Campanola “Kokiake” Eco-Drive BU0020-03B

Model: Campanola “Kokiake” Eco-Drive BU0020-03B Year: September 2016 Features: The Value. Compared to European brands, Seiko offers some remarkably luxurious pieces at affordable prices - urushi lacquer, vitreous enamel, arita porcelain and maki-e gold are just a few of the dials and finishing techniques found on Seiko watches priced under $1,000. As Seiko’s global reputation grows, these bargains are slowly starting to disappear. The Campanola brand is even further behind that curve and can be considered better value for money than many of Seiko’s “deep value” offerings, which in turn are better value for money than many European brands! The Dial. The name of the watch, Kokiake (深緋), translates to Deep Crimson, which needs little explanation. The hand-lacquered crimson subdial has been designed to resemble the molten surface of Earth 4.5 billion years ago. The subdial is mixed with gold, which not only gives it a molten glow, but it makes every Kokiake slightly unique. The subdial at 12 o’clock has been designed to represent the brilliance of the sun, and there’s a moonphase indicator at 6 o’clock - completing the Sun, Moon and Earth trifecta. The Layers. Campanolas are renowned for their use of layering, often opting for a distinctly three-dimensional look. As much as I love their cosmological dials and features, the thing that continues to draw me into Campanolas is their stacked approach to design. The Movement. Very few watches offer the same level of convenience and reliability as Citizen’s Eco-Drive. The six-month power reserve that can be charged from only 19 hours of sunlight. However, there has always been one downside - the dials must have a translucent surface to allow light to reach the solar capacitor beneath. As a result, the design possibilities for Eco-Drives have always been somewhat limited - until Citizen began experimenting with translucent bezels. The Improvements. As solar charging technology improved, the size of the capacitors shrank, allowing Citizen to only use part of the dial for the charging element. This innovation led to the creation of Campanola Eco-Drives, featuring translucent bezels. Interestingly, these bezels look completely normal - you wouldn’t even know they are “translucent” - but their presence means Eco-Drives can now boast much more intricate designs. The BU0020-3A is a wonderful example of this. Specifications: Condition: In very good condition overall. Some light marks can be seen on the bezel and case.. Original strap and buckle. Scope: No box or papers Movement: 8730 Eco-Drive “Solar Quartz” Dimensions: Case Width: 43.2mm Case Thickness: 14.1mm Lug Width: 21mm