Linjer Automatic Watch Review | The Thinnest ETA 2824-2 Watch In The World?
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I know from personal experience that thin wrists are frustrating. There are so many watches that I’d love to try but I know they’d just look enormous on my wrist. The larger modern sizing trends usually leave me with very few options, outside of women’s watches.
That’s where this watch comes in. This Linjer automatic is advertised as being the thinnest ETA 2824-2 watch in the world. I’ve had this in my possession for a while now and thought I’d give my take on it.
I recently reviewed the quartz classic model from this brand. Overall I thought the watch was well-made albeit a little boring; it still felt like a premium quality fashion watch, rather than a ‘real’ watch if you get what I mean.
This automatic was released more recently and it feels like their attempt to break free from that label and appeal to a slightly different crowd. As with their quartz watch, this appears to be made in Hong Kong and once more the build quality feels pretty good.
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Watch Case
Size-wise, this watch has a diameter of 38mm with a depth of 8.4mm without the domed glass and 11.6mm with it; with a lug tip to lug tip of 44mm. So, overall it’s a relatively compact watch, which suits my skinny 6¼ inch wrist rather well.
The case is constructed of the ever-popular 316L stainless steel, with a high-shine finish throughout. The design is nothing radical, though I do like the relatively flat rear of the watch, featuring the exhibition case back. Something else of note is the lugs. These are unusually positioned, as they sprout out from the case, marginally overlapping the bezel. I can’t say I’ve seen this before, though you wouldn’t notice unless you were specifically looking for it.
Is this positive or negative? Personally, I don’t think it makes much difference; though I’d prefer it in-line with the main case. I think the case looks attractive overall, but I think would look even better with wider lugs and some brushed sections.
The crown functions reasonably well and it’s small size suits the aesthetic of the watch. Ideally, the grip could be a little sharper to aid adjustments, especially with wet hands. For some reason, it does protrude quite far from the case. If it sat slightly tighter to the case, I think the watch would look more balanced, sleek and symmetrical; perhaps a recessed crown would be the way to go.
Dial
This watch has a large dial, considering the small overall proportions. From a bird’s eye view, the case perimeter is very slim indeed, which looks great but I think also contributes to that crown looking a tad out of place. With this watch, you get a similar aesthetic to their ‘minimalist’ watch. It’s very simple with applied hour markers and faint second markers. There are a few nice touches here.
Firstly, the dial is subtly curved, which pairs well with the domed glass. This is supposedly blue, though looks far more like a very dark navy or black to me. It looks nice but doesn’t match the online images of the watch whatsoever, where the dial appears much lighter; I think they need to change this to be more representative of the true tone. However, it looks good overall and features the perfect amount of text, which is well-positioned and in an attractive font. Linjer does make some sterile dial watches, like the previous one I reviewed, though this isn’t one of them.
Also, the date window perfectly matches the dark tone of the dial. I’m pleased that the brand hasn’t overlooked this. Too often I see plain white dials clashing with darker watches and ruining the overall look. This is a good choice.
The slim hands are also simple but perfectly suitable for a watch of this style; albeit they lack any lume, along with the rest of the watch. As a whole, I think the watch looks attractive and is evidently a dressier piece; however, these minimalist pieces tend to be quite versatile meaning you could try this with some more casual outfits too.
The rear features multiple screws, though the watch only retains a meagre 3ATM of water resistance; meaning this should only be suitable for light water exposure, such as splashes or rain. Nevertheless, it’s unusual to see significantly more on a dress watch like this.
Glass
Covering the dial is a piece of double domed sapphire crystal. If you’ve read my watch glass guide, you’ll know I tend to favour this material when choosing watches, due to its scratch-resistant properties. I’d expect a piece of sapphire in a watch costing this much, so it’s nice to see they haven’t cut corners; however, in this situation, I think the watch would look better with a flat piece instead.
They’ve marketed this watch as being ‘specifically engineered to be as slim and sleek as possible’, yet when you include the added depth of the domed glass, it isn’t a particularly slim piece at all. Combined with the large dial, the raised glass just leaves the watch looking a tad bulbous. A flat piece of sapphire would not only be cheaper for the brand to use but, in my opinion, would better suit the intended shape and style of the watch.
If you have some watch knowledge, I bet you could change this out yourself, though the curved dial may give some unusual results. Nevertheless, I guess this is somewhat subjective and at least sapphire will offer you good performance.
Strap
The 18mm strap included with this watch is of fantastic quality. Linjer is first and foremost a leather brand, so this is hardly surprising. The strap is supple and smooth and features a butterfly deployant clasp, to further aid durability over time. I’m positive this will last for many, many years and won’t need to be changed unless you’re after a different look. If you did want to alter the band, the quick-release spring-bars will also prove handy. Personally, I much prefer this watch on a Milanese bracelet; I think this look suits my style better and gives the watch more visual structure.
Watch Movement
The key feature that also powers this watch is the Swiss ETA 2824-2 automatic movement housed within. This excellent, reliable 25-Jewel movement comes in 4 different grades and even the basic one has a solid reputation. The high beat performance will give the second hand a smooth motion, moving around 8 times per second. In smaller quantities, these movements cost upwards of £150 per unit and are often used in watches far more expensive than this one. It’s not the ultimate movement out there, but is a clear step up from the low-end movements used in more affordable watches; such as the 7S26 used by Seiko, for example.
While I like the movement, it leaves me wondering. The movement is one of the primary reasons that this watch costs over £400 at the time of writing. When you think about it, £400 really can get you a lot of watch elsewhere, from some far more prestigious brands. One that immediately jumps to mind is the similarly styled Tissot Everytime Swissmatic. On Jomashop, that watch is half the price of this Linjer, has many comparable specifications and will hold its value better if you decide to re-sell it at some point. Admittedly, the watch is wider and has a different automatic movement, though is also slimmer on-wrist and is Swiss-made rather than made in Asia. If the region of manufacture or brand name doesn’t matter to you, then this won’t be much of an issue to you, but if you do, bear it in mind.
I’m unsure those who care about the high-quality ETA movement inside this Linjer would even be looking at Linjer in the first place. I’d imagine most would be looking at more horologically significant brands, given they clearly must care about watchmaking. As a result, I think this watch could probably do better if it had a more cost-effective movement, had a slimmer design and was offered at a lower price point accordingly.
Final Thoughts
Nevertheless, I do like the watch. It’s comfortable to wear and looks pretty good, the specifications are strong, though the design is quite plain. If you like the look and are willing to splash out this much on a microbrand I’m sure you won’t be disappointed; however, some of you may struggle to justify spending £400 on this relatively unknown watch.
