever, but not everyone can be a dinosaur... In real life, the salmon scales are smooth, green, and iridescent. If you're going for the total Raptors look, I think it would have been better to use an embossed leather, with well-defined scales for a more organic look. Green is fine, but I would have preferred more contrast with the dial, especially since its iridescent treatment competes with the brightness of the dial. The Raptor's iris shines brightly, but as far as I know, glitter doesn't pour on the body. Anyway, I think I'll change the bracelet soon. Too bad, otherwise the nod to the film would have been perfect.