Robust Field Capabilities
With the Direnzo DRZ04 Mondial V2's good looks, you'd be forgiven for mistakenly thinking this is a delicate timepiece. As well as having a screw down crown and 100 meters (330 feet) of water resistance, the same as many dive watches, the Direnzo DRZ04 boasts scratch resistant sapphire crystal on both the front of the watch and the exhibition case back too, showing off the reliable Swiss elabore grade movement with an upgraded Incabloc shock protection system. Rounding out the field watch capabilities of this timepiece that squarely puts it in the sports dress watch category is a very welcome 800 Vickers scratch resistant coating on the 316L marine grade steel case. This is a watch you can comfortably wear from the boardroom to the beach.
Outstanding Design
The 40mm Direnzo DRZ04 V2 takes some of its design cues from the Direnzo DRZ02, a prior microbrand watch of the year winner, distilled into a stunning sports watch design, but with the same great attention to detail. There's a lot to see, from how the lollipop second hand passes precisely over the center of the edged porthole date window, to the unique skeletonized handset that is so iconic for Direnzo, to the delicious triple sandwich layers of contrasting finish on the side of the case, with the angled upper edge of the bezel, and the chamfered top and bottom edges of the main case having a mirror polished finish, which nicely contrasts with the fine brushed finishes found elsewhere, and helps accent the curves on this timepiece.
The brushed and polished contrasts perfectly flow onto the integrated bracelet with a continuation on the polished chamfered edges and center links. The bracelet also features screwed links and an elegant taper, and comes with a stylish signed butterfly clasp that features a double button push release.
One of the most beautiful features of this timepiece is the deep dish dial, CNC milled from a single block that is extremely alluring. As always, Direnzo brings us another outstanding balanced design, one that can stand up to and easily best some of the latest sports dress watches from other Swiss brands, such as the Tissot PRX. Direnzo have a winning design with the DRZ04 Mondial V2 that combined with the rarity of their small production run, brings a lot of value to the table.
