Cadola RPM Automatic Review

Just like the RGMT Globemaster watch that reviewed earlier in the week, Cadola is another newer brand that I only found out about recently. As a brand Cadola focuses solely on a niche of watches not often represented, the driver's watch. While dive and pilot watches are extremely common watches to see released by most brand, you really don't see many drive focused watches come to market. You could argue that a lot of chronographs are somewhat driver related, but just having a timing complication doesn't automatically tie a watch to motorsports.

Cadola takes heavy inspiration from the heyday of classic auto racing for their collection of watches. From dials that resemble dashboard gauges to more rugged sports pieces with highly visible dials, it's easy to see the automotive connection in each Cadola piece. Although the brand is still very young, Cadola already offers a wide range of collections each with its own tie to motorsports or classic automobiles.



For our first watch to review from Cadola, the brand sent us the dark blue version of the RPM Automatic. The dial of the RPM Automatic is meant to resemble the tachometer gauge found on the dashboard of a classic car, even using a vintage font you might find on the gauge as well. To further tie in this classic feel, the watch comes on a stunning dark brown leather rally strap.

Initial Thoughts

When the RPM Automatic arrived, the first thing I noticed about the watch was the dial. The deep blue and matte black dial resides underneath a box crystal style sapphire crystal and gives off a great sense of depth. The center of the dial is dark blue and has a concentric circle finish, while the outside of the dial is a non textured blue. From 8 o'clock to 4 o'clock there is a line separating the two hues which ends in yellow and red representing the upper reaches of the RPM range on a tachometer. Cadola also uses both hours and minutes represented by Arabic numerals on the dial.



The second thing I noticed during my initial time with the RPM Automatic was the awesome rally strap. The dark brown leather strap is nice and thick but still manages to be supple and comfortable. Rally straps were popular with drivers because they offered an exceptional level of breathability in often very hot cabins. The strap on the RPM Automatic has three large holes right after the lugs and then the normal series of pin holes. The look of the strap combined with the tachometer inspired dial really makes this watch scream classic racecar.

The last thing that left an impression on me during my first viewing of the RPM Automatic was the winding rotor visible through the display case back. Instead of just using a steel colored rotor with Cadola printed or engraved on it, the brand instead had the entire rotor colored like a cheuqured flag. The black and white color of the flag is then topped with bright red Cadola branding. This is all on top of an ultra reliable Seiko NH35 automatic movement.



Technical Specifications

The Cadola RPM Automatic is crafted out of stainless steel and has a case diameter of 44 mm. Since the watch is pretty much lugless and round, the lug to lug measurement is also 44 mm. On our scale the RPM Automatic came in at a pretty feather light 90 grams when on the leather strap and pin buckle. At its thickest point, the RPM Automatic is 14 mm tall.

The RPM Automatic has a very slight domed glass box style sapphire crystal. You can see just how much the crystal rises above the case when looking at the profile of the watch. A decent amount under the crystal is the dark blue dial. Starting at the center of the dial and radiating outwards about 75 percent is finished with a repeating concentric circle pattern. As this portion of the dial is ending, there is an outlined line that goes from 8 o'clock to 4 o'clock with the section from 2 to 3 being filed in with yellow and 3 to 4 filled in with red. This graphic is meant to represent the tachometer of a car with the end of the rev range being in caution yellow and warning red. On the inside of this scale are white printed Arabic hour markers from 8 to 4.



Past this graphic the dial changes to a flat texture. Green lumed Arabic numerals for minutes from 40 to 20 are then printed for each 5 minute period. On the far outside of the dial is a printed minute track with each 5 minute period done with a large orange hash mark and all the other minutes getting a smaller white hash mark. Cadola branding is printed in white at 12 o'clock with 1946 and Automatic also done in white printed at 6.

The void between 4 and 8 o'clock on the dial of the RPM Automatic is filled with white printed hash mark to represent the missing hour and minute Arabic numerals. A large white backed date window is also found here that shows three dates at once. This is done so if the minute hand is blocking the current date, you can still make out the date by the two other displayed dates. Finally there are two red anodized exposed dial screws on each side of the date window.



There are three centrally mounted hands on the dial of the RPM Automatic being the hour, minute and seconds hand. The hour and minute hands are fence post shaped with the hour hand having an orange border and filled in with lume, while the minute hand is skeletonized at its tip and has a lumed outline. The seconds hand is done in white and it has a lumed ball near its tip. When hit with a uv light or in low lighting, the minute Arabic numerals and hands glow a strong green.

Looking at the case of the RPM Automatic you can see that the only finishing technique used on the watch is brushed finishing. There is nothing polished on the case of the RPM Automatic showing how much of a tool watch it is meant to be. Also the profile of the watch shows its lugless design with the strap just looking like it organically comes out of the watch.



The right hand side of the watch features a large and nicely scalloped crown topped with the Cadola logo. The crown does not screw down and allows you to manually wind the automatic movement in the resting position. Even without a screw down crow, the RPM Automatic offers a solid 50 meters of water resistance. Pulling the crown out to position one allows you to advance the date, while pulling the crown out to position two stops the seconds hand and lets you set the time. Pushing the crown back in causes no jump in the minutes hand either.

Flipping the watch over shows off the screwed down case back with a display window. Important information about the watch is printed on the bezel of the case back including water resistance and model number. Through the display back you can see the Cadola branded winding rotor done in the style of a cheuqured flag. The rotor sits on top of a Japanese made Seiko NH35 automatic movement. The movement beats away at 21,600 vph (3Hz) and has around 41 hours of power reserve. On our timegrapher the RPM Automatic showed an average accuracy of +6 seconds a day when averaged out over several positions, which is very accurate.



The Cadola RPM Automatic does not have traditional lugs but instead has a central lug that is mounted flush to the case. The leather strap is attached to this lug with screws, which I find is the most secure way of attaching a strap to a watch. This also does mean that the RPM Automatic requires straps made for the watch. The RPM Automatic comes on a thick brown leather strap that starts at 24 mm at the case and tapers down to 20 mm at the pin buckle. The strap is rally style with each piece of the strap having three large holes to help with ventilation. This also helps the RPM Automatic have a very vintage and motorsports inspired feel.

On The Wrist

I typically wear watches that are over 50 mm in lug to lug length, so with the RPM Automatic basically being 44 mm in lug to lug length, the watch felt a bit small to me. The watch definitely doesn't look small and the lugless case design really makes the dial take precedence on wrist. The 44 mm case size does give the watch an imposing presence on wrist, but the short lug to lug length means a wide variety of wrist sizes can wear the watch comfortably.



I initially thought the RPM Automatic would be rather heavy since it is made out of stainless steel and had a larger case size. I was completely wrong here with the watch only weighing in at 90 grams when including the strap and buckle. This meant that the RPM Automatic pretty much disappeared while on the wrist and really only made itself known when I wanted to look at the watch or tell the time. Because of this the RPM Automatic does a great job of being an everyday wrist companion. Being a thicker leather strap, the rally strap did require a few wearing sessions to conform nicely to my wrist.

To test legibility of a watch, I use a simple test where I try to tell the time with a quick glance while driving. In this test dive watches with their large high contrast dials and markers do the best, while skeletons and complicated pieces do the worst. With Cadola being a driver focused brand, I expected the RPM Automatic to do well on my legibility test. While the watch wasn't as easy to decipher quickly as a diver, it was still a snap to tell the time fast. The mixture of minute and hour markers and the four hour gap of markers on the lower portion of the dial do slow down quick time telling a tiny bit though. Finally with all the lumed elements on the dial, telling the time in low light is also very easy.



The overall design aesthetic of the Cadola RPM Automatic is rather laid back and went well with my casual lifestyle and dress. Even the dark brown strap didn't clash too much with my everyday wear of a black t-shirt, shorts and sneakers. While wearing the watch out to dinner and drinks and during my boring everyday errands, I did notice a few people checking out the RPM Automatic. The friends I showed the watch to really loved the dial layout and strap. Also everyone was blown away by the price Cadola is asking for the RPM Automatic.

Value and Position in the Market

Speaking about price, the Cadola RPM Automatic retails for only $300. For that price you are getting a very nice looking watch inspired by vintage tachometers on a nice and robust rally leather strap. The watch is also powered by the super durable and reliable Seiko NH35 automatic movement and has a more than splash proof 50 meters of water resistance. Now is the time in the review where we take a look at a few other watches that offer similar specifications and features and see how the RPM Automatic holds up value wise.



First up we have the new Prospex Speedtimer SPB513 from Seiko which has a 39.5 mm stainless steel case. The Speedtimer is a more traditional looking watch and is powered by a Seiko automatic movement with 72 hours of power reserve. The Speedtimer is also rated for 200 meters of water resistance. The Seiko is much more expensive than the Cadola at $995 though.

Next up we have the automotive inspired Rallygraf Meca-Quartz Panda from YEMA. The Rallygraf has a 39 mm case crafted out of stainless steel and runs off of a meca-quartz movement with a chronograph complication. The YEMA has a design that harks back to classic drivers watches from the 1960s and 70s and had 100 meters of water resistance. The Rallygraf is a little bit more expensive at $420.



Moving on is the Vallelunga Automatic from Autodromo which has a 40 mm round lugless case crafted out of stainless steel. The Vallelunga like the RPM Automatic also has a dial inspired by a tachometer. The watch is powered by a Japanese made Miyota 8315 automatic movement with 60 hours of power reserve and has the same 50 meters of water resistance. The Vallelunga is a good bit more expensive than the RPM Automatic at $595.

Finally we have the Speciale Automatic from Straton which has a 42 mm case crafted out of stainless steel. The case of the Speciale is square and also features a lugless design. The Speciale was also inspired by a tachometer, in this case that from a 1977 Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT. The Speciale is powered by an ETA 7750 automatic chronograph movement with 42 hours of power reserve and the watch has 100 meters of water resistance. The Speciale is much more expensive than the RPM Automatic at $1,299.



Looking at these four above watches you can tell just how good of a value the Cadola RPM Automatic is. For the most part the RPM Automatic has very similar specs to the other watches, if not better, and cost much less. It's also amazing to me that the RPM Automatic can be sold at $300 with such a good build quality and movement, when I have spent much more on just straps for some of my watches.

Closing Thoughts

So in the end, is the Cadola RPM Automatic for me? The closest thing I have to a drivers watch in my collection is the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Juan Pablo Montoya. While that watch is inspired by F1 and has a ton of automotive touches, it is more in line with the pinnacle of modern racing being crafted out of titanium and carbon fiber. The RPM Automatic on the other hand harks back to a simpler time with analog gauges and rally straps. While the watch is a bit small for my tastes, I do understand wanting the watch to not get in the way while driving. Even the usage of stainless steel didn't add much if any weight penalty to the watch. The dial is also something completely different and not like anything I can remember seeing before. For these reasons I actually do think the watch could be a fun and quirky addition to my collection.



Would I then recommend the RPM Automatic to somebody looking for an automotive inspired or drivers watch? Based on the price alone I feel the RPM Automatic should really be given a serious look. The fact that the watch is actually very comfortable on wrist and also fun to look at are nice bonuses. The watch is also subdued enough to be worn as a daily watch. The rally strap might be a bit too much for formal occasions though. Being powered by the NH35 is a really nice little bonus as well, since the movement is very reliable and most local watchmakers could easily repair or replacement the movement if anything ever went wrong with the watch. Cadola isn't a brand that you can really see in stores, but the brand does offer a 30 day return period, so if you're interested in the look of the watch there really isn't too much to be worried about in terms of trying out the watch, especially given the low price and return policy.

I'd really like to thank Cadola for sending us this RPM Automatic to review. While the brand is still very new, I do like the general direction Cadola is going with their watches. I'd be very interested to see how the brand progresses moving forward and am looking forward to their next releases. Maybe in the near future we can get some other watches in from Cadola to review.



For more information about the RPM Automatic please visit : Cadola

Technical Specifications

Reference Number: CD-1055-02

Retail Price: $300

Case Size: 44 mm

Lug to Lug: 44 mm

Thickness: 14 mm

Weight: 90 grams

Case Material: Stainless Steel

Bezel: Stainless Steel

Strap: Brown Leather Rally Strap with Pin Buckle

Movement: Japanese Made Seiko NH35 Automatic Movement

Functions: Hours, Minutes, Seconds and Date

Power Reserve: 41 Hours

Water Resistance: 50 Meters