FINALLY: A Renato Stallion Joins Mort's Collection...

I normally post my Renato reviews here at WF before I go anywhere else - we were, after all, a 'Renato-centric' forum at one time - but, at the very urgent request of one the more 'colorful members' ( ) over at WL, I posted it over there a day and-a-half prior to bringing it over here. So, presented for your approval - or otherwise - my previously owned/new-to-me Renato Stallion.



The Stats:

- Bracelet: Stainless steel with rose gold plating
- Movement: Swiss ETA 251.272 - 22 Jewels
- Crystal: Sapphire
- Crown: Screw down w/ function pushers
- Clasp: Push button dual deployant
- Bracelet Measurements: 8-1/2" L x 36mm W
- Weight: 238 grams (unsized)
- Case Measurements: 54mm x 41mm
- Water Resistance: 30 ATM - 300 meters - 990 feet



The Narrative:

Whenever I write anything about a Renato watch, new or otherwise, I feel as if I should start off by setting up a large headline, with something like, WARNING: THIS WATCH IS NOT FOR EVERYONE! before beginning the rest of the narrative. Of course, we all know this about Renato, but I'm still amazed by the sheer polarity of the responses to my written/photographic presentations of them. There just doesn't seem to be any middle ground. Oh well, c'est la mort...



Of course, saying the Stallion is big is like saying that Einstein was 'a smart dude.' Nonetheless, the case has a very nice curvature that works very well as far as contributing to the watch's overall high level of comfort. Yes, it looks heavy, but the comfort is still there for those who 'dare to wear' a watch of its size. I have a pretty decent number of watches in my eclectic little collection, and to me anything below 250 grams is 'in the hunt' for wearability, though I will readily admit to having some that are heavier...but these never seem to spend any appreciable amount of time on my wrist. (And, thanks to the good folks at feeBay, these 'watchbox queens' don't stick around for very long...)



Get past the size, and you've got what I believe is a very attractive - perhaps even beautiful to some - watch. Take a close look at the dial and its extensive details. There is an excellent symmetry to the layout, with 'stretched' Roman numerals at XII, IV and VIII. (This unadorned 'VIII' is a welcome change from the 'tarted-up' 8's usually seen on Renato watches, something I've often found to be distracting and even off-putting at times.) The rich black enameled dial is an excellent backdrop for the square subdials and their white, silk-screened registers. There's a fairly large date window at the 4:30 position - something these 50+ year-old eyes of mine certainly appreciate - and the large, triangular hour markers at the remaining hour positions very nicely balance out the aforementioned Roman numerals. My only complaint about the dial is the skeletonized minute hand, which has an annoying habit of disappearing when you're in a hurry.

Honest, it was here just a minute ago...




The lume is above average when compared to most of the watches in my collection. After a ten-minute charge under my ten-thousand gigawatt back yard security lights, the extra-bright, just-in-from-the-sun brightness faded to a fairly bright glow after about five minutes, and this glow faded to very dull in just over an hour. 45 minutes later, all traces of light were gone.





The bezel is an extremely detailed, well-machined continuation of the 'stretched' hour markers on the dial, particularly at the 1, 11, 5 and 7 positions.





The bracelet is a Renato specialty, with textured black rubber center links and rose gold-plated, solid stainless steel links on either side. This is all tied together with a solid, well-functioning dual-deployant clasp. This is my third Renato with the rubber links, and this component does a very good job of increasing comfort by decreasing the amount of weight on the wrist. Renato provides a couple of half-links, but the problem of getting a good fit isn't entirely solved for some wearers. This is obviously not a Renato-only problem, but it is a catalogue-wide issue with them, as all of their watches feature this same clasp. As a genuine fan of the brand, it would please me to no end if they could somehow provide us with at least a few micro-adjustments.







Overall, I like the look of this watch, and the comfort is 'all there' thanks to an excellent balance between case, bracelet and clasp (If, that is, you don't have any sizing issues). The fit, finish and detailing fall into the Very Good category, as does the appearance. The ETA 251.272 and its 22 Jewels work flawlessly, as you would expect from a movement of its provenance.





For an afficianado/collector of Renato watches, the Stallion is one of those 'must-haves' to round out the collection, and this one does it for me, especially since I was able to pick it up for less than $300 USD. Unfortunately, with this model getting harder and harder to find, the asking prices are getting almost as ridiculous as those of "The New Renato" on ShopNBZzzzz. It is certainly not a watch for the shy or weak-at-heart, and a lot of prospective wearers are going to consider it overdone, even garish. Nonetheless, diehard fans enjoy the look and feel of this extremely popular model from the 'old Renato.'







As always, many thanks for looking...

Nice. I just saw a rosegold one for sale with a white dial and a brown leather strap that looked sharp as well.

Sounds sweet...what are they asking?

Ahhh shit, I can't remember what forum it was. I think it was 2-something, but that's just a guestimate.

Man, for 2-something, I'd gladly jump, but if it is listed for <$300, it's prolly gone by now, anyhow...