I’d actually come across OLTO-8 before they ever contacted me. I was doing my usual doom scrolling when the Chrono Gate popped up and stopped me in my tracks. What the hell is this?! In the best possible way.

It was completely unlike anything else I’d been seeing, and it stuck in my head. So when OLTO-8 eventually got in touch and asked if I’d like to try one, I was very curious to see what they were all about. Fast forward to now and I’m wearing the brand-new OLTO·8 Chrono Gate Burgundy Moissanite-Set - Eastern Arabic Numerals or for the sake of efficiency The Chrono Gate Burgundy, which is the first Jewel Edition in the collection.

And yes, I’m absolutely here for the bling. That deep burgundy fumé dial, the rose-gold-tone details, the guilloché and those 80 little flashes of moissanite around the bezel all come together beautifully. It has a slightly dressy, slightly flashy personality, but somehow it still feels very cool and modern.

The Specifications

The Chrono Gate Burgundy measures 39mm across and 14mm thick, including that rather spectacular domed sapphire crystal. It’s made from 316L stainless steel, has 50 metres of water resistance and comes on a leather strap with a pin buckle. Inside is the OT.G102, which, as I understand it, uses a Miyota movement as its base with OLTO-8’s own bespoke module added to create the unusual display.

So the underlying movement is doing the job of powering the watch, while OLTO-8’s module is what allows it to create this rather unconventional 24-hour display. It beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour and has a 40-hour power reserve.

I actually appreciate the honest approach here. OLTO-8 is clear about what has been developed by them and what is off the shelf, and that’s something I value. A lot of brands aren’t nearly as forthcoming about what’s actually going on inside their watches.

Then there’s the bezel: 80 individually set moissanite stones, surrounding a burgundy fumé dial with guilloché and Eastern Arabic numerals. It’s priced at 1,461 CHF/$1,733 USD, which is a significant step up from the standard Chrono Gate.

So, is all that extra sparkle worth it? Well, let’s get into it. 

Yes, I’m Here For the Bling 

The moissanite is one of my favourite details. If, like me, you hadn’t really thought much about moissanite before, it’s a lab-created gemstone made from silicon carbide. It looks remarkably similar to a diamond, but it isn’t one.

Diamond is harder, scoring 10 on the Mohs scale compared with around 9.25 for moissanite, but moissanite has incredible brilliance and can throw off some seriously impressive flashes of light.

Here, the stones are individually set around the curved bezel, so they catch the light as your wrist moves. They’re not shouting for attention, but they definitely know how to catch it. And I think the bling genuinely works with the rest of the design. It elevates the watch without making it feel like someone has simply thrown some sparkle at it and called it a day.

Learning to Read the Time

One of the things I really enjoyed about the Chrono Gate was learning to read the Eastern Arabic numerals. They’re not simply there as decoration. They form part of the unusual 24-hour display, which moves between the 0– 12 and 13–23 indications as the mechanism changes every twelve hours.

And I discovered that I have absolutely no patience when it comes to watching it happen. I struggled to wait twelve hours to see the time switch, so I kept resetting the watch. Because watching it happen is so ridiculously satisfying twice a day is simply not enough!

I’m also not usually one for open-heart movements, but here I completely get it. There’s an adorable little key- shaped element that you can actually see in action, and knowing that you get to watch it do its thing every twelve hours makes it utterly charming. It’s a tiny detail, but it gives the whole mechanism so much personality.

Then You Turn It Over…

Through the sapphire caseback you can see the mechanical world behind the display, with brushed surfaces, polished bevels and sandblasted areas giving the movement plenty to look at. I really like having something mechanical to discover on both sides of the watch. There’s always another little detail to look at, which is probably why I found myself fiddling with it so much.

Burgundy, Gold and a little Matchy Matchy

The colour is probably what first got me. That deep burgundy fumé dial gets darker towards the edges, while the guilloché catches the light underneath. Sometimes the pattern is really obvious; other times it almost disappears.

The gold-coloured details work particularly well too. They bring warmth to the burgundy and, together with the moissanite, give the watch a slightly glamorous feel. I’ve worn it with little hints of burgundy, with navy blue and, naturally, with full-on burgundy too. Because sometimes subtle coordination is lovely, and sometimes you just have to commit. 

I give you full permission to go all in on the Burgandy with this one.

The strap is comfortable, and we all know by now that I love a Matchy Matchy moment. There are so many little details here that putting it on never really gets boring.

Wear What You Like

The design does naturally lean a little feminine. Those sensuous curves running through the case give it a softer, almost jewellery-like quality, and the burgundy, gold and sparkle certainly add to that. But watches really don’t need a gender.

I wore it to a football match, took it up a mountain and wore it throughout Geneva Watch Days. And it worked in all three settings. In fact, seeing it on my friend Nikolaj’s wrist completely reinforced that for me. On him, it looked seriously badass.

We ended up talking about men and bling, and he told me he used to think anything a bit sparkly wasn’t really his thing. This is also the man who now owns a Rolex Day-Date with baguette diamonds. So clearly things change. And that’s really my point. If you love a watch, wear it. It doesn’t need to fit into anyone else’s idea of who should wear what.

A Serious Conversation Starter

The Chrono Gate is also a fantastic conversation starter. I know this because during Geneva Watch Days I repeatedly ended up taking it off my wrist so people could have a proper look. People wanted to see the dial, try it on, turn it over and, inevitably, play with the mechanism. There’s something about a watch that refuses to look or behave like a conventional watch that makes people curious.

And Then There’s That Crystal…

I have a complicated relationship with the domed sapphire crystal. On one hand, it is an absolute nightmare to photograph. It catches everything. Every light. Every reflection. Every window. Every person standing vaguely near me. I do wonder whether a few more layers of AR coating might help.

But then I took it up a mountain. And suddenly I appreciated those reflections a lot more. The crystal picked up the landscape around me and reflected the mountains back across the dial. It was one of those moments where the thing that had been driving me mad when I was trying to photograph it suddenly became one of my favourite things about the watch.

So perhaps I’ll forgive it.

The Verdict

The Chrono Gate Burgundy is doing a lot. You’ve got the 24-hour mechanical display, Eastern Arabic numerals, guilloché, the open-heart detail, that little key moving into action, 80 hand-set moissanites, the burgundy fumé dial and those wonderfully fluid curves.

It’s a big step up in price from the regular Chrono Gate, but for me the bling genuinely changes the character of the watch. It elevates it, and I think it works particularly well with the Arabic numerals and the rest of the design. This is not a watch for someone looking for something quiet.

It’s loud and it’s proud, and people will definitely notice it on your wrist. But that’s part of the fun.

I’ve loved wearing it, loved people asking about it and loved watching that little mechanism do its thing. I love that it can look just as good at a football match as it does at a fancy party, and that seeing it on Nikolaj’s wrist completely reinforced the idea that watches really don’t need a gender.

It’s a watch that doesn’t seem particularly interested in following the rules. And frankly, neither am I.