Peren Regia - Credit WatchGecko
Duality. The light and the dark. The rough and the smooth. Peaks and troughs, summits and valleys, glittering spires and shadowy recesses. Wide open spaces and demarcated nooks. The contrasts that exist within the world and us all manifested in a daily companion for the wrist. God and the Devil are in the details. If you appreciate that, then you might well appreciate this watch — a watch that aims to do more than simply tick.
When brand founder Andy Bica set out to design the Peren Regia, he set himself the premise of working with the concept of duality in design. He wanted to create a time-telling totem that honoured the complexities of existence and one’s individual experience of it. A lofty goal? Perhaps, but a worthy one. Truth be told, most watch designers are doing something similar whether they consciously realise or openly state it or not. The humanness of things can always be found in their contradictions, and the Regia is simply bolder in its goal to elicit that connection and more explicit in its explanation of just how it intends to do so.
Peren Regia on Classic Highley Genuine Leather Watch Strap - Credit WatchGecko
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Bica has been plugging away from his base in Biel for the best part of ten years, drawing inspiration from his homeland and a deeply rooted, almost compulsive interest in existential philosophy. It’s hardly surprising that a man who challenges his own sense of self on a daily basis should find himself engaged in a pursuit like watch design. It can be cathartic and revelatory. Whimsical as it may seem to see, answers or at least explanations of the big, very serious questions, can be found in visual design.
The non-verbal arts have always had an uncanny ability to tap into what makes us who we are in a way the written word can never fully express. Perhaps because writing relies on reference points, anchored in our own experiences of the world (which vary immeasurably from every person) to communicate feelings. Words can describe what something feels like and explain working examples of said feeling in the hope that your personal experience is close enough to the writer’s to result in you arriving at the same destination. A painting, a sculpture, a symphony, a watch… These things can make you feel. If you’re reading this article because you already love watches, I’m guessing you have some idea of the sensation I’m describing; if you’re new to this hobby, welcome — your life will never be the same again.
Peren Regia - Credit WatchGecko
What we must address, however, is whether or not the Peren Regia is in any way successful at doing what it set out to do. Before dissecting the watch’s physical specifications, it is worth contextualising the release in the history of the brand for anyone who has not yet experienced Transylvania’s most active modern-day watchmaker.
The Regia joins a very tight collection that, until its release, featured just one extant model family (albeit with three subtle variations). The Nera Rogue is a thoughtful update to the brand’s now-discontinued and broadly adored Nera model that first brought Bica’s favourite shade of green — a dark, mysterious, off-black teal inspired by the distinct colour of the lakes that proliferate the Nera gorges of Transylvania — to the wrist.
Peren Regia on WatchGecko Vintage Tropical Style FKM Rubber Watch Strap - Credit WatchGecko
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For me, the Nera and Nera Rogue models were/are the high points of a brand that takes its time when it comes to developing new designs. Considering the price point and the strap-monster versatility of the Nera Rogue and now the Regia, the only brand of similar age and appeal I could mention as a serious competitor (when build quality is considered) would be Serica. I believe both Peren and Serica to be excellent, off-beat choices for serious dive/GADA watch fanatics who are bored of Seiko. This latest release, which adds another black dial to the catalogue, was much-needed and complements the continued presence of the Nera Rogue.
Design-wise, it is obvious where the money has been spent. There are several nice touches that belie the price point. Three-dimensional luminous markers on the dial, for all hours but the 12 are one of the most immediately obvious value adds for the consumer. The 12 o’clock marker has been replaced by a small, neat, circular date aperture to highlight the inspiration of this piece — an ancient and highly accurate calendar made in Transylvania centuries ago. These indexes are not just pleasingly characterful, but also highly functional. The glow strength, duration, and homogeny between the dial and hands is very good for this price point and provides a much crisper nighttime view than you might expect for a sub-1K watch.
Peren Regia - Credit WatchGecko
The case machining and finishing is typically top class, with Bica adamant about retaining the “best-in-class” Swiss-made quality for which his small operation is known. These are rugged timepieces, make no mistake; they look extremely fit for purpose. Both bezel variants of the Regia are very much on-brand. There is one with a more graphical “Dive/Day-Night” bezel and another with a split Count-up/Count-down track. I prefer the latter because I like the highly technical appearance how that works with the case finishing.
I have a soft spot for nicely machined blasted steel surfaces. The surfaces we’re dealing with on the Peren Regia are, undoubtedly, some of the finest at this price point (and I’m not sure you can find much better for several thousand Euros more…). While the case complexity and finishing can’t hope to out-punch a product like Martin Klocke’s Sherpa, which retails at €6,200 — way, way, way beyond the highest price you’ll ever have to pay for a Peren Regia — there isn’t a whole lot in between these two stand-out models that I find superior.
Peren Regia - Credit WatchGecko
And what do I mean by the “highest price” you’ll ever have to pay for a Peren Regia? Unusually, Bica is a fan of running flash sales for his wares, during which periods, very decent savings of up to 20% can be had. It’s a strange approach to luxury watch sales (one assumes that due to the ubiquity and open acknowledgement of these discount periods, very few people buy at the actual “retail” of the watch), but it seems to be stimulating a fair amount of interest and activity on the brand’s site.
To push this Transylvanian gem towards the heights I believe it is capable of reaching, however, that strategy might need some revision with subsequent releases (or, at least, the official retail price needs to leap up). What we have here in Peren, aside from a maker of incredibly versatile watches, is a brand that has the potential to become one of the industry’s entry-level heavyweights, akin to Guillaume Laidet’s cohort of hyper-successful brands like Nivada Grenchen, Vulcain, and, more recently, SpaceOne.
Peren Regia - Credit WatchGecko
Should Bica ever have the chance to align Peren with that gang of makers, the results could be spectacular. However, something tells me his autonomy and the commitment to the kind of quality he believes you can only find in Switzerland, will long remain the most important thing to him, as he aims to put watches designed to make you think, firmly on your radar.
Technical Specifications:
- Name: Peren Regia
- Diameter: 39mm
- Height: 12.80mm
- Lug to Lug: 45.30mm
- Case: Marine Grade Stainless Steel
- Crystal: Sapphire
- Water Resistance: 200m/660ft
- Movement: Sellita SW 200-1
- Limitation: 300 pieces
