I must admit that I have become increasingly difficult to impress when it comes to watches in the sub-$1000 range. There are plenty of beautiful and reliable options, but few really stand out from the crowd. The GX1 Swiss Made Chronograph from LIV Watches not only stood out, but it surprised me. As a watch enthusiast I also am excited about where that company is heading.
Let me start with what I feel truly makes the GX1 Swiss Chronograph stand out. For those familiar with the Swiss made watch market, you are aware that finding a Swiss movement (Quartz or mechanical) for less than $1000 is difficult. Not only has LIV managed to produce one but they did it for less than $600 dollars ($490-$590 MSRP depending on finish). It also has an amazing mix of sporty and rugged elements throughout the design, so it wears well in many environments.
The GX1 features a Swiss RONDA Startech Caliber 5040.D (Quartz) movement housed within their 316L Stainless Steel case. They offer several color variations for this model, however the one I am reviewing features a black IP coating and a 3-dimensional, multi-layered black and gray dial that has tons of character and depth. The dial is protected by a flat Sapphire crystal, while the back is protected by a screw down case back that is rated for water resistance of at least 300 meters (1000 feet). Case dimensions are 45mm in diameter, 14mm in height, with a 23mm lug width.
Little touches of orange give this watch a lot of character. The second hand and small sub-dial hands feature orange along with the LIV logo on the dial, crown, and case back. Lume on the GX1 is modest at best, but I have heard from sources that new editions of LIV watches will have much improved luminosity. It is a large watch, but it is very comfortable with the soft but durable rubber strap. The attention to detail on the watch design is very apparent – even down to the subtle angles and curves on the buckle. LIV did not cut any corners on the GX1.
It is that attention to detail and evident passion for their products that caused me to be excited about what is in store for LIV in the coming days, months, and years. LIV features limited edition timepieces. As of May 30, LIV has introduced a Kickstarter campaign to introduce the following exciting new timepieces:
GX P51 Swiss Auto Chronograph (limited to 500 pieces)
- Movement: Sellita SW 500 Swiss automatic chronograph
- Power reserve: 48 hours
- Number of jewels: 25
- 12-hour chronograph functions: hours, minutes, seconds
- Date displayed in window – quick set
- Water resistance: 100 meters
- Luminescence – BGW9 on hands and large indexes
- Genuine Sapphire crystal – scratch resistant and anti-reflective
- Skeleton back
- 316L stainless steel case (non-titanium version)
- Screwed down case back with four screws
- Screw in crown
GX Swiss Auto Chronograph (limited to 1000 pieces)
- Movement: Sellita SW 500 Swiss automatic chronograph
- Power reserve: 48 hours
- Number of jewels: 25
- 12-hour chronograph functions: hours, minutes, seconds
- Date displayed in window – quick set
- Water resistance: 100 meters
- Three-dimensional multilayered sandwich dial
- Luminescence – BGW9 on hands and large indexes
- Genuine sapphire crystal – scratch resistant and anti-reflective
- Skeleton back
- 316L stainless steel case
- Screwed down case back with four screws
- Screw in crown
GX Divers Swiss Automatic (limited to 1000 pieces)
- Movement: ETA 2824 Swiss automatic
- Power reserve: 40 hours
- Number of jewels: 25
- Special features: Incabloc Shock Protection, Etachron Regulator, Stone Lever Escapement, Quickset Date
- Water resistance: 300 meters
- Three-dimensional multilayered sandwich dial
- Luminescence – BGW9 on hands and large indexes
- Genuine sapphire crystal – scratch resistant and anti-reflective
- Skeleton back
- 316L stainless steel case
- Screwed down case back with four screws
- Screw in crown
GX Alarm (limited to 1000 pieces)
- Movement: RONDA startech Caliber 4120.B
- Standard battery life: 50 months
- Special features: 2 eyes, multifunction, alarm, big date, small second, very easy handling by one pusher
- Water resistance: 100 meters
- Three-dimensional multilayered sandwich dial
- Luminescence – BGW9 on hands and large indexes
- Genuine sapphire crystal – scratch resistant and anti-reflective
- 316L stainless steel case
- Screwed down case back with four screws
- Screw in crown
LIV Co-Founder, Chaz, has been in the watch industry for over 22 years and has used every bit of his experience to craft their amazing Swiss timepieces thanks to the help of several successful prior Kickstarter campaigns. To this day, LIV remains the most crowdfunded Swiss watch company ever –raising 3.2 million dollars within 29 months to bring their watches to life. This is a company to watch out for, and if you’re interested in picking up one of their watches you can get ahead of the crowd through their Kickstarter page.
*All GX1 images courtesy of the author. Other GX product images courtesy of LIV Watches.
