The Swiss brand Continental will celebrate its centenary in a year. During this time, many watches were produced, but the quality always remained at the highest level, corresponding to the treasured inscription swiss made.
The famous “quartz crisis” that erupted in the second half of the 1970s of the last century did not drag Continental into the unknown. Thanks to competent management, the company remained afloat. Since 1993, Continental has been owned by Evaco SA, part of the Rivoli group, one of the leading retailers of luxury and fashion brands.
Case: comfortable, but there are a few “buts”
The case is probably the most important part of the watch, which is the first thing you pay attention to when purchasing. It’s no secret that in the watch world everything has been invented for a long time, and manufacturers periodically spy on each other everything that can be spied on. This model is no exception.
At the beginning of the 70's Gérald Genta (a talented watch designer, whose pencil belongs to the Omega Constellation, Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse, IWC Ingenieur, Patek Philippe Nautilus, Cartier Pasha de Cartier models that have become iconic in the watch world) showed the world the sporty design of luxury watches that have gained wild popularity. We are talking about Audemars Piguet Royal Oak.
In the case of Continental 21501-GM101950, there is a similarity with the "royal oak". But let's proceed from the fact that these are watches of different price categories.
Dismissing talk about similarities, let's return to the watches in question, noting their advantages and disadvantages.
The thickness of the case is about 9 mm, which makes it possible to easily go under the cuff of a shirt or other piece of clothing. At the same time, the fit on the wrist is comfortable, which is not found on all watches. And thickness is not the only trump card of this model, as is the diameter of 41 mm.
Bracelet: integrated version
The case smoothly transitions into the bracelet. This type of bracelet is called integrated. The integral whole of the bracelet and the case is the second pleasant feature of the model.
The bracelet itself is a mix of satin-finished links, which are interconnected by polished elements. This gives the watch beauty, multiplied by unusualness.
Well, where would we be without a clasp that folds out in both directions using a push-button lock? Yes, on the one hand, the move is standard, but what can you do for the convenience of the user.
Dial: green spring
Dials, like girls, are different. Black, white, red. In this case, green as a symbol of blooming greenery in spring. It plays with color, shimmering and changing shades in the light.
Following high watchmaking standards, the crystal is sapphire. Although it is flat, it fits perfectly into the appearance, complementing the bezel with twelve screws. By the way, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak mentioned above has only eight screws on the bezel.
Complications: full calendar
But the functionality of the watch is definitely pleasing. A complete calendar, including day of the week, day, month and date, is supplemented by a lunar calendar or moon phase indicator. These complications are implemented in the form of separate windows on the dial.
Of course, the mechanism does not know how many days there are in which month. Hidden pushers located on the sides of the body will come to the rescue. The Swiss-made Ronda RL706.3 mechanism is responsible for all this.
Naturally, the watch is similar in appearance to Audemars Piguet. But at the same time, they are not deprived of their own, unique features in the form of rich functionality.
