Vario 1918 Trench military watch
Starting from 339 €The Vario 1918 Trench is a history-driven military watch that reinterprets the wristwatch born in the trenches of the First World War. This Singaporean microbrand borrows the visual codes of the period wristlet, oversized Arabic numerals, cathedral hands, small seconds and a domed case, while correcting each of the original's weaknesses with contemporary solutions. Offered in nine versions, six in stainless steel and three in patinable brass, it comes in 37 or 40 mm depending on wrist size. Its enamel dial, double-domed sapphire crystal and Japanese automatic movement make it a sober, versatile tool watch, designed for military history enthusiasts as much as for anyone seeking a vintage piece that's easy to wear day to day.
Vario 1918 Trench military watch
Vario is a Singaporean microbrand founded by Ivan Chua, active since 2015 and based at Orchard Plaza in the heart of Singapore, where the watches are inspected before shipping. After the retro-modern Eclipse and the Art Deco-inspired Empire, the brand turned to a founding chapter of wristwatch history with the 1918 Trench, launched on Kickstarter on 11 November 2020, a date chosen to coincide with the anniversary of the armistice. First deliveries followed in February 2021.
The model tells a precise story. When the First World War broke out in 1914, officers wore pocket watches poorly suited to combat: covers impossible to open with gloves on, fragile crystals, dials unreadable at night. Armies turned to the small women's wristwatch known as the wristlet, enlarging it, reinforcing it, replacing Roman numerals with Arabic ones and coating hands and markers with radium. By 1918, the wristwatch had become a symbol of courage and was on the verge of conquering the civilian market.
The 1918 Trench pays tribute to this turning point without slavishly copying it. Vario keeps the authentic wire lugs, a detail few modern reissues dare to include, but moves the crown to 4 o'clock for comfort. The result is a military watch true to the original spirit, wearable every day, as credible with field gear as with a shirt.
Technical specifications Vario 1918 Trench
- Brand: Vario
- Model: 1918 Trench
- Indicative price: €339
- Movement: Japanese automatic, hand-wound
- Calibre: Modified Miyota 82S5
- Power reserve: 40h
- Diameter: 37 mm or 40 mm
- Thickness: 10 mm
- Water resistance: 10 ATM / 100 m
- Materials: 316L stainless steel or brass
- Crystal: Double-domed sapphire
- Dial: Enamel, white, grey, black, cream, orange
- Strap: Pad bund or single pass leather
- International warranty: 2 years
The Vario 1918 Trench military watch
The 1918 Trench presents itself as a field tool watch with a confidently period aesthetic. Its round, domed case comes in 37 mm or 40 mm diameter, for a thickness of just 10 mm, which makes it particularly discreet under a sleeve. The lug-to-lug measurement of 45 mm on the smaller size and 48 mm on the larger one guarantees a balanced fit across very different wrists, from the slimmest to the widest. The dial is the heart of the piece. Made in enamel, it displays oversized Arabic numerals, cathedral hands, a small seconds at 6 o'clock and a peripheral railway track, exactly the visual grammar of trench watches.
Luminescence is handled by non-radioactive C3 lume, available in white or orange depending on the version, the latter shade mimicking the look of aged radium. Above it, a 2 mm double-domed sapphire crystal with internal anti-reflective coating replaces the fragile mineral glass of old and recreates the characteristic optical distortion of vintage domed crystals. The signed, screw-down crown has been repositioned to 4 o'clock so it no longer digs into the back of the hand. Finally, the wire lugs are genuine wire lugs, with no hidden spring bars, a choice of rare historical fidelity among contemporary reissues.
Nine versions, from marine-grade steel to patinable brass
The collection numbers nine versions at a single price point. Six are built on a marine-grade 316L stainless steel case: white, grey or black dial with white lume, then white, cream or black dial with orange lume. The other three feature a solid brass case, paired with white, cream and black dials and always with orange lume. The caseback remains 316L steel across all versions. Brass introduces a particular dimension: it evolves with contact from skin and environment, develops a patina unique to each wearer, and can always be repolished to restore its golden shine.
Two identical watches leaving the workshop will no longer look alike after a few months, which will appeal to fans of pieces that live and change. The movement is a modified Miyota 82S5, a Japanese automatic calibre with a gilt finish decorated with Côtes de Genève, featuring hand-winding and hacking seconds. These two functions, ordinary today, were considered luxuries in the early 20th century. The caseback is engraved by default with an illustration of a soldier, but Vario offers, as a paid option, a blank caseback, a sapphire exhibition caseback or a custom laser engraving. A sandblasted steel shrapnel guard, inspired by the protective grilles of trench watches, completes the package. Every watch is covered by a 2-year international warranty.
Vario 1918 Trench military watch: the spirit of the trenches
The Vario 1918 Trench pairs a 37 or 40 mm case in 316L stainless steel or patinable brass with an enamel dial available in white, grey, black or cream, with white or orange C3 lume. The 2 mm double-domed sapphire crystal receives an internal anti-reflective coating, the screw-down crown is signed and positioned at 4 o'clock, and water resistance reaches 10 ATM. The modified Miyota 82S5 calibre with gilt finish offers hand-winding, hacking seconds and over 40 hours of power reserve. The authentic wire lugs require a single-pass or fixed-lug strap, here in crazy horse leather.
Movement
The 1918 Trench is powered by a modified Miyota 82S5 calibre, a robust and easy-to-maintain Japanese automatic movement. It receives a gilt finish decorated with Côtes de Genève, visible through the optional sapphire caseback. It totals 21 jewels, beats at 21,600 vibrations per hour and offers over 40 hours of power reserve. Hand-winding and hacking seconds allow precise time setting, two functions that were considered horological refinements in the early 20th century.
Diameter and materials
The case comes in 37 mm or 40 mm, with a contained thickness of 10 mm and a lug-to-lug of 45 mm or 48 mm depending on size. Six versions use marine-grade 316L stainless steel, three a brass case that patinas over time and can be repolished. The caseback remains 316L steel. The enamel dial comes in white, grey, black or cream, protected by a 2 mm double-domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating applied to the inner face.
Water resistance
The 1918 Trench offers 10 ATM / 100 m water resistance, far beyond what the soft silver cases of original trench watches could withstand, incapable of surviving the slightest immersion. This performance relies on a signed screw-down crown, moved to 4 o'clock for wearing comfort, and on a 316L steel caseback. Nighttime legibility is ensured by non-radioactive C3 lume, available in white or orange, the latter charging more slowly and glowing less brightly according to the brand.
Accessories
The watch ships on a crazy horse leather strap, fitted as a pad bund of 75/120 mm or a single pass of 270 mm. Width is 18 mm on the 37 mm case and 20 mm on the 40 mm. The fixed wire lugs require these single-pass or fixed-lug mountings. Eight colourways are available to order, from Camel Brown to Coal Black. Vario also offers, as options, a shrapnel guard, a blank caseback, a sapphire exhibition caseback and a custom laser engraving.
Warranty
Every 1918 Trench comes with a 2-year international warranty. It covers the movement but excludes external wear of components, as stated in the brand's documentation. Vario relies on a network of partner watchmakers in the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and Singapore, which limits turnaround times for an online purchase from France. The shop also applies a 14-day return policy, useful when torn between the two available diameters.
Vario 1918 Trench The pros
and cons
- Authentic wire lugs faithful to the original
- Two diameters, 37 and 40 mm
- Nine dial and material variants
- 100-metre water resistance
- Customisable caseback options
- Classic two-piece straps impossible to fit
- Entry-level Miyota calibre
- Sapphire caseback costs extra
- Some versions prone to selling out
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Prices and technical specifications are subject to change. Content and photos are not contractual.
