Sternglas Ivo Watch — A Big Date And A Small Seconds Dial
Symmetry. Symmetry and balance. Those are the things that leap out from the Sternglas Ivo when you first lay eyes upon it. The big date complication is typically German. As a surprisingly German Irishman, I also love it too. Centralizing the complication and pairing it with a generously-sized sub-seconds dial works extremely well in this instance. And, along with the crisp typography we’ve come to expect from this Hamburg-based brand, the dial comes to life.
Sternglas is a brand connected to its followers. The company’s success has always been propelled by its community. In addition to that community of ardent fans propelling the success of the brand, so too are those fans able to change its direction. The Sternglas Ivo watch is one such example of a timepiece that might not have seen the light of day were it not for the vocal crowd buoying each release the brand puts out.
Wearability and usability
Truthfully, the wearability and usability of this watch are off the charts. A 40mm case is pretty standard, but the 7mm thickness, 47mm lug-to-lug, and a versatile 20mm lug width make this clean-dialed watch a strap monster (especially the white dial version below) and a wrist cuddler all in one.
The readability of the dial, however, is possibly the watch’s strongest aspect. At a glance, all of the information is available thanks to the high contrast colors and natural layout of the face. While the white dial probably has the jump on the “smoke green” variant in the legibility stakes, I would likely take the less common color into my own stable first. The smoke green is bang on trend and has one thing going for it over the white dial besides its more unusual hue — its hands.
The white dial Sternglas Ivo uses black hands with white inserts. They are nice. They are sharp and clean. Undoubtedly, they tie the dial elements together nicely. But, for me, it is the way the polished silver hands of the smoke green dial pull the case into consideration that makes the whole product hang together in a more accomplished fashion.
The movement
The Sternglas Ivo is powered by a two-handed analog quartz movement by Ronda (caliber 6004.B). The movement has one jewel and is expected to perform within -10/+20 sec per month. Additionally, it shouldn’t require a battery change for at least 40 months. The retail price of the Sternglas Ivo, which hit the shelves on July 10th, 2020, is €269. Learn more about this watch, its range mates, and the Sternglas brand here.
