Albert Villa 1920s Sunrise, Sunset (Yellow - Limited Edition)

We stock a variety of Albert Villa Timepieces in this eye-catching dress watch series, including some with fumé sunburst dials, and some with black enamel and gold Art Deco designs.

Why We Love This Watch

Albert Villa's modern take on Art Deco inspired vintage dress watches from the 1920s immediately reminds us of Jaeger-LeCoultre's Reverso, a well-known classic dress watch design, that first retailed in 1931 as a watch that could withstand the rigors of a polo game. All very apt as the general shape of the case here puts us in mind of the Reverso, (while thankfully not being a close homage,) but in a more modern size, with one of the most reliable of all mechanical movements, scratch resistant sapphire crystal, and 50 meters of water resistance. Very handy for those unexpected rain-showers while playing polo, or should you fall off your horse and land in a puddle!

We absolutely love the strong sunburst yellow gradient dial on this design, which is a rare color to see on a sunburst, matched with understated elegance which is nicely balanced to carefully avoid too much "bling". Instead we have a finely polished case, dauphine hands, (with a nice smooth high beat second hand sweep,) and applied major indices, with a decorative signature in the corner at the bottom of the dial and no centered logo to detract from the outstanding sunburst. Thanks to the movement choice here, the case is very thin and comes in at under 9mm, exactly what we want to see in an automatic mechanical dress watch, so that it can fit under a formal sleeve cuff for the grandest of occasions.

Not only is Albert Villa Timepieces the only watch microbrand we know of hailing from Romania, but the small limited edition size here of just 100 timepieces makes this design fairly rare and adds to the interest, making this watch quite the conversation piece, since it is sure to be noticed when worn.

1920s' Sunrise, Sunset.

The watch, the "1920s' Sunrise, Sunset", has an intriguing name since it is part of the 1920s' Jazz Age series of watches from Albert Villa, all themed around some colorful aspect of the 1920s. In this case the tie-in is less direct and possibly we have a slight misnomer, which adds to the story behind this watch. The song "Sunrise, Sunset" as performed by legendary jazz great Louis Armstrong was first performed by Louis in 1968 as a cover, and originated in 1964 in Fiddler on the Roof, a Broadway musical, so it doesn't originate in the 1920s. However, Louis' career was in full swing in the 1920s, during which time he recorded a number of singles, and performed at the Sunset Cafe, which was owned by his manager. We also think the name is a great choice for an outstanding yellow sunburst dial that reminds us of the sun rising and setting.

Watch Specifications

• Reference: Albert Villa Timepieces' 1920s' Sunrise, Sunset.
  
• Limited Edition Size: 100 individually numbered timepieces.
• Color Scheme: Sunburst yellow fumé dial with black edging, matching black leather straps with black stitching, and a silver-colored stainless steel finish on the case, hands, and indices.
  
• Type: Microbrand dress watch.
  
• Water Resistance: 5 ATM / 50 meters / 165 feet.
• Diameter: Not applicable as the case shape is not round. The width is 31mm, but we think this watch should wear similar to a round 38mm to 40mm watch since the 46mm lug length is the same as other watches in the 38mm to 40mm range.
• Lug-to-Lug Length: 46mm.
• Lug Width: 22mm.
• Height: 8.8mm.
• Case: 316L marine grade stainless steel with a highly polished finish.
  
• Case Back: 316L marine grade stainless steel screw down case back decoratively engraved with the make, model, water resistance and "Limited Edition xxx/100", where the "xxx" is replaced with the individual number of the timepiece.
• Dial Type: Fumé sunburst dial graduating from a dark outer edge to a rich reflective sunburst yellow radiating from the center of the dial, with applied indices and dauphine hands in a polished silver-colored finish.
• Glass Type: Scratch resistant flat sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating.
• Straps Included: Italian calfskin black patent leather 22mm straps, tapering to 18mm at the buckle, with matching black stitching, handmade by Albert Villa. Strap lengths are 125mm & 75mm. Please note that these straps are not the brown straps shown in most of the stock images from Albert Villa. The black straps have a dressier look and are more pliable/supple.
  
• Movement: 24 jewel Miyota 9039 automatic mechanical movement.
• Oscillation: High beat 28,800 BPH, (8 ticks per second.)
• Hacks: Yes.
• Hand Winds: Yes.
• Automatic Winding: Yes.
• Power Reserve: 42 hours.
• Manufacturer's Warranty: 2 years.