Specifications
Movement: Ronda 8040.N | 13 Jewels
Case Diameter: 48 mm
Lug to Lug:
Case Thickness: 15 mm
Case Material: Stainless Steel | Exhibition Case back | Polished Finished
Dial: Black | Big Date @ 6 o'clock | Retrograde Day Indicator @ 12 o'clock | Small Seconds | 10 hour Counter @ 3 o'clock | 30 Minute Counter @ 9 o'clock
Crystal: K1 Mineral
Strap: 24 mm | Leather NATO | Brown | Stainless Buckle
Water Resistance: 20ATM | 200M | 660ft
Functions | Complications: Chronograph | Center Stop Seconds | 1/10 Seconds ~30 Min | 10 Hour Counter | ADD and SPLIT | 3 Sub Dials | Day Indicator | Big Date | Small Seconds | Day Retrograde | Tachymeter
Movement
The Ronda caliber 8040.N is a multi-function quartz movement with 13 jewels. It is part of Ronda’s Mastertech line.
PROS AND CONS OF THIS MOVEMENT:
Pros
Decent battery life (as long as you don’t run the chronograph constantly).
Cool retrograde day of the week at 12:00
Big double digit date at 6:00
Takes a common battery
Cons
No quickset for the day of the week!
Small screws are easy to lose during battery replacement.
High cost for movement replacement.
Dial & Design
The Aragon Caprice 8040.N in this option is a black dial with a litany of items that covers the functions of the Ronda 8040.N engine. The Tachymeter covers the outside of the dial, all of the markers are in white and easily readable, the next ring is the time with large numbers at the 12 o'clock - 4 o'clock and 8 o'clock. The retrograde day is right under the 12 o'clock marker with Sunday being marked in red, and the indicator is lumed and outlined in red - while the big date is at the 6 o'clock marker location with two separate windows, making it easy to read at a glance. The sub dial second hand is also located near the 6 o'clock location, the 1/1-th second hand sub dial is located at the 3 o'clock location, and the 30 min sub dial is located at the 9 o'clock location. The red central second hand has a great contrast against the black dial face, making it easily located when using the chronograph function. The hands are sword shaped with lume applied to both. The crystal is a K1 mineral lens, which means it is a treated glass which is higher scratch resistant than normal mineral glass, but not as strong as a sapphire crystal.
Case & Details
The stainless steel case and bezel have a different finish, depending on the level that you are looking at, some surfaces are beautifully polished - so much so you could see your reflection, while other surfaces are finished in a brushed finish - add this contrast makes the case grab attention with the subtle nuances - in fact it will reflect light with the polished parts - catching people's attention when out in the sun. The shape and finish of the case make the 48 mm size seem like it is not as big as it really is, it is very comfortable with a regular band or a NATO style strap. The skeleton case back is an interesting addition, the Ronda 8040.N is a gold finished caliber, and the skeleton case back makes it very visible - it is a nice touch to the finish.
On The Wrist Experience
This is one of my go-to timepieces in the larger diameter group that I have. This is a very utilitarian style watch, I can wear it in any environment - from a suit to shorts and flip flops - business to swimming. This is a very comfortable watch, I changed the strap from the silicone to the leather NATO just to change it up a little bit - and it completely changed the aesthetics of the watch. This is a great daily wear watch, but it would not be a beater.
Sales & Customer Service Experience
As always with Aragon, the purchase, customer service, customer communication is flawless. I have never had an issue with any Aragon that I have in my collection, so I could not honestly comment on how they handle issues - other than saying that they focus on the quality of their timepieces so that you don't have issues. I have asked a couple of questions through email, and they have responded very quickly, and with legitimate responses (not a canned response).
Final Thoughts & Recommendations
I have more than a few Aragon timepieces in my collection - and this is not the largest, the loudest, the most unique - but this is one of my favorite timepieces to wear. The look and feel of this watch is very clean, and while the complications are busy it is a very utilitarian piece. If you want one watch, this would be a great candidate - but this is a must have for any collection.
Scores 4.5 out of 5 Stars
MSRP: $400 USD
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