Baltic MR01 Owner Review : Beautiful, elegant and neutral

As someone who's more of a "thoughtful buyer," I have to say this one was the exception... which proves the rule. I was looking for an original dress watch on a budget, as it's not the style of watch I wear regularly. Frédérique Constant, Nomos, vintage Omega—I didn't really know what I wanted anymore. And then I fell in love with this MR01, with its salmon-colored dial, original, small seconds at 8 o'clock, grained dial, and Breguet numerals, and a French brand, to boot. In short, I fell in love with it from the photo! And I do mean "from the photo." I've never had any trouble buying watches without trying them on, but this one I might have taken the time to think about if I'd had it in my hands. It looks beautiful from the photo, but I find the perceived quality is lower once worn. Original and very pretty on a budget, of course, but the movement is extremely noisy... The Chinese micro-rotor movement didn't bother me at first, because whatever you say, it's very well finished and very well crafted (Chinese or not, I take great pleasure in looking at it), but it can't be said to be discreet, far from it! Furthermore, at this price point, I find it a shame to have Plexiglas glass. It certainly gives the piece a vintage feel, but in this case, the price should have been lowered. To sum up, no particular emotion, a very beautiful watch visually, but one which, in the long run, I don't think will remain in my collection. Given the choice, I prefer to push the budget a little higher for a better-finished model, with a better perceived quality, such as a Swiss or German movement and sapphire crystal. A very beautiful watch, very well crafted, but ultimately with an average price/quality ratio.