A Surprise Gift : Edox Les Vauberts Automatic (Model No. 80081.37R.AIR)

I'll be frank that this is my first piece of Edox timepiece. And I wasn't even expecting to get my hands on this piece when I received the gift from my other half.

For a long while, I had been looking for a simple white-dial classic watch with reptile leather strap that appeals to me. I've tried a few but they simply did not quite tick all the boxes for me to hand over the cold, hard cash for the requisition; and the closest pieces that appeal to me were the Tissot Heritage Visodate and Orient Bambino.

However, I find the Tissot Heritage Visodate's gold to be "too yellow", for lack of a better description. And the watch was very light such that the wearer (for me, at least) hardly gets the feeling that you have a good piece on your wrist. At RRP : RM2,200, it was an affordable entry-level simple dress watch and would be my next choice if I was unable to find a piece to scratch the itch.

The Orient Bambino looked the part, had nice rose-gold case which I simply adored; but also suffered from the "oh-so-light" watch syndrome. Of course, at RRP : RM960, it was simply a steal of a price and you couldn't quite go wrong with this purchase.

If only we could mix-and-match both the aforementioned timepieces characteristics, and then some, to get the following :

- white dial,
- rose-gold case,
- Swiss brand,
- heavier automatic movement,
- reptile leather strap,
- affordable pricing.

then, we would have a winner on hand. From my research vide the Net, I believed that I had found a timepiece that fulfils the above criterias, however the timepiece was a discontinued collectors' edition and therefore, hunting for a piece in Malaysia may not be that easy a task.

I am, of course, referring to the Edox Les Vauberts Automatic (Model No. 80081.37R.AIR).

It was retailing new at RRP : 3,700; but since it was discontinued, even pre-owned examples in excellent condition were going at higher than the original price. The piece below in silver colour was going for Euro1,028 (circa RM4,500).

The dial measures 39mm without the crown. The inner movement is the dependable and reliable Swiss ETA 2824-2, which also powers quite a few other pieces in my collection including the latest acquisition (prior to this) being Steinhart Ocean Forty-Four.

The case-back is simply a piece of art with a small skeleton look-through hole depicting the decorated movement, and a message honouring 4 centuries of Swiss watch-making including a picture of a Swiss cottage industry.

Well, my other half decided to use her free time to trawl the Net in search for this elusive piece and lo and behold, she has managed to track down a shop that has an unsold piece in its safe. It had been discontinued for a long while, so the shop manager explained that they can't find the original box. But the manual and warranty card were with the timepiece and so, the 2 years of warranty were duly-stamped and a transaction dealt.

And now, I am a proud owner of this Les Vauberts piece. Happy as bird, if I may so add. Real pictures to follow suit.