The Retro Cool Charm Of Vario Watches
There are two types of microbrands in the watch world. The first type spends six months inventing increasingly absurd marketing language to describe a fairly ordinary dive watch. You know the sort. “Inspired by the spirit of exploration.” “Engineered for adventure.” Usually photographed on a rock near the sea despite the owner spending 95% of their life in a Pret queue.
Then there is Vario.
A Singapore based independent brand that seems refreshingly uninterested in following trends, chasing hype or pretending every release is “revolutionary”. Instead, Vario makes watches that are quirky, historically inspired and genuinely full of personality.
Which, in today’s market, almost feels rebellious. Founded by husband and wife team Ivan and Judy Chua, Vario started life making straps and accessories before moving into watches proper. Fast forward ten years and the brand has quietly built one of the most distinctive catalogues in the affordable watch world.
And honestly, some of them are gloriously odd.
The Golden Age Of Weird Watches
Most brands play it safe.
Black dial. Blue dial. Maybe green if they are feeling adventurous. Add a vaguely sporty bracelet and call it a day.
Vario, meanwhile, looked at early 20th century trench watches and thought, “Yes. More of that please.”
Their 1918 Trench collection has become something of a cult favourite among enthusiasts. Inspired by the early military wristwatches worn during the First World War, the watches lean heavily into vintage styling with wire lugs, cathedral hands and properly old school dial typography.
And they are brilliant.
Not in the polished luxury sense. More in the “I cannot believe somebody actually made this” sense.
Because these things commit fully to the aesthetic. They look like they have survived a century inside an officer’s leather satchel and somehow emerged smelling faintly of pipe tobacco and damp paper maps.
The medic dial versions are especially fantastic, balancing genuine historical inspiration with just enough modern reliability to avoid giving you trench foot.
Then Things Get Weird In A Completely Different Direction
Just when you think Vario is purely a military vintage specialist, they suddenly release something like the VERSA Dual Time.
A reversible rectangular watch with two dials.
Because apparently one dial was simply not enough.
The VERSA flips between two time zones with a rotating case system that feels delightfully over engineered in exactly the right way. Somehow it manages to be art deco, travel watch and conversation starter all at once. The fact it picked up an iF Design Award in 2025 tells you this is more than just a gimmick.
And this is what makes Vario so enjoyable as a brand.
Nothing feels focus grouped.
There is a sense that the watches are designed by people who genuinely love obscure horological history and unusual design rather than spreadsheets and trend forecasts.
The Empire Strikes Back
Then there is the Empire collection.
Which looks like somebody discovered a forgotten New York skyscraper from the 1930s and turned it into a watch.
The stepped cases, sector style layouts and vintage proportions all channel proper art deco energy without tipping into costume piece territory. The Empire Seasons True GMT in particular feels far more expensive than it has any right to at this price point.
And that is another thing Vario gets very right.
Restraint.
These watches could easily become novelty pieces in lesser hands. Instead, they remain surprisingly wearable. Distinctive enough for enthusiasts to notice immediately but not so eccentric that normal people think you have lost your mind.
Although admittedly the trench watch does slightly look like you might own a biplane.
The Strap Nerds Strike Again
It probably helps that Vario started in straps.
Because unlike many affordable brands that treat straps as glorified packaging material, Vario genuinely understands them. Harris Tweed, Italian leather, Cordura, fitted straps for Casios. The whole catalogue feels built by people who have spent far too long on watch forums discussing lug widths.
Which, to be fair, is probably accurate.
And while the watches themselves have grown increasingly sophisticated, that enthusiast mindset still comes through strongly. There is an honesty to the brand that feels increasingly rare.
No inflated luxury positioning. No pretending a Miyota movement is equivalent to a hand finished Swiss calibre blessed by monks in the Vallée de Joux.
Just well designed, characterful watches made by people who clearly care.
Why Vario Works
Watch enthusiasm is supposed to be fun.
Somewhere along the way, parts of the hobby forgot that. Everything became investment values, waiting lists and grown adults arguing online about font changes.
Vario feels like the antidote to all of that.
The watches are affordable, creative and interesting without taking themselves too seriously. You buy them because they make you smile, not because a YouTube influencer told you they are “the next big thing”.
And honestly, that might be the healthiest approach to watch collecting there is.
The Standout - The Vario x RZE UltraHex Trench Yellow - £329.00
On paper, the Vario x RZE UltraHex Titanium Trench Medallion Yellow sounds like a terrible idea. A vintage inspired WWI trench watch mashed together with hardened futuristic titanium and finished with a loud yellow enamel dial should not work. And yet somehow, it absolutely does. Vario’s old world cathedral hands and art nouveau numerals pair brilliantly with RZE’s industrial UltraHex titanium case, creating a watch that feels equal parts antique military piece and sci fi concept prop.
What really makes it sing is the personality. The glossy Medallion Yellow dial is impossible to ignore, while the compact 37mm case keeps things wearable rather than gimmicky. Add in the lightweight titanium construction, hidden lume details and scratch resistant coating, and you end up with a watch that is far tougher than its charmingly vintage appearance suggests. It is weird, loud and surprisingly refined all at once.
Most collaborations feel forced. This one feels like two enthusiast brands having genuine fun. Limited to just 100 pieces, the UltraHex Trench has the sort of originality and character that is becoming increasingly rare in modern watchmaking. In a world full of safe, interchangeable releases, this thing feels gloriously alive.
Winding Things Up
In a sea of safe designs and interchangeable microbrands, Vario stands out by doing something deceptively simple.
It has personality.
Whether it is the wonderfully nostalgic 1918 Trench, the art deco swagger of the Empire collection or the gloriously eccentric VERSA Dual Time, every Vario watch feels like it was made by actual enthusiasts rather than a branding committee. And perhaps that is why the brand has quietly earned such a loyal following over the last decade.
Because deep down, most watch lovers are not really searching for perfection. They are searching for character.
