We’re big fans of Revelot (Revel-oh, Reve-lot, Reverend Horton Heat?!). They’ve been on a super-hot streak of putting out watches with really striking looks. We started with the Mecadromo (we’ll review that one soon) and then picked up two of their gorgeous Hexmariner 39 range. But as soon as the Hexmariners launched and went through production, we were hit with news of the Terra which was to be more of a dress watch.
As we waited for more info on that range, Revelot slid into our inbox with a pre-order option to buy a limited variant, the Terra Fortune, which was released to coincide with, and commemorate, the Chinese New Year. This watch came in two colour schemes: a Red Aventurine which sold out faster than Ben Elton did in the ’80s and the White Luminova, a fully-lumed version which is the one we picked up. And these are a collaboration with the Malaysian fashion company Behati.
Exciting the watch comes in a Red box with a pack of cute red envelopes which are very traditional in Chinese custom. And upon opening the box you’re greeted with a really interesting looking watch here.
With a small-but-tasteful case size of 38mm, this little watch definitely feels like it’s made for dressing up. A lug to lug of 44mm means it’ll hug smaller risks and while it t might not look great on the Arnold Schwarzengger’s wrist, it’ll sit very nicely on the wrists of regular humans. And with a thickness of 12mm and it’s clean Stainless Steel construction, this is a tidy watch. Well, when it comes to the construction at least.
What really stands out with this watch though is the dial. There’s a lot going on here. Chinese numerals at each position (although the 12 position has a character that symbolises luck and prosperity), a small seconds hand, a tiny Revelot logo, a slightly larger Behati one and, in case you didn’t catch that it’s a collab, the words ‘Revelot X Behati’ tucked away neatly under the six o’clock position. And if that’s not enough you’ve got a cool square spiral design (known as a ‘meander’) on the chapter ring section.
The hands are pretty interesting too. A sort of bladed baton style style with enough width for plenty of lume. And oh boy, is lume a factor here. Revelot only describe it as ‘Japan Super Luminova’ but the whole dial is coated in it which ensures this watch glows like irradiated alien tech all night. Of all of our collection, this is the watch that shines at night the most. It’s just stunning and is the reason we picked it up. It might be that we’re children of the ’80s but in our book anything that glows like this is basically magical. From the Ghostbusters sweater that we bought with our pocket money in 1984 to this watch. Just give us the shiny.
The dial doesn’t convey any other information but the watch sports a fairly low 100 metres of water resistance (although you’d have to be some sort of monster to take a watch like this into the water) and is powered by an automatic Seagull movement which, of course, has a ton of history to it, being best known for letting the Chinese Red Army know what time it is since the 60s. However, this is the ST17 variant which offers a decent 3hz beat rate, a power reserve of 40 hours and, unlike other Seagulls, isn’t decorated. Which is just as well because the Terra’s caseback pulls the same annoying trick as the Hexmariner’s one by making it open and then covering up the view with a pattern. If you look very hard, you can just about see the rotor move.
Another minor annoyance is the crown which is a big chunky diamond shaped affair. Protruding and unguarded, it just seems a bit overly sized. It also makes any kind of on-the-wrist winding or adjusting absolutely impossible.
Revelot shipped these (they are currently out of stock) with one of three types of bands. We swerved the ‘Glide Clasp’ bracelet as it’s not our favourite thing from Revelot (although with the Terra they started using screw links which will massively improve them) and we didn’t fancy the black FKM strap option as it didn’t seem suited to an elegant piece like this. We settled on the black leather strap which has cream stitching. It’s very nice and suited the watch quite well but we ended up pairing the watch with a burgundy-coloured beauty: the Berlin by Watch and Strap Co. The red in the strap and the cream in the stitching pair so nicely with the red 12 o’clock marker and the white dial. Honestly, this is just a perfect combination. Like PB and jelly but if you got rid of the PB and replaced it with ice cream. And replaced the bread with chocolate sauce.
These sold for £272 (plus whatever the bastards at FedEx hit you with for import tax, sixty pounds for us) with the leather strap (add £40 if you want the bracelet option) but you can expect to pay £60-80 more on eBay as and when they come up which is a fair price we reckon, especially for a watch with a run of just 68 pieces. The ST17 is definitely a cheaper movement but the watch as a whole seems well-made. You’re paying for cool design here though rather than advance horology. If you missed out, keep an alert on eBay for sure.
The ‘Ten Watch Box’ Verdict: So, will it hold down a place in our ten watch display case? This is definitely the most dressy watch in our collection and, by far, the best lumed. And so it’ll probably stay in the box for a while. That said, we do prefer having a date complication and a proper seconds hand both of which are missing here. As the most unique piece in our collection, the Terra Fortune earns its place in 2025. Also, ours is #7 of 68 according the embossed information around the caseback. And that’s cooler than Kim Deal.
JUST THE FACTS
Availability/Options: With Revelot being a microbrand, and having announced this as a limited edition, you’re more likely to get a result from eBay (unless Revelot surprise us during Chinese New Year in 2026). There are still some non-Fortune variants available and they’re all pretty striking. Also, the regular Terra watches have chunky 3D printed numbers on the dial that are fully lumed. They look pretty great, it has to be said. But the more unique finishes are going to be harder to find. Be warned, two watches we’ve ordered from Revelot were hit by import taxes (and currency conversion fees). So be prepared to pay over the odds.
Brand: Revelot
Model: Terra Fortune
Reference: R20-7A4A1BL
Style: Dress
Case Size: 38mm
Movement: Seagull ST17 (Automatic)
Material: Stainless Steel
Band Width: 20mm (taper down to 18mm)
Band Type: Leather strap
Price Paid: £272 (plus shipping and import taxes)