Akin to urban legends which take a firm hold on people’s psyche through the generations, the stories of certain watch brands radiate in all four corners of the earth. Tales of excellence in design, superior manufacturing, and of unparalleled singular creativity. And like it is true of almost anything in life, sometimes what is said about something is true and sometimes it isn’t. Some brands deservedly earned a positive reputation and some others didn’t. Why that is remains, for the most part, a mystery. By experience, however, sometimes specific things are said about a brand, certain adjectives are used to describe what they do well, and this commentary emanates from certain people whose opinion I respect and categorically trust. That is what happened when our dearest friend Sophie (@sophies.watch.world)—a writer, photographer, videographer and fashion montage expert—sang the praise of Direnzo Watches, the “microbrand” from Geneva. When she says something is good, that thing surely is rock solid. 

So today is another special day for me and Mainspring as I get to share my thoughts on the latest release from Direnzo, the DRZ 07 Universo in a stunning blue sunburst and fumé dial. Stupidly, I thought that because Direnzo is a Swiss brand that makes watches in Switzerland that it and its horological creations would be outside of my comfort zone—price wise. That was indeed a silly assumption to make because, “in an investigation, assumption kills” (as is known Jack Reacher to have said many times in his fictional career) and so I stayed clear from the brand for too long. But hearing Sophie talk about Direnzo so much and in such flattering terms, I knew I wouldn’t want to die remaining ignorant about the brand. And the DRZ 07 Universo turned out to be the perfect collection to get myself acquainted with the brand. At the first glimpse of an image of this model it was love at first sight.

Note: this Swiss designed and Swiss made jewel of independent horology costs 750 CHF/$835 USD and will be available on March 1, 2025. 

Specifications

When I first heard of the DRZ 07 Universo I wondered why this collection was so named. Was it because of its versatile design? Its go-anywhere-do-anything specs? It turns out it was for both reasons. Indeed, the Direnzo DRZ 07 Universo (is that enough for the SEO?) was created to be the perfect elegant GADA watch that doesn’t look like your typical overbuilt and overengineered multipurpose timekeeping device. I for one am a big fan of utilitarian tool watches because they are theoretically built and actually designed to be able to handle anything, anywhere, and at any time. But the DRZ07 changed my perception of what an actual GADA watch can and should be. By all measures, the Universo is an everyday elegant watch that would do very well on the wrist of a celebrity being photographed on a red carpet. (Where you will never bump into me.) But it would do just as well hiking the Amazonian jungle on top of a mule, hatcheting your way through dense foliage. 

One of the many great elements of the Direnzo DRZ 07 I particularly appreciate—if that wasn’t yet clear—is the fact that it looks “too good” to be a GADA. And that is a positive thing. But rest assured, my dear watch nerd friends, that this watch is built solid. First, its dimensions are perfect for me as the DRZ 07 appears to be floating on my wrist like I’m taking a metaphorical trip to Cloud 9 (the horological version) each time I strapped this watch to my wrist: a diameter of 37.5mm, a lug-to-lug of 45mm, a total thickness of 10.8mm, and a lug width of 20mm. In other words, it is neither too large nor too small so it is perfect. With a screw-down crown and case-back, the Universo is endowed with a sufficient 100 meters of water resistance and the hands and applied hour markers are complemented by generous applications of BGW9 for nighttime legibility. (If or when you decide to go night diving with it.) 

The case whose dimensions I just gushed over is protected against everyday scratches thanks to a hardening coating raising the steel's scratch resistance to 800Hv on Vicker’s hardening scale (four times that of naked stainless steel,) so are the bracelet and the clasp. (The brand specified that these latter two elements received the same treatment to show how much attention they put in making the Universo a true GADA watch; many brands don’t bother going beyond the case.) With a flat sapphire crystal the DRZ 07 is indeed ready for any adventure, cool or not, and you will also have the right movement for whatever it is that you do: a Sellita SW200-1 Élaboré—that means adjusted in three position— with ticks at 4Hz and has 41 hours of power reserve. The clasp is also adapted for basically anything for having a NodeX on-the-fly micro-adjustment system. (The links are held together with screws.) 

Design

So, we may agree that in the specifications department, the Direnzo DRZ 07 Universo has all that we need. So let’s turn our attention to its design by starting with the dessert: the dial treatment. As mentioned in the introduction, the Universo comes with both sunburst and fumé treatments or finishes, which make for a spectacular spectacle. The sunburst effect come from finely machined concentric circles which appear to be super-imposed on top of one another for they are thin and they glitter. What appear like microscopic sparkles enliven the central section of the dial before it fades into darker tones of blue to end up into total darkness. (All versions of the DRZ 07 except for the Aventurine have the same dial setup—wait, I didn’t tell you there are seven (7) versions of this watch?) This type of dial treatment exists for both aesthetic and practical reasons, for it makes the applied hour markers easier to see, especially the smaller ones. 

Although the DRZ 07 is the first Direnzo I’ve reviewed (read “spent quality time with”,) Direnzo created its own design language which is used throughout all of its collections in one form or another, which we also find, therefore, on this model. That is long, triangular-shaped, lumed and rounded hour and minute hands, both polished, and a thin seconds hand with a lumed lollipop element, also polished. These hands align themselves with applied hour markers of two different shapes, inward-facing triangles at the cardinal points and small circles everywhere else. This particular juxtaposition of shapes is lovingly executed here as pairing small circular elements with much larger triangular elements make reading the time super easy, something that is not always the case with dials devoid of Arabic numerals. That in itself shows indeed Direnzo’s excellence in design and superior creativity. (Which you also pay for but which is unquantifiable.) 

The same attention to detail and minutia of design was invested in the case although it does not appear so at first glance. For example, the case has polished chamfers which are almost invisible as they blend in with the polished sides. They blend in so well that at some angles they actually appear to not exist, which is a unique and clever design trick I’ve never seen before. (And one which also makes the case an asshole to photograph.) This effect was made possible by getting a superb mirror-like polishing to be applied on both the flanks of the case and the chamfers. Conversely, the upper sections of the lugs received a vertical brushing whilst the bezel—this SOB to photograph as well—received an equally superb juxtaposition of finishes, radial brushed on its flat upper section and polished on its convex side profile. Another point of design interest is the fully polished 6.3mm crown, as gorgeous to look at as it its practical to use, with a white dot at its center.

The Heart of the Matter

You know the feeling you have when you realize that the movie so many people hyped up is actually just meh? As if the whole world became dull and bland because people just said too many positive things about something that is not that earth-shattering? That happens a lot to me with watches and over the years I’ve learned (I try) to not get too excited about something I haven’t seen in the metal with my own eyeballs. True, pictures don’t do a watch justice and they never will, and specs, most of the time, account for nothing in the wearing experience and in making the proverbial “connection” take place. You have to adjust the bracelet, open the clasp, and slide your wrist through it to get a real sense of what this watch is for you. Not for someone else, but for you because you are all that matters here buddy. As for me, I made an instant and strong connection with the Direnzo DRZ 07 Universo. 

At the heart of the matter is the fact that Direnzo wasn’t supposed to be a brand for me because I found that its previous collections to look to avant-guarde for my dull self. Even though Sophie raved about it and that I trust her judgment (I always do because she never leaves any no stones unturned in her reviews and because she’s brutally honest but in an elegant way on account of her British accent,) I had to have a hands-on experience with a Direnzo in order to understand what the horological gospel was all about. So in the case of the brand and the DRZ 07 Universo, well, everything checks out and this model is a homerun. What Direnzo created is something quite unique—a GADA watch that actually doesn't look like one. It is now perhaps my new favorite type of watch, something that perhaps we could coin as being a Red Carpet GADA. Meh? 

Conclusion 

For 750 CHF/$835 USD you get what you paid for and a lot more. As it is customary for me to say so on Mainspring, “we cannot put a price tag on design” and once again that (humble) saying is true looking at the Direnzo Universo. Actually, I would argue that this watch should become the poster child for this horological philosophy as the DRZ 07 comes with more wholesomeness and elegance in design that most watches I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing in the past four years. What Direnzo did very well with this model is to make it appear simple at first glance although, upon closer inspection, it is far from being straightforward. Besides the polished chamfer which blends in with the polished case flanks, the narrow bezel, and the perfectly flushed crown are just some of the visual elements which don’t jump out at first inspection. But they are there and they quietly contribute to the incredible visual and wearing experience the DRZ 07 Universo offers. 

I recommend checking out the brand’s website to not miss the launch on March 1, 2025 and to see photos of all seven versions this watch will be available in. 

Thanks for reading.