Duxot Livorno Review: Rectangular Thinking For People Bored Of Round Watches
There are two types of rectangular watches. The first is the impossibly elegant kind, usually worn by people who seem to have never rushed for a train, spilled coffee on themselves, or questioned whether navy and black can go together. The second is the awkward kind, where the case looks like someone tried to make a watch out of a hotel room key card.
The Duxot Livorno Automatic is having a go at the first category.
It is Duxot’s new rectangular automatic, and on paper it has the right ingredients for a strong everyday alternative to the usual round sports watch. The Livorno uses a 33mm stainless steel rectangular case, a Japanese automatic movement with date, sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating, exhibition caseback, an integrated stainless steel bracelet, a butterfly clasp and 5 ATM water resistance. It is priced at $330, with Duxot currently promoting a limited-time 20% discount on the website.
That immediately makes it interesting. Not because rectangular watches are rare, but because affordable automatic rectangular watches that do not look like novelty dress pieces are still not exactly falling out of trees.
The Livorno’s main selling point is shape. In a world full of circular dive watches, field watches and integrated bracelet sports watches all politely nudging each other for attention, a rectangular case still feels distinctive. Duxot describes it as “a fresh alternative to the ordinary”, and while that is very much marketing language, the point is fair.
The Pebble Aura version is probably the most versatile of the five colourways. The cream dial, rose toned hands, and applied indices give it a softer, dressier feel, while the bracelet keeps it from becoming too delicate. The dial also has enough texture and stepping to avoid the curse of flat rectangle syndrome, which is very real and should be monitored carefully.
The date window is large and placed at 6 o’clock, which will divide opinion. It gives the watch a slightly retro digital-calendar feel, and some will enjoy the symmetry. Others may find it a bit loud, like the watch is very keen to remind you it knows what day it is. Personally, I think it works better here than it would on a round case. The geometry gives it permission.
Size is the more interesting discussion. At 33mm across, this sounds compact, but rectangular watches rarely wear like round watches. The 48mm lug-to-lug measurement and integrated bracelet mean the Livorno should have a decent amount of wrist presence, helped further by its 13mm thickness and 160g weight.
That thickness is worth mentioning. For a rectangular watch with an elegant brief, 13mm is not ultra-slim. It is not outrageous either, but anyone expecting Cartier Tank levels of cuff-sneaking discretion should adjust expectations. This is more of a daily-wear automatic with dressy angles than a wafer-thin evening watch.
Inside, the Livorno is powered by a Japanese Miyota 21-jewel self-winding automatic movement with 42 hours of power reserve. That is sensible rather than spectacular, which is exactly what you want at this price. Nobody needs a grand complication in a $330 everyday watch. What you want is something reliable enough to wear without developing a nervous twitch every time you walk past a door frame.
The 5 ATM water resistance is fine for daily use, although this is not the watch for aquatic heroics. Office, weekend, rain, hand washing, yes. Pretending you are in a naval commando advert, no.
Visually, the Livorno is strongest when viewed as part dress watch, part retro-modern bracelet watch. It has a touch of 1970s design confidence, a little office elegance and just enough mechanical credibility to satisfy someone who wants more than a quartz fashion piece.
Is it perfect? No. The thickness may be a sticking point, and the large date display will not be for everyone. But it is trying to do something more interesting than another safe diver, and that deserves credit.
Winding Things Up
The Duxot Livorno Automatic is not reinventing the rectangular watch, but it does make the shape feel approachable, wearable and refreshingly affordable.
At $330, with a Japanese automatic movement, sapphire crystal, integrated bracelet and five colourways, it feels like a strong option for anyone who wants something dressier than a diver but less predictable than another round daily wearer.
The Pebble Aura is the safe choice, but not in a boring way. More quiet confidence than beige wallpaper.
And in the current watch world, where half the room is still arguing about lug width on vintage-inspired divers, a decent rectangular automatic feels like a welcome change of shape.
Image Credits - DUXOT
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