A Review of the Bruno Sohnle Mechanik Edition X Watch
Thursday - 18 May 2023
There are many admirable features to appreciate about a watch from Bruno Sohnle. The manufacturer combines some unique in-house touches to the movements it uses and adds a very affordable price tag. Now the brand has released the new Bruno Sohnle Mechanik Edition X, imbued with so many Glashutte finishes that it should be almost impossible not to add this watch to your collection.
What makes a Bruno Sohnle watch so unique?
Bruno Sohnle has been around for over two decades now but still has some pretty unique advantages to offer the collector. When compared to other watchmakers on the market, Bruno Sohnle is a little different. The company occasionally adds a quirky finish to its quartz-powered models, equipping them with a sapphire-backed case – a design feature that is normally only seen on watches of the automatic kind. Most watchmakers fit the cases of their quartz-powered watches with a metal backing. In this unique approach to watchmaking, the brand’s mission to highlight all the aesthetically pleasing parts of a watch can be enjoyed and experienced on the wrist. Also, Bruno Sohnle beautifully modifies the automatic movements it sources from third parties.
The company replaces the Sellita bridges and base plates and fits its own in-house versions, as well as its own winding rotor. These components are manufactured in the brand’s German-based facilities where every timepiece receives its unique Bruno Sohnle stamp of authenticity – a name that is adorned to the surface of its dial underneath the 12 o’clock location. The winding rotor is developed from metal that has been matured to ensure the best results, especially since it must undergo inspection under a microscope to ensure correct tolerances of 10 micrometres. Lastly, the hand-wound movements that are used in some Bruno Sohnle watches are also rebuilt in the brand’s Glashutte factory. Based on Unitas movements, these hand-wound movements have their three-quarter plate and balance cock replaced with a special version that has been decorated in-house for an added layer of personalisation and an extra special finish. Movements equipped to the heart of a Bruno Sohnle watch boast a mix of Glashutte stripping and circular Perlage, making each model so identifiable from the back of the case, if not from the dial alone.
Before we look at the new Bruno Sohnle Mechanik Edition X watch, let’s look at a brief history of the brand....
A brief history of Bruno Sohnle
In Eastern Germany, in the town of Saxony, the story of Bruno Sohnle began. Glashutte is home to eleven watch manufacturers and some 7000 inhabitants, many of which are employed in the industry. After the Second World War, many watch manufacturers in the area closed down as the area came under Soviet control. When the Berlin Wall fell, Germany came together once again and the spirit of watchmaking was enlivened. Some businesses were resurrected, whilst other new ones were born. Bruno Sohnle came along in the year 2000 and thus is considered a relatively new watch brand. Bringing a wealth of watchmaking knowledge with him at the time of developing the company, Bruno remained active in the business and still is to this day, along with his daughter and son. Bauhaus-inspired timepieces are common in Bruno Sohnle’s catalogue and the company now owns two different sites in the area. One where the components of a watch are developed and another where these components are assembled into beautiful watches.
The new Bruno Sohnle Mechanik Edition X watch
The new Mechanik Edition X watch by Bruno Sohnle is a classic-looking timepiece that displays a small seconds sub-counter at the 6 o’clock location and main hours and minutes centrally. The watch measures a 42mm diameter and is crafted from stainless steel. A 50-meter water-resistant rating will allow you to get caught in the odd rain shower without worrying, whilst a strong piece of sapphire crystal glass does a fine job of protecting the dial from damage caused by scratching, light, moisture and heat. Experts at Bruno Sohnle have chosen a white dial for the face of the Mechanik Edition X watch. Here, the main hours of the dial can be read in crisp black Arabic numerals whilst the central tapering hour and minute hands are executed in a blue hue. Five-minute increments have been marked out in black double digits around the minute track, whilst the top of the dial features the Bruno Sohnle lettering under the 12 o’clock location.
Inside the new Bruno Sohnle Mechanik Edition X watch is the Unitas 6498. As mentioned before, it features a three-quarter plate and swan-neck fine adjustment and performs at a rate of 18,800 vibrations and provides a 48-hour power reserve. The watch comes fitted on a black alligator-style calfskin strap with a stainless steel fastening and a steel Bruno Sohnle emblem.
If you’d like to know more about the new Bruno Sohnle Mechanik Edition X watch, you can visit the product page for the watch here, or call and speak to a member of our Jura Watches sales team on 01335 453453.
