Hands-On: The New Tuseno Supervintage Collection

April 17, 2012

If we mention the name Tusen?, most of you will immediately think of the popular Shellback diver. The Swedish brand has released a small selection of models in the past few years, but the Shellback has made waves as one of the best affordable dive watches on the market. Now, the young Gothenburg-based brand surprises us with a new series of dress watches. The Supervintage collection is something entirely fresh that I hadn t expected from Tusen? - three colorful dress watches with remarkably shaped cases and funky, eye-catching dials. It s time to find out more about them in a hands-on review.The three new Tusen? Supervintage models instantly stand out. They also perfectly fit the rise in popularity of smaller dress watches. You might even say that the Swedish brand is late to the game with its take on a vintage-inspired dress piece. However, that would ignore the fact that a good watch will always draw attention. Having said that, we have seen some amazing efforts from the likes of Echo/Neutra, Serica, Dennison, and Toledano & Chan. With the new Supervintage series, Tusen? adds its take on a dress watch. The good thing is that these three watches look nothing like those from competitors.The story of the Tusen? Supervintage collectionThe Supervintage series combines hints of the Cartier Baignoire case with traditional clock and watch dial designs. But the execution and the gradient colors make these three models far funkier than the average dress watch. I salute the Tusen? guys for taking a left turn with the dials because they immediately made me smile.Two of the dials remind me of a book I was gifted a few years ago called The Art of Rock: Posters from Presley to Punk: A Spectacular Visual and Oral History by Paul Grushkin. The book documents the evolution of concert posters and some of the extravagant examples from the 60s and 70s. Flipping through the book is great every time, and this personal connection made me love these watches from the get-go.?The specs of the Tusen? SupervintageLet s first talk about the basics before we get into the different dial variations. All three watches have a double-curved stainless steel case that reminds me of the Cartier Baignoire. It measures 34.5mm wide, 40.5mm from lug to lug, and 8.7mm thick. The elegant case is a joy to behold, and it gives the watch an abundance of character. Tusen? matched it with a beautifully double-curved crystal that protects the funky dials.On the right side of the case, you will find the crown with diagonal knurling that initially tricked us. When you first look at it, you might think it s a mistake. On second thought, though, you will quickly understand that it perfectly fits the whimsical character of the Supervintage. It also makes it easy to grip the crown and wind the caliber. As you ll notice, the leather straps connect neatly under the bezel of the lugless case, so they integrate nicely once you have the watch on your wrist. Overall, it s a beautifully sculpted case that is a great canvas for the trio of colorful dials.The three cocktail-inspired dial variationsThree famous cocktails inspired the dials of these watches. All three consist of a textured, solid-color center and a gradient or sunburst outer ring that holds the hour and minute track. The first is the orange Negroni dial.It features a bold red inner dial with an orange-skin-like texture and a lighter orange small seconds sub-dial. The gradient ring holding the classically styled hour and minute track slowly changes between the two colors for a funky effect.Next, there s the green-dial Mojito model, which features a frosted pale lime-colored center with a slightly darker green sub-seconds register. The sunburst-finished outer ring flows naturally from lighter to darker green in the light, and the color is very nice and vibrant.Last, there is the Espresso Martini version, which has a foam-textured cream-colored center and a darkClight brown gradient outer ring. All three dials looks are defined not just by their cocktail-inspired colors but also by the font used for the text and luminous numerals. This flamboyant vintage-inspired font makes the watches stand out immediately and whimsically sets them apart from the competition. But don t think of these Supervintage models as simply fun dress watches. They offer plenty of stylistic details that make them more.The top-grade ETA 7001 caliberIf you turn the watch around, you will get a nice view of the fully decorated top-grade ETA 7001 caliber. The manual-winding movement operates at 21,600vph, has 17 jewels, and offers 42 hours of power reserve.The caliber is neatly finished and features blued screws. The ETA/Peseux 7001 is a go-to movement for quite a few smaller brands that create dress watches. It also powers the Echo/Neutra Rivanera that I own. The ultra-thin movement is only 2.5mm thick, which allows brands to keep the case of their watches nice and slim. The same goes for the Tusen? Supervintage.Wearing the Tusen? SupervintageWe had all three Supervintage models in the office, so I was able to test the waters and find out which of the three I liked best. My initial preference was the Espresso Martini, the most conservative one, but that s just because it felt the most familiar. In all honesty, the most familiar pick is not necessarily the best in terms of fun. After mixing it up, I quickly found fun in wearing all three of the watches, depending on what outfit I was wearing. That plays a big part in picking a favorite.But before I tell you what my favorite is, I ll say that the watch wears like a traditional dress watch in terms of size and dimensions. The biggest plus for me is that it is large enough to make a visual impact, even on my 18.5cm (7.3″) wrist. In particular, the Negroni version has a ton of wrist presence that makes it pop on the wrist. The Mojito version also does so, but it has a completely different vibe.Final thoughts on the new Tusen? Supervintage collectionThat is a big compliment I have to make to the guys at Tusen?. The Tusen? Supervintage watches are stylish enough to be taken seriously, but they also offer fun and will make you crack a huge smile when wearing them. That s something we often forget in this overly serious hobby. In a watch world dominated by long spec sheets, extensive comparisons, and value for money, we sometimes forget about pure, unadulterated fun. But that is exactly what these watches offer in abundance.Don t be fooled, though, because if you know Tusen? and have read the specs of the Supervintage, you will understand that what the brand offers for US$999 is spot on. If you have already made up your mind and know that you want one, you get the special pre-order price of US$899 from July 30th until August 6th, 2025, on Tusen? s official website. For that week only, the brand will offer the Supervintage at this special price, which includes the black and brown leather straps you see in the pictures.Considering the complexity of the double-curved case and crystal and the colorful multi-part dials, that is an attractive price point for the Tusen? Supervintage. Granted, the design is an acquired taste, but I ended up thoroughly enjoying wearing all three of the Supervintage models for a couple of days. In the end, the Negroni version gave me the biggest smile and made it my favorite. Considering that I went into the review with that model as my least favorite, that tells you something about the powers of the new Tusen? Supervintage.This is a partnership post. Read about our transparency here.Watch specifications Brand Tusen? Model Supervintage Dial Orange-skin-textured red center, orange sub-dial, and redCorange gradient perimeter with beige luminous numerals (Negroni) / Frosted pale lime-colored center, light green sunburst sub-dial, and matching sunburst perimeter with white luminous numerals (Mojito) / Foam-textured cream-colored center, brown sub-dial, and darkClight brown gradient perimeter with beige luminous numerals (Espresso Martini)Case Material Stainless steelCase Dimensions 34.5mm (diameter) 40.5mm (lug-to-lug) 5.9mm (thickness with crystal)Crystal Double-curved sapphire Case Back Stainless steel with sapphire display Movement ETA 7001: manual winding, 21,600vph frequency, 42-hour power reserve, 17 jewelsWater Resistance 30 metersStrap Brown and black leather with stainless steel pin buckle and quick-release spring barFunctions Time only (hours, minute, small seconds)Price US$899 (pre-order) / US$999 (regular price)Warranty Preorder price applicable from July 30th to August 6th, 2025