Introducing: The Stealthy Brellum Pandial LE.5 DD DLC Full Black Chronometer

Stealthy all-black watches are an interesting phenomenon. They often look stylish, and a PVD or DLC treatment can completely change the aesthetic of a steel model. But some watches wear a black outfit better than others. With the new Brellum Pandial LE.5 DD DLC Full Black Chronometer, I had the chance to check out an all-black version of the brand’s classic Pandial sports chronograph. This 33-piece limited edition changes the Pandial from a vintage-inspired chronograph to a stealthy one that stands out instead of blending in. Let me explain why.

What makes a good stealthy watch? It is more than just a black aesthetic. There have to be little visual accents that pop to make it “work,” and not just function-wise. I often see a blacked-out edition as more of a conceptual take on a given watch than just another version. This approach allows for design solutions that you would never find on a regular model. Just think of the all-black date window of the recently released Doxa Sub 300β Sharkhunter. To me, it’s a great design trick, but it’s far from functional. Having said that, a stealthy aesthetic certainly doesn’t have to impact a watch’s functionality. The new Brellum Pandial LE.5 DD DLC Full Black is a good example.

The Brellum Pandial collection

Brellum founder Sébastien Muller has built his brand around a small collection of high-quality watches. My favorite is the Wyvern GMT. In particular, the Wyvern GMT LE.1 Ghost Chronometer that Nacho wrote about immediately comes to mind. I loved the combination of the black case with a deep navy blue dial. It perfectly showed that blue and black can be a great color combination.

When it comes to Brellum’s Pandial, I had a chance to check out the Pandial LE.1 DD Chronometer that Daan wrote about. It was the first of the limited-edition Pandial series. The vintage-inspired chronograph has a classic Daytona-esque presence but a Valjoux 7750 dial layout.

Brellum Pandial LE.3 DD DLC Chronometer

While I like the classic aesthetic quite a bit, the color combination is of critical importance to me. That first model wasn’t my thing. The Pandial LE.3 DD DLC Chronometer, however, showed an interesting take on a black aesthetic with a white dial that I liked a lot more. But I think Muller hit the nail on the head with the new Pandial LE.5 DD DLC Full Black.

The new Pandial LE.5 DD DLC Full Black

Let’s start with some basics. This Pandial model has a black DLC-coated stainless steel case with a 100m water resistance rating. The metal case itself measures 43mm wide, 52mm long, and 10.9mm thick. In total, however, the watch is 15.9mm thick due to box-shaped sapphire crystals on both the front and back. On the right side of the case, you will find two pump-style pushers and a push/pull crown to operate the watch.

This Pandial has a black DLC bezel, a matte black aluminum insert, and a silver tachymeter scale. The black opaline dial features white printing and applied baton indices with square luminous pips. Furthermore, it has black registers at 6, 9, and 12 o’clock along with a day/date window at 3 o’clock. These elements contribute to the Valjoux 7750 look that we all know so well.

Admittedly, I’m not the biggest fan of this layout, and I prefer to see a watch’s branding at 12 o’clock rather than at 3 o’clock. But I have to say that it works very well on this Brellum Pandial as the stealthy dial looks very balanced. The large, circular sub-dials are legible, but they don’t pop too much. This makes the 7750 layout much less prominent, which I like.

Hovering above the black dial are diamond-cut hour and minute hands filled with white Super-LumiNova. Just like the lume on the indices, it glows green in the dark and helps bring a uniform crispness to the dial in the light. For legibility, it’s hard to go wrong with white on black, and this dial is a perfect example of that. Furthermore, the proportions of the indices, sub-dials, and markings all seem spot on.

The bracelet and strap

Fittingly, the Pandial LE.5 DD DLC Full Black comes on a black DLC stainless steel bracelet with a push-button deployment clasp. The five-row bracelet is not a design that I am particularly a fan of. It’s merely a personal preference, but we do see this design quite a bit. For instance, Yema uses it for the Superman 500.

However, the full package also includes a Nebur-Tec strap with curved ends and a black DLC stainless steel deployment buckle. Though we didn’t receive the strap with our review sample, judging from stock photos alone, that is what I would wear the watch on. Not only does it look better than the bracelet to me, but I’m sure that it would reduce the significant weight quite a bit.

The Brellum BR-750-2 movement

The Pandial LE.5 DD DLC Full Black is powered by the caliber BR-750-2. This automatic chronograph movement is based on the Valjoux 7750, and Brellum’s version is a COSC-certified chronometer. The 25-jewel caliber operates at a 28,800vph frequency and has a power reserve of 46 hours. It also features a skeletonized and decorated black rotor that displays each watch’s unique number out of the 33 produced for this series.

The decoration of the movement is very nicely done with blued screws, perlage, and stripes. Thanks to the box-shaped sapphire crystal on the case back, you can get a perfect view of the movement in action. I like that Brellum opted for this kind of crystal not only on the front but also on the back. Though it does make the watch thicker than a flat sapphire crystal would, it looks fantastic over this attractive movement. You can see that there is a great eye for detail at Brellum. Every little detail is executed well, which contributes to an overall feeling of quality.

Wearing the Brellum Pandial LE.5 DD DLC Full Black

Once on the wrist, you get a good idea of the outstanding level of detail and quality. The watch is solidly built, and all of the design elements make sense. Its all-black treatment transforms the Pandial from a familiar-looking, vintage-inspired chronograph into a stealthier offering with a lovable charm of its own. The bracelet is sturdy and has a great, flat clasp. Having said that, on the bracelet, the Pandial is quite heavy. Add the substantial 43mm case, and it’s not a watch for people with small wrists.

On my 19cm wrist, the Pandial wears well, but it sure is a beast. I would have loved to try it on the strap to see how that would look and wear. I think that would make it a winner for me. Overall, I think this new Brellum Pandial LE.5 DD DLC Full Black is the best out of all the limited editions so far.

This newest version of the Pandial shakes the Daytona-esque vibes and ends up being a very capable chronograph that packs plenty of charm for CHF 2,990. What you get is a stealthy take on a classic silhouette and an attractive final product. That’s why I have no doubt that Muller will be able to find 33 buyers for this fifth limited edition in the Pandial series.

For more information, visit the official Brellum website, and let us know what you think of the limited-edition Brellum Pandial LE.5 DD DLC Full Black in the comments section.