Everyone has different preferences when it comes to timepieces. For me, I enjoy design-forward pieces, and I tend towards minimalism: I prefer clean, bold aesthetics to intricate watches with lots of complications. My first "nice" watch was a relatively affordable Alessi Tanto x Cambiare by Franco Sargiani, bought at an art museum gift shop... so I've always felt an attachment to watches with a unique modern design heritage. Movado's an interesting American brand that was originally founded in Switzerland; the name means "movement" in the constructed language Esperanto. The story of their signature design, known as the "Museum Watch", is both fascinating and a bit turbulent. It was originally designed by Nathan George Horwitt without Movado's involvement. The original design was stark and Bauhaus-inspired, with simply two hands and a distinctive looming circle at the top; it is currently on display in the Museum of Modern Art. Sometime later, Movado started producing the design; stories differ as to whether this was authorized and to the ethics and authenticity of how that happened, but it is widely accepted that a settlement payment was made to Horwitt in the 1970's by Movado. Awkward history aside, Horwitt's design is now inextricably linked to Movado and is a signature component of nearly all of their watches. While some watch enthusiasts continue to hold this history against Movado, as Horwitt passed away over thirty years ago, I choose to see the current production as a positive development that keeps his design's legacy alive and available to a new generation of collectors. Watch enthusiasts tend to divide watches into "Horological"/"Luxury", or "Fashion" brands. Luxury watches are supposedly heirloom keepsakes with elaborate mechanical movements and "significant" design, while "fashion" watches tend to emphasize brand names or short-term trends. Movado sits on the boundary of these two categories in price, features, and quality, defying categorization a bit. They now produce multiple lines of watches: the Museum Classic is a higher end version that stays fairly close to the original design inspiration and certainly deserves to be in the same conversation as other luxury options, with mechanical "automatic" movements and minimalist details. In contrast, the Bold line is a lower cost selection that makes the designs a bit more accessible to watch collectors on a budget, and it also freshens up the appearance with additional elements that add a little complexity and stray a bit further from the original inspiration. Bold is further divided into higher end watches that are "Swiss made", which actually have substantial manufacturing and all final inspection taking place in Switzerland, and lower end "Swiss movement" watches, which are manufactured elsewhere out of Swiss components. This new addition to the Bold line, the Bold Access with gold accents in cognac leather, is Swiss made and is in the higher category. While it is missing some of the luxury features of the Museum line like a mechanical movement, it's still extraordinarily well made and satisfying to hold and wear. The crystal is a K1 crystal, which is an excellent option with great scratch resistance second only to sapphire crystal. The case is stainless steel, but it's plated in a satisfying gold finish. The movement for this watch is a Swiss quartz movement. I actually see this as a positive - as I switch between watches based on occasion and only wear my high end timepieces for date nights and events, I find it a nuisance to maintain an 'automatic' movement that needs to be worn regularly, so a maintenance free movement that only needs basic service once every few years is attractive. I'm an engineer and find just as much beauty in electronics as mechanics, so a quality quartz movement is fine by me - and while Movado doesn't list the brand, some reports are that they use movements from a reputable Swiss company called Ronda. Whoever produced the movement, it certainly seems to keep time very accurately. I really like the design of this particular watch. I love leather bands and am a big fan of cognac leather in particular: my daily driver watch is a Timex Weekender with a very similar looking band, so it's already part of my personality and I liked having a fancier option that kept true to my personal style of clean round watches with leather bands. I'm not usually a 'gold' person and hesitated on ordering this because I feared it would be "too much", but it actually looks pretty handsome in person - it's certainly eye catching and makes a statement, but the leather helps make it less ostentatious and balance the overall aesthetics. It's just the right amount of much. A common criticism leveled against the Museum Watch is that it doesn't have markings that delineate each hour on the dial. This watch "solves" that by adding subtle minute markings every five minutes around the outer rim. Having worn the Alessi watch which also is missing all markings, I would have been fine with excluding these - but they're very subtle and will likely be helpful to many buyers (and probably even myself when I'm cutting an appointment a little close). I do feel like they take this watch a little further from the original inspiration, though. The watch is quite comfortable to wear. The 41mm size is exactly right for a round timepiece - not huge, not tiny. It's ever so slightly on the thick side - this is not a low profile watch, so keep that in mind, although I didn't find it to be an issue. The strap is comfortable and feels sturdy and substantial; because it's leather, it will develop a patina over time, but that's part of the charm of a watch like this: I'm a firm believer that watches are made to be worn and used, and that they aren't an investment, so I'm not afraid of breaking in the wristband and making it my own. It's worth talking a little about the unboxing experience as I wrap up this review. The box is nice, but there's just a thin branded cardboard sleeve protecting its exterior, and that sleeve was somewhat damaged in shipping - not my favorite start to ownership for a watch that costs upwards of half a grand. I wish they'd packaged the entire decorative box in a protective corrugated outer shell, and I wish the box materials were slightly more satisfying to interact with. That aside, the inner box was unscathed, and once I lifted the lid the experience was much more what I expected. I was greeted with the watch wrapped around a premium feeling pillow - and it was even set to the correct time from the factory (albeit not in my own timezone, of course), which I felt was great attention to detail. If you're looking for an investment to pass down through the generations, this is probably not your watch - Movado watches don't tend to hold their value as well as some other brands, particularly not the Bold line. But as I said, watches are made to be worn and enjoyed, and this one is well worthy of your consideration. I think it's a great addition to their lineup that honors the original museum heritage with some fresh updates, and I'm glad I've been able to add this fine timepiece to my collection. It certainly feels like an object of desire that's "worth the price". If this watch appeals to your personal aesthetic, or if you're shopping for a gift for someone with an eye for design who appreciates minimalist design and organic materials married with a unique story, I think this is a great choice you'll appreciate for decades to come.
