McQuaide C1 Solstice Review: Stand Out With Damascus Steel

15 hours ago

4 min read

In a time when stone dials, Urushi dials (lacquer dials), and meteorite have become di rigeur, representing ultra-luxury and craftsmanship, one of the most important parts of a watch has become somewhat overlooked: the watch case. While many people focused on the dial, Robert McQuaide of McQuaide Watches has built an entire brand on creating watches forged of Damascus steel.

Aside from looking downright badass, what does it mean to have a watch made of Damascus steel, and what collector would this suit? Thanks to Gyuri of Watch Dad Blog and Robert McQuaide, I'm able to share my honest, unfiltered thoughts about it.

The Watch Brief McQuaide Watches C1 Solstice Wristwatch Damascus Steel

McQuaide C1 Solstice: Formidable

McQuaide Watches is a British microbrand focusing on making Damascus Steel watches, and it made a real splash when it launched its diver collection: The Quest. Available in three colors (Crimson, Obsidian, and Abyss), these watches were powered by the reliable Sellita SW200-1 movement, and looked intimidatingly good. Due to the nature of Damascus Steel and how it is forged, no two watch cases will have the exact same pattern, but I will say that all of the models from this collection I've seen looked quite good.

So, when Gyuri introduced me to Robert, and I had the opportunity to review a watch from the new Cosmpolitan collection, it's safe to say I jumped at the chance. The Cosmopolitan collection is the follow-up to the debut, and it also features the same Damascus steel allure, but this time it's meant to be somewhat of a hybrid dress / GADA watch.

McQuaide describes the Cosmopolitan collection as watches created for people who can move effortlessly betweeen "worlds, where work, travel, and culture intersect [...] the collection pairs contemporary elegance with everyday practicality, offering watches that feel as natural in a city cafe as they do at a black-tie event."

Unlike the previous collection, these watches are time-only, 12mm thick, and 39mm in case diameter. I will say, though, that the fact that it's made of Damascus steel makes it quite striking, and simultaneously, have a much more significant wrist presence than your typical GADA or dress watch.

The dial of the Solstice is a nice red gradient or fumé, which means it is brighter at the center, and darkens as it gets closer to the edges like a vignette. There are large numerals at the 12, 3, 9, and 6 o'clock, and good quality BGW9 Lume. Aside from the McQuaide logo and text at the top, there is only text at the 6 o'clock denoting that it's an Automatic watch.

I tried wearing this watch like how the C1 collection was described - i.e. to the office or to formal events where I had to give presentations. It can definitely be used for such occasions, but it didn't fit under the cuff as well as I would prefer for a dressy GADA due to its 12mm, and the case proportions itself is similar to a Panerai Radiomir (although with thicker lugs), which I personally wouldn't wear that often for these occasions.

The Watch Brief Jilliano McQuaide C1 Solstice Review Damascus Steel wristwatch

I think the C1 Solstice would work best as a field watch like an Explorer. The numerals even remind me of the Rolex Explorer. I wore this for a short hike (do we count a 30 minute walk through a park as a hike?), and it was great. Prior to receiving the watch for review, I expected a watch made of Damascus Steel to be quite heavy, but at 75 grams, this is no heavier than my divers, and it never felt overwhelming on my 6.4 inch wrist.

Who is this watch for?

The McQuaide C1 Solstice would be perfect for anyone who's bored of the typical or the ordinary. Bored of 316L Stainless Steel? Don't want to deal with the flashiness of yellow gold? What about the toughness of Damascus Steel? Well, about that...

One of my good friends here in Japan is a blacksmith specializing in making Damascus Steel knives and swords (yes, really, those jobs still exist). I asked him for his thoughts about the watch. I'm only relaying his assessment, and I admit I have less-than-zero real knowledge about this form of metallurgy, so take this with a grain of salt. Each C1 case is crafted of 36 layers of 316L and 304L Stainless Steel (which is pretty luxurious by the way!), but the actual "toughness" of the case is not necessarily that much better than a normal pure 316L Stainless Steel. In fact, it's not even necessarily more scratch resistant. Since this is a loaner, I babied this watch and avoided any scratches, but to be honest, it never really felt that much different from any of my other 316L Stainless Steel watches. I would say that the difference between a 904L and 316L steel watch is much more significant in terms of feeling and wearing experience.

Damascus Steel, according to my friend's assessment, of this caliber is more for the visuals or aesthetics, rather than the actual strength of material. I initially thought that the acid etching is the most important aspect in creating the pattern, but apparently the specific alloys matter just as much (if not more). This means that I wouldn't necessarily advise people who have rough-and-tumble jobs or hobbies to get this watch just because of this; instead, I would recommend it if you actually like how the acid-etched pattern of the C1 collection looks, and if you want something a little bit different from your typical watch.

This is truly a well-made and original collection of watches, and McQuaide is thankfully getting all the praise it deserves. However, after wearing it on-and-off for about a month, it became clear to me that it's simply not for me, and that's all right, because I know dozens of people who would love this watch as part of their awesome collections.

Thank you to Robert McQuaide and Gyuri of Watch Dad Blog. This review wouldn't be possible otherwise.