Straton Curve-Chrono Review

When I first jumped into the world of watches, it was vintage racing chronographs that really hooked me in. Legendary pieces from Heuer, Seiko, Universal Genève and countless others would shape my taste in watches, and years later still form the backbone of my personal collection. With that in mind, the current explosion of ‘60s and ‘70s-tinged chronographs is fantastic to watch. With micro-brands like Autodromo and Nezumi leading the way, it feels like the whole industry is pushing to capture that sporty essence. Straton is another Kickstarter-based brand founded on chasing that ethos, and judging by the Curve-Chrono, one of the best. The Curve-Chrono blends diverse racing influences together with a choice of either a Seiko NE88 automatic or VK64 meca-quartz heart, and with prices starting at $330 (early bird pricing) it seems like a no-brainer. What’s it like to live with, though? We spent a week with it to find out.