Brew are an American microbrand, founded by Jonathon Ferrer, with a philosophy based around savouring (hey, we invented these words, we’ll use our spelling) good times and good company, but with a design aesthetic based on a good, old-fashioned coffee break.
Their watches generally favour (again, our language, buddy) a squared-off, retro-inspired form factor, inspired by vintage coffee machines but with a vibe of retro-futuristic technology. And, look, we’re guilty of leaning towards round watches but we decided it was time to add a bit of variety to the collection and so we picked up the Retrograph Lumint.
However, we’re at the point in our watch journey where our ‘one in, one out’ policy leads to some tricky decisions. We had to pick a sacrificial lamb from a collection of lambs we were pretty fond of and when our former favourite, the Proxima PX1701, got the finger of death (well, finger of eBay) pointed at it, the Lumint was going to have a big space to fill in our collection.
Of course, there’s always a worry with ordering anything from America these days. Donald Trump’s ill-advised, chaotic, economy-spooking tariffs loom large over every potential purchase but we have to say, buying the Brew was mercifully painless. The only worry were Brew’s international shipping fees which were a third of the price of the watch. Thankfully, a Hail Mary attempt at a promo code wiped off the £89 postage fee and after a couple of worrysome days where the order wasn’t processed, the watch eventually arrived within a week of ordering.
And, oh boy, was this love at first sight. We’d picked this particular model to fulfil a couple of requirements we had to complete our collection. The first was that rectangular case, to add a bit of variety and interest to our collection and it certainly does that. And the other was that we wanted a full lume dial again. We had one with the Revelot Terra Fortune which we ended up selling for quite the loss (if you’re looking to buy one, keep scouring eBay as they do not hold their price at all) and one of our other Revelots, the yellow Hexmariner 39, also has a full lume dial but one that is surprisingly underwhelming.
Now, this reviewer isn’t a coffee drinker, so that whole thing is lost on me a bit but the immediate impression of this watch was extremely positive. The rectangular shape is softened with curved edges and with the crown, and two pushers, it’s almost like looking at a 1950s television set.
It’s so different to our usual array of dive watches. There’s no bezel, just that brushed steel polished frame while the dial itself is a study in complex minimalism. The full lume means that the dial, in daylight, presents as a soft cream colour while all the details are black. From the angled indices, the detailed chapter ring (with extra sub-divisions for the first 35 seconds, something to do with brewing coffee we’re told) and a bi-compax layout of two sub-dials, both also with a soft square layout. The left one measures minutes when using the chronograph function while the right one is a 24-hour clock (admittedly, the most useless of complications). And you could almost miss that date window, tucked away right at the bottom of the dial. We love a date complication though and so we’re very happy to have it there.
In terms of text, all you get is Brew’s understated logo in a small font and the word ‘Retrograph’ in an even smaller one. All these details are so small that while there are plenty of them, it still leaves a lot of open space on the dial. It’s just all very tasteful.
The back is similarly slick with just some text information that confirms the use of 316L Stainless Steel, a sapphire crystal, the hybrid movement and that it has an ‘extraction timer.’
In terms of size, the rectangular case does make it seem a little larger than you’d expect for its 38×41.5 millimeter dimensions. Certainly, on my 6.25 inch wrist, it’s a little on the large size but not freakishly so. But it’s also just immediately striking, even if one person did think it looked a bit like an Apple Watch (spit!). We disagree though. Respectfully (and disrespectfully – you’re talking bollocks, mate).
The hybrid movement refers to the use of quartz as the main time regulator while the chronograph is mechanical. It terms of operation though it’s all pretty straightforward.
You get a non-screw down crown (limiting the watch to only 50 meters of water resistance) which pulls out to set the date and the time across two positions. The top pusher starts and stops the chronograph while the bottom pusher resets it to the 12 o’clock position. This does mean that the third hand on the dial isn’t a regular second hand and only operates during chronograph use and there’s no small seconds sub-dial. That does mean the watch generally seems quite static when you look at it. Not a deal breaker for us but your mileage might vary.
Of course, the real star of the show here is that full lume dial and pun semi-intended, it certainly shines. It makes the watch super-legible at night and it lasts a long time. And if you give it a quick blast from a UV torch, it’s obnoxiously bright. Just the way we like it. If you’re in the market for the fullest of full lume dials, this is the watch for you.
The Retrograph comes on a plain black leather strap. And while my immediate instinct was to switch it out for a black leather strap but with cream-coloured stitching, I’ve not done that because of how amazingly comfortable the original strap is.
I’ve got quite flat wrists and often leather straps can feel awkward to wear, almost as if they’re trying to fit around a shape that doesn’t work for them. But this strap is soft and flexible enough to have adhered to my odd wrist shape without issue. But it does have a quick-release on it for when I do eventually switch it up. And the strap even has the Brew logo embossed in the leather and engraved into the clasp. Nice.
We’ve got to give credit to Brew here. Of all the microbrands we’ve dabbled with, they’ve got the most consistent design language and yet they’ve manage to produce a really varied set of watches within that retro-inspired, square-shaped look. We could have easily picked one out of a dozen of their watches and been happy with it but the clean, tasteful and striking looks of the Lumint were the obvious choice and we absolutely love it and at this price point (£287 with free shipping), it’s a bargain too.
The ‘Ten Watch Box’ Verdict: So, will it hold down a place in our ten watch display case? Absolutely! It adds variety to the collection and the lume is just so much fun to look at (we’re easily distracted by shiny things). Also, being quartz (well, mechaquartz), it’s a low-faff piece for when you just want to grab a watch and go.
Availability/Options: We’re based in the UK and so the only way to get this watch is via Brew’s site. They don’t seem to play the whole ‘limited edition’ game though, so you can buy this without any faff or worry. They pre-pay the import duty too. And if they’re running a free shipping promo code, that’s even better.
Brand: Brew
Model: Retrograph Lumint
Reference: n/a
Style: Chronograph
Case Size: 38×41.5mm
Movement: Mechaquartz
Material: Stainless Steel
Band Width: 22mm
Band Type: Leather
Price Paid: £287