I was quite seasoned in making watch purchases from overseas, and a cool tip was always to get the seller to label the watch as a sample- in my case, it was a sample for my blog review (previously, it was alright as watches were exempted from taxation but with the GST coming in from April 1st, you could be sure that customs were going to be rather hawk-eyed no matter if these were labeled as samples or otherwise) to prevent the unnecessary customs hassle. Still, readers had shared how their watches were held at customs and they had to travel to KLIA to get the items released. So, buying from overseas was always going to be that bit more exciting- to see if your watch arrives safely and without a hitch.
Maranez ensured that the water-tight case cum watch box was well protected from the travelling risks of damages. Amongst the many watches that I had received from overseas, including branded Swiss watches from overseas AD, I must say that Maranez, although a sub-brand, had put lots of thought into ensuring that its watches reach the buyers' hands in good form.
Make no mistake, the Rawaii at 45mm excluding crown (and 56mm from lug to lug) was a thick watch (18mm), which inevitably attracted envious looks towards your wrist like a bunny to a carrot patch. This was not a watch for the faint-hearted. It was made from brass, which meant that patina would form over time. And its 166g weight could be felt when it was adorning your wrist.
I took another brass-inspired watch that I had on-hand i.e. Seiko Prospex Field Monster LE (RRP : RM1,445), for comparison with the Maranez Rawai Brass (RRP : RM1,300). Note that the Prospex was a 44mm piece.
While the Rawai was a homage towards the Panerai divers of the past (as per the Maranez-and-Pam picture below sourced from Net) and the Prospex was an aviation-inspired piece, the 2 watches were more closely-related than what one may thought. As beating within the heart of the Rawai was the Seiko caliber NH35 hacking automatic movement, while the Prospex had the Seiko caliber 4R36 hacking automatic movement. Both were dependable movements that were easily-serviced and affordably-procured.
The Rawai was a very attractive piece in its own right. The double-domed acyclic crystal brought about memories from the yesteryears, and the bezel turned smoothly in its uni-direction with no freeplay. The crown and its protector was well-made altogether. And the huge buckle matched with the 24mm Maranez leather strap really made the Rawai "popped" out.
The green Cali dial in particular, really matched the brass case and it was no wonder that other series in the brand tended to have the green Cali combo sold-out first.
The Rawai was an affordable entry into ownership of brass horological items, and when it had such an interesting design albeit as a homage piece, it was really a no-brainer to add this piece into one's collection.
What other brass watches, at circa RM1,300, could one purchase from the open market these days? Alternative Channels had a few pieces that it imported into Malaysia and was selling new at RM1,250; but I gathered that the previous stock were already sold out.
I would definitely be tempted to add other Maranez pieces to my blog review in the near future, and here's to the growth of this sub-brand and may Sara and her team bring us more interesting pieces in the near future!
