Akura Wayfarer Sports Watch Review

Manufacturer: Akura | Preorder Price: £399 GBP ($480 USD, €439 EUR approx)

Introducing the Akura Wayfarer, a sports watch designed in Scotland and assembled in Hong Kong that has great specifications for the introductory price of £399. The Akura Wayfarer just went live on Kickstarter yesterday and is already fully funded! At the time of writing this review on the 1st of August, pledges have already exceeded their goal of £35,000.

Two years ago the first concepts of the Wayfarer started taking shape… It was Akuras goal to create a sports watch that went against the trend of minimialist watches, to provide something familiar, yet entirely new. A richly detailed design emerged, first the case, then the dial. Once posted online it was immediately met with a fantastic response. Let’s dive in shall we and see what all the fuss is about…

Specifications

Dimensions: Case Diameter – 41.4mm, Thickness – 10.2mm, Lug to Lug – 48.6mm, Lug Width – 22mm
Movement: Miyota 9015 Automatic, 28,800vph (4Hz), Hackable, Self Winding, 42hr Power Reserve, Custom Rotor
Case Material: Brushed 316L Stainless Steel with Polished Chamfered Edges
Extras: Calfskin Leather Strap (Optional)
Bracelet: Brushed 316L Stainless Steel with Polished Chamfered Edges, Solid End Links, Milled Clasp
Crystal: Sapphire, AR Coating
Bezel: Inner Rotating Bidirectional Compass
Water Resistance: 10ATM / 100m / 330ft
Lume: Swiss Super Luminova® BGW9
Crowns: x2, Signed, Screw Down (Main Crown Only) Caseback: Screw Down, Sapphire Display
Warranty: 2 Years, 90 Day Returns Where to Buy: Kickstarter
Options: Dial Colour: Black/Red, Blue/Red, Grey/Mint, Red/White, White/Red (Some Colour Options are Stretch Goals)

The Case

The case of the Akura Wayfarer is 41.4mm. The lug to lug is 48.6mm and the overall thickness, including the sapphire crystal I measured at a very slim 10.2mm. The entire case, bezel and crown are all 316L stainless steel. The Akura Wayfarer also has a water resistance rating of 100m / 10 ATM, thanks to the screw-down display caseback. The finish of the case is superb, with it being entirely brushed with a polished chamfered edge running along the top edge of the case. There are other small polished accents and I have to admit the overall aesthetic is fantastic. The proportions are, in my opinion, very good and the watch sits on my 7″ wrist perfectly.

Bracelet / Calfskin Leather Strap

A bracelet comes fitted as standard to the Wayfarer. However, I have no idea what it’s like as Akura decided to only send me the watch with the optional leather strap. I have looked at other reviews and the majority say the bracelet is very nicely made with solid end links and a signed fully milled deployment clasp with 3 micro-adjustment holes. Aesthetically, it is very similar to the Royal Oak bracelet as you can see in the image below. Next time, send me the bloody bracelet! LOL

As previously mentioned, Akura did send me the Wayfarer with a leather strap fitted to it rather than the bracelet. I can forgive them though, as this strap isn’t some cheap crap that cost a tenner from some Del Trotter wannabe on eBay. This strap is gorgeous! As a thank you to all backers on Akura’s Kickstarter Campaign they are offering this strap as an option for only an additional £20. If you’re reading this review and you’re already a backer, get your arse back over to Kickstarter and increase your pledge by 20 quid to get this strap. Even if you won’t fit it to the Wayfarer, grab this for another watch!

Movement

The chosen movement for the Akura Wayfarer is the smooth sweep, high beat, ultra-reliable Miyota 9015. The 9015 is a slim Japanese made 28,800vph, 24 jewel movement regularly compared to the Swiss made ETA 2824-2. Checking the accuracy after running the Akura Wayfarer for a few days mainly on my wrist and occasionally in my Barrington Watch Winder, I thought the accuracy was very good with it showing an average of +7.2spd. Can’t really complain about that!

Dial & Bezel

The Akura Wayfarer has an inner rotating bidirectional bezel with a compass function. The bezel also has minute markings so it could be used timing. The dial itself is quite different to the norm that I generally see, and I have to admit it is very nice. As you can see in the images there is also a nice wave style pattern in the centre and there is no other way to describe it other than, it just works and suits the rest of the dial perfectly!

The logo and text on the dial are very nicely printed and perfectly legible with a great choice of font. The hour and minute hands are also spot on with their large arrowhead appearance. The date window is also done correctly, with the position at 6 o’clock and it’s colour matched to the dial! WOO HOO! Finally! Another nice detail is the 31st is colour matched in the dial highlight colour. I like that. I like that, a LOT.

Conclusion

The build quality and overall attention to detail is brilliant! If you’re looking for a gorgeous sports watch, I would highly recommend this Wayfarer. At this price though, for a Kickstarter campain, I feel it is slightly overpriced by atleast £50. But what do I know, Akura totally smashed their target and are now fully funded. All in less than 24 hours! Nice work Akura.

Option wise, if it was me personally, and my hard earned cash, I think I’d go for the white one with red highlights. Unfortunately, I am totally skint and can’t afford to buy this one. It can be so frustrating writing watch reviews at times, as there is always something like the Wayfarer that lands on my desk and I just can’t afford to get one. Damn it!

Akura – Brilliant Job! I would’ve gave the Wayfarer a solid 10/10 but the price just knocked it down a notch for me.

 9/10

9/10 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

A huge thanks to Philipp from Akura for sending out the Wayfarer so quickly. To view Akura’s website, or to join their mailing list to be informed of new models etc, visit AkuraTime. To buy the Wayfarer visit their Kickstarter campaign.

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