When I talked to Gavox’s founder Michael Happé about the Squadron, he related the fact that many people call it the “poor man’s Sinn 103.” Those who say that are both professionals (active duty members of the military who have field-tested and use the Squadron) as well as watch enthusiasts who have a severe inclination for military watches. The Sinn 103 is a precise and highly engineered multifunctional mechanical chronograph the base price of which starts at $2,300 USD. The Squadron retails for $480 USD. The latter is almost five times cheaper than the former and although it ticks with a different kind of technology, its soul is the same as that of its distant German cousin. Actually, the Gavox does everything the Sinn 103 does and some more. It is the perfect in-between for ultra functional tool watches and the inherent reliability of quartz calibers.

We’ve looked at Gavox before in the AviDiver II GMT which is a solid, legible, and also multi-functional tool watch (it’s a diver and a GMT) equipped with a unique multipurpose timing element which triples the inherent functionality of the watch. (You can already see a trend going on with Michael’s horological creations.) The AviDiver II GMT is therefore a pilot watch, a diver, and a GMT all grouped within a solid construction and that is also what we’re going to see the Squadron to be—many tool watches lumped into one—a pilot, a diver, and a chronograph and some. Retailing for $480 USD you will get a whole lot of value with this one and if it is good enough for the pros it certainly is good enough for you and me. Gavox is the type of brand which principally designs watches for the military which field-tests all of them for the brand. 

Specifications

You won’t be surprised then if I tell you what ticks inside the Gavox Squadron: a Ronda 5130.D mecaquartz chronograph caliber with an alarm function to boot and a stated monthly accuracy of -10/+20 seconds per day. The 5130.D movement is the type of battery-powered instrument which permits the user to time events up to 12 hours by 30-minute increments and which is naturally resistant to shocks and magnetism. The alarm function doubles as a reference time indicator though I have to tell you I couldn’t figure out exactly how to use it despite the fact that Gavox puts a complete operating manual in the box. (I believe this level of functionality is best suited for spies.) So the Squadron is functionally a highly capable watch, and like a good engine should be surrounded with a finely made body of metal, so does the Squadron which spec list is, figuratively speaking, as long as this review.  

To allow the user to have a clear view of all information displayed on the dial, there is a flat piece of sapphire crowning the case complete with a few layers of inner anti-reflective coating. In terms of water resistance there are 100 meters of it as the case-back and crown screw-down, so that you can rest easy whether you’re flying above ground or taking a deep recreational dive during your upcoming mission vacation. (The chronograph pushers do not screw down.) Should you not feel comfortable timing something underwater using the chronograph, then you can use the 120-click unidirectional bezel which is fully graduated. Its action is definitely utilitarian and firm, but consistent which is ideologically on part with the raison d’être of the Squadron. (A tough-as-nails Swiss knife of a toolwatch, a point which I will bring back multiple times again in this review.) 

Given its inherent functionality and robust appearance, you may be right in thinking that the Gavox Squadron commands a certain wrist presence. Because it does. This baby clocks in with a diameter of 41mm, a lug-to-lug of 51.1mm, a total thickness of 12mm, and a lug width of 20mm. Though the diameter is good, I would say that the L2L is better suited for watch enthusiasts who either have more self-confidence than I do or who were lucky to be born with larger wrists than mine. (As a reminder, my watch-wearing bone-and-skin attachment measures 6.50”/16.5cm.) And keep in mind that 51.1mm is the total length from one lug to the other whilst the watch, on the provided bracelet with its male end links, clocks in at 56.2mm. Though the Squadron’s saving grace is the fact that the lugs turn down towards the wrist offsetting its total dimensions. 

Design

It is common with tool watches that form follows function. No, it’s (should be) a given. And this couldn’t be more true with the Gavox Squadron. At first glance, this watch belongs to a small group of ultra purpose-driven timekeeping devices which are more rare than I thought when I first entered the hobby. Indeed the Squadron does make me think of the Sinn 103 but also of the Fortis Cosmograph. In total three chronograph tool watches which were designed and engineered to be the ultimate tool watches. (They are good enough for pilots and astronauts after all.) But as we already know, the Gavox is much more affordable than the Sinn and this statement is also true comparing it to the Fortis. So what we have here is multiple complications neatly arranged in one metal package, and although the disposition of the sub-registers is dictated by the movement architecture, I like how Gavox went about organizing everything. 

First we have the normal timekeeping function which is handled by two large syringe-style hour and minute hands which are lumed. The running seconds are indicated in the sub-register located at the three, where we find a small seconds hand with a lollipop counter-balance. The main chronograph hand has the shape of a needle with a lumed, arrow-shaped element. At the six we find the sub-register which doubles as the alarm and reference time functionality, where two hands indicate a second time using a military-style 12-hour scale. (The same one is used to indicate the local time.) Lastly, at the nine, we find the 30-minute totalizer as well as the 12-hour totalizer. The former sits at the periphery of the dial and is recognizable for having the 5-minute increments highlighted. The latter is nestled within the center portion of the register and stands out for having an orange hand. 

Although there are many things to look at and read, I find the layout of the dial to have been well thought out. After a few self-imposed training sessions, I was able to read the elapsed hours quite easily despite being the smallest set of information to read. To make all of that information quite legible, Gavox opted for a monochromatic color scheme so that the local time, chronograph functionality, as well as the alarm and reference time indicators are easy to read as they contrast nicely set against a matte black dial. And the Squadron is endowed with extra complications such as the date located at the 4:30 (black printed numerals against a white date disc) and a 60-minute timer on the bezel. The latter was also designed with a decisive function-first approach as the 5-minute increments were also highlighted with Arabic numerals. 

All of the above is framed within a case that comes with a simple and utilitarian design which is more than appropriate for this type of watch and given the huge functionality the Squadron comes with. 

The Heart of the Matter

Although it might be diminutive to compare the Gavox Squadron to a Sinn 103, either for the Squadron because it costs less than the Sinn or for the Sinn because it costs more than the Gavox, from a functionality standpoint this comparison (I hope) makes sense. The Gavox actually is more functional and much more affordable for being powered by a mecaquartz chronograph caliber, and with the Ronda 5130.D there is the addition of the alarm and reference time capabilities. (Again, I haven’t mastered the latter.) As far as I know and as the horological wisdom goes, battery-powered calibers, even the cheapest ones, are de facto more resistant to shocks and magnetic fields than mechanical movements of many calibers (ah ah, nice pun right?) are. This is something to take into consideration when comparing a Gavox Squadron and a Sinn 103. 

Conclusion 

At the end of the day, we must choose what makes the most sense to us. Do you need a full-fledged chronograph? Do you want one? How much are you willing to spend on it? For $480 USD the Gavox Squadron will give you more functionality than you will probably ever need and some more whilst having the piece of mind that is inherent to quartz movements—accuracy and ease of use. Two points to take into serious consideration. And beyond the caliber itself, remember that you get 100 meters of water resistance, a sapphire crystal, and lume which I haven’t yet mentioned which is generously applied where it matters the most. So the Gavox Squadron is the type of watch which makes me wonder how much we should actually pay for a good tool watch? 

Thanks for reading.