Baltic goes Art Deco with a quartet of new MR Roulette dials
Borna BošnjakWhen looking through the specifications of a microbrand watch, the three movements you’re most likely going to come across are the Seiko NH35, Miyota 9000, or Sellita SW200 (or ETA 2824). This Holy Trinity have championed the accessible scene for a long time, and if you consider their derivatives, you’re covering the majority of the mechanical microbrand market. For Baltic’s first dress watch, however, that just wouldn’t do. The French micro giant has always done things its own way, and ended up outfitting the Calatrava-styled MR01 with a Hangzhou micro-rotor movement. It was a risky move at the time, but one that ended up totally paying dividends, the MR01 becoming a runaway success. Now that a few years have passed, Baltic is introducing the first significant update to the MR, introducing four MR Roulette models that replace the Breguet numerals for a more Art Deco style.
The dial
If this dial looks somewhat familiar, your memory serves you right – A Collected Man collaborated with Baltic on a blue-dialled variant a couple of years ago. As a follow-up, the new MR Roulettes are available in four dial colours – sunburst blue and black or grained salmon and silver. The last of those is the example I got my hands on a few weeks before the launch, and I was really pleasantly surprised.
If I ever had a single complaint about the MR01, it would be that the Breguet numerals felt just a tad too large. The MR Roulette completely resolves that issue, and also gives us some tasty vintage cues like the open 6 and 9 and railroad-style small seconds and minutes tracks. Overall, the silver dial is perhaps not the most legible owing to its tonal colour scheme, but the separation of brushed and grained surfaces is really neat, and it’s so pretty you can forgive certain usability shortcomings.
The case
Other than making a risky move with the movement (more on which shortly), Baltic also gambled with sizing. When the MR01 was released, a microbrand watch sized at 36mm was not that common, but for a watch of this style, I think it works perfectly. Hell, I would have personally been happy with a 31mm case that would be taken straight from the Calatrava 96 the MR is inspired by, but I’m not sure that would’ve been a popular choice. With a lug-to-lug of 44mm and a thickness of just 9.9mm, the MR Roulette continues to wear as well as the model always has, and the choice of a box-domed Hesalite is just the cherry on top.
The finishing is also really pleasant, with a broad vertical brush across the bezel, and circular brushing on top of the lugs. The brushed midcase and unsigned crown are flanked with strips of high polish that offer just enough visual interest without being overt. Finally, the MR Roulette is water-resistant to 30 metres, which is appropriate for a leather-strapped dress watch.
The strap
Speaking of the strap, Baltic’s execution is a bit of an unsung hero of versatility. Not only do you have 20mm lugs and a quick-release leather strap, but the case is designed in such a way that it will fit any Baltic-branded metal bracelet. In fact, all of the brand’s watches have this feature, meaning you can easily swap between the beads-of-rice or flat-link from your Bicompax Chronograph and completely change the way the MR Roulette wears.
The movement
These days, micro-rotors are most often associated with high-end brands. Le Cercle des Horlogers’ base calibre has made its way into Louis Vuittons, Fleming’s first watch has a high-end Chronode movement, and Renaud Tixier is revolutionising the technology. A notable brand that has tried to make micro-rotors more accessible is Yema, but you’re still looking at US$2k or more. While the Hangzhou CAL5000a was a relatively unknown quantity when the MR01 launched, it has proven to be a steady performer over the years. The gold-toned micro-rotor spins around to top up the 42-hour power reserve, the movement beating at a smooth 4Hz. While there are no hand-bevelled internal angles on display, the finishing is actually quite pleasant. The contrast of the blue screws and pink jewels against the circularly striped bridges is industrially executed, but a whole lot more pleasant than a greyscale, undecorated rotor of a Sellita or Miyota.
The verdict
Sure, the MR Roulette is just a new dial for the MR collection, but it does offer a distinctly different look from the Breguet numerals of the MR01. The wearing experience and novelty of the movement are just as great as they were at launch, and apart from potential legibility drawbacks, I can’t think of anything else to nitpick considering the price point.
Baltic MR Roulette pricing and availability
The Baltic MR Roulette is now available for pre-orders from the Time+Tide Shop. Price: €545, A$1,025 (strap), €605, A$1,200 (bracelet)
| Brand | Baltic |
| Model | MR Roulette |
| Case Dimensions | 36mm (D) x 9.9mm (T) x 44mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 30 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Double-domed hesalite |
| Dial | Glossy sunburst blue or black Grained silver and salmon |
| Lug Width | 20mm |
| Bracelet and strap | Leather strap with pin buckle Flat link steel bracelet Beads-of-rice steel bracelet Forstner beads-of-rice steel bracelet |
| Movement | Hangzhou CAL5000a, micro-rotor automatic |
| Power Reserve | 42 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, small seconds |
| Availability | Pre-orders from the T+T Shop |
| Price | €545, A$1,025 (strap) €605, A$1,200 (bracelet) |