Vestal Calcutron

Today is retro geek watch time again with this model from Vestal.

This watch is the Vestal Calcutron and is Vestal's 'cool' take on the calculator watch. The Vestal brand has been around since the late 90s (1997 to be precise) when it was founded by David Bonaventura (who has since founded Tsovet watches). In 2008, the brand changed owners and is now owned by its main employees. The brand works with many different musicians and produces both watches and accessories.

The watch has an all black case and strap, and a black inverse LCD screen, which makes it look like a stealth calculator watch. The display has two lines with the day and date along the top and time at the bottom. The top line switches to show time when the other modes are active. The other modes on the watch are, alarm, timer, world time, and of course calculator. The calculator is run with the 16 keys on the front, and these keys also can change mode or show the time from particular world cities. As the black inverse display is hard to read, there is also an el-backlight.

The Vestal logo is shown on the bottom of the face, and on the back. The back also reveals this has a Chinese movement and is 30m water resistant. It also says that the watch number is V.10.

Looking online, the first mentions seem to be around 2008, and the watch is no longer available.

Vestal MicroDAT v.8

Today is my 4th of my Vestal watches, and is maybe one of their most well known (and sought after) designs.

The Vestal brand has been around since 1997, when it was started by David Bonaventura in California. They make all manner of watches, eye wear, soft goods, and accessories with the themes of image and style, and they are marketed by music culture linked artists, bands, and sports personalities.

This model is the MicroDAT, or more specifically the MicroDAT v.8. It is a large heavy metal design with a face resembling a music cassette (or maybe a Digital Audio Tape). It came in various colours, and this is the steel model with a pearl face (which one site stated was a limited version).

The watch is a 3 hand dial design, and has a date marker at the 3 o'clock position. The face is wide, and has two additional dials at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions which are used for a little stopwatch function (seconds and minutes) which runs using the buttons above and below the crown.

It is a large and chunky watch with quite a weight as it is large and made of metal. I have quite a small wrist, and although it is so large, the strap design means it isn't overwhelming. The strap is stainless steel as well, and has the Vestal name on the clip.

The MicroDAT came out in the mid 2000s and the first references seem to be about 2006, but the watch isn't available anymore. This design also was part of quite a few websites top 10 cool geeky watch lists in the late 90s (which is why I think it is one of the most well known models).

Vestal G9 Global Traveller

If there's one thing about Vestal, it's that they know how to make a chunky watch! Today's model also seems to be a challenge to set as most of the Web search results are "how do I set my watch?" posts on forums.

The watch in question is the Global Traveller by Vestal. There seem to have been several models og Global Traveller, and this is the G9.

Vestal was started in California by David Bonaventura in 1997, and sell their own watches as well as making watches for companies such as Paul Frank, Vans, and Harajuku Lovers (-a different company than Harajuku Super Lovers). The company designs and produces many unusual designs with the themes of image and style.

Based on the date setting, this watch seems to have come out in the early 2000s. It has a solid metal case which is curved and blends into the metal strap. The display is an inverse LCD with two lines of information. The top line covers the time while the bottom has a mixture of dot matrix and digits to show day and full date. Modes are world time (which should be expected from a watch called Global Traveller), stopwatch, timer, and alarm (x3).

For anyone who comes across this in the search to find out how to set the watch, hold the light button for 3 seconds.

Vestal Mtrhead

A relatively plain looking watch today, but probably one of the heaviest watches I own - it says it's solid stainless steel, and I'd say it's definitely solid!

The watch is by the Vestal company and called the Mtrhead (I guess pronounced 'motor head'). The Vestal brand was started in 1997, and has close links with music culture, producing watches, eye wear, and soft goods.

It has a Japanese movement running it's 3 hand dial, and there is a date window at the 7:30 position. The numbers are printed with a 45 degree rotation anticlockwise - this is strange, as most of the time when you look at your watch it's at 45 degrees, but the other way, meaning the numbers look to be on their side (except when you fold your arms).
The back of the watch has the watches name, along with an etched picture of a motorbike. Along the bottom, it has the statement: 'Unvaryingly regular in rhythm '.

The strap follows the sturdy theme and is solid steel shaped onto the body. The watch is also 5bar/50m water resistant.

It is relatively new, and the original sale guarantee showed it was bought in 2011. The silver version has a model number of MTR001 and seems to have been around $120.

Vestal Air Mail Hand Grenade Watch SLA004

Today's watch is definitely a watch you shouldn't wear when going to an airport. As it's shaped like a hand grenade, I'm sure it'd at least raise eyebrows!

The Vestal brand was established in 1997, and is marketed by friends, musicians, artists, and athletes who are immersed in music culture. It also produces musically inspired eye wear, soft goods, and accessories.

This watch is called Air Mail and also Grenade (standard issue), and was released in 2007. The case is shaped like a hand grenade, and when the button on the grenades lever (right side) is pressed, the front pops open to reveal the time. The time is shown on a 3 hand dial with the Vestal logo, watch name, and level of water resistance written on the face. The back also has the logo and name (including a little picture of a grenade).

It has a Japanese movement, and steel case, and has a model number of SLA004.

The case the watch comes in is a large metal covered box, and comes with a heavy bottomed watch stand. Inside the box, there is also a guitar plectrum, which is printed with "Vestal says thank you" :-)