Borna Bosniaks
Scanning through the specs of a microbrand watch, you will likely encounter three movements: Seiko NH35, Miyota 9000, and Sellita SW200 (or ETA 2824). This holy trinity has led the affordable scene for a long time. With its derivatives included, it covers a large part of the mechanical microbrand market. But for Baltic’s first dress watch, that’s not enough. The French micro-giant has always done things its own way, and it ended up equipping the Calatrava-inspired MR01 with a Hangzhou micro-rotor movement. It was a risky move at the time, but it ended up paying off in full, and the MR01 was a huge hit. Now, a few years later, Baltic has introduced the first significant update to the MR, introducing four MR Roulette models that replace the Breguet numerals with Art Deco-inspired ones.
Dial
If this dial looks familiar, then your memory is correct. A Collected Man collaborated with Baltic a few years ago to produce a blue dial model. Following that, the new MR Roulette is now available in four dial colors: sunburst blue and black, or grain salmon and silver. The last dial is the one I got a few weeks before the release, and it was a really pleasant surprise.
If I had one complaint about the MR01, it would be that I felt the Breguet numerals were a little too large. The MR Roulette solves this issue perfectly, and also has an appealing vintage feel with open sixes and nines, and railroad-style small seconds and minute tracks. Overall, the silver dial is not the easiest to read due to its tonal color scheme, but the separation between the brushed and grained surfaces is very clean and very aesthetically pleasing, so I can forgive some usability shortcomings.
Incident
Not only did they take a risky move with the movement (more on that later), Baltic also took a gamble with the size. At the time the MR01 was released, microbrand watches in the 36mm size were not all that common, but I think it works perfectly for this style of watch. In fact, I would have been happy with the 31mm case, which was taken directly from the MR’s inspiration, the Calatrava 96, but I’m not sure it would have been a popular choice. At 44mm lug-to-lug and just 9.9mm thick, the MR Roulette is as comfortable to wear as ever, and the choice of box-domed Hesalite was just the right choice.
The finish is also very pleasant, with broad vertical brushes across the bezel and circular brushes on the tops of the lugs. The brushed midcase and unsigned crown are flanked by high-gloss strips that add just enough visual interest without being too flashy. Finally, the MR Roulette is water resistant to 30 meters, making it a fitting choice for a dress watch with a leather strap.
strap
Speaking of straps, Baltic straps are unsung heroes in terms of versatility. Not only do they have 20mm lugs and a quick-release leather strap, but the case is designed to fit a Baltic-branded metal bracelet. In fact, all of the brand’s watches have this feature, so you can easily swap out the beaded or flat links on your Bicompax Chronograph to completely transform how your MR Roulette wears.
motion
These days, micro-rotors are often associated with high-end brands. Le Cercle des Horlogers base calibers were adopted by Louis Vuitton, Fleming’s first watch had a high-end Chronode movement, and Renaud Tixier is revolutionizing the technology. A well-known brand that tried to make micro-rotors more accessible is Yema, but it still costs over $2,000. The Hangzhou CAL5000a was relatively unknown when the MR01 was released, but it has been a solid performer for many years. The gold-tone micro-rotor spins to replenish the 42-hour power reserve, and the movement beats at a smooth 4Hz. There are no hand-beveled internal angles to be seen, but the finish is very pleasant indeed. The contrast between the blued screws and the pink jewels and circular striped bridges is industrially finished, but it is much more pleasing than the grayscale undecorated rotors of Sellita and Miyota.
Verdict
Sure, the MR Roulette is a new dial in the MR collection, but it offers a decidedly different look to the Breguet numerals on the MR01. The wearability and novelty of the movement is as great as it was when it was released, and aside from the shortcomings in legibility, I can’t think of any other complaints given the price.
Baltic MR Roulette Pricing and Availability
The Baltic MR Roulette is available to pre-order now from the Time+Tide shop. Price: €545, AU$1,025 (strap), €605, AU$1,200 (bracelet)
Brand Baltic Model MR Roulette Case Size 36mm (D) x 9.9mm (T) x 44mm (LTL) Case Material Stainless Steel Water Resistance 30 meters Crystal Double Domed Hesalite Dial Shiny Sunburst Blue or Black
Grained silver and salmon 20mm lug width 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-order from the T+T Shop Price €545, A$1,025 (strap)
€605, A$1,200 (bracelet)
