Peren is a new watch company from Switzerland, and Regia is its latest model.
The Peren company was founded by Andy Bica, who has Romanian roots. The Regia model may have a modern design, but its name is derived from an ancient chronometric artifact. Near Bica's birthplace in the Romanian region of Transylvania lies Sarmizegetusa Regia, the historical capital of the Dacians, where ancient sundials known as the Great Circular Sanctuary are preserved. As I understand, the design of the Regia's case and dial is largely inspired by this significant part of ancient European chronometry history.
Peren offers two versions of the Regia watch, known as Regia and Regia X. Both versions are essentially the same but differ in bezel insert design. The watches come with a fabric or FKM (synthetic rubber, as shown in the photo) strap or a matching steel metal bracelet. Essentially, Regia is a sporty watch in a military/diver style with a modern design. This is a very popular theme among watches for enthusiasts, and frankly, many of them look alike. This is where Peren stands out. The watches fit the style many aspire to but with a design that does not resemble many others on the market.
Originality of design is something we, watch enthusiasts, greatly value, and it often shows that there is a true artist and watch lover behind the brand or product design. Bica is clearly someone who knows what else is in the competitive environment but evidently did not want to release a "similar" concept.
Both the case and dial of the Regia are beautiful on their own, and together they create a very attractive and cohesive impression of a watch that is priced under 1,000 Swiss francs. The case has modest dimensions but a sporty look: 39 mm wide and 12.8 mm thick. The lug-to-lug distance is also a modest 45.3 mm, and the case is water-resistant up to 200 meters with a screw-down crown. The case is made of steel with an interesting combination of sandblasting with polished corners and edges. This is somewhat unusual, as polishing is usually combined with matte finishing. The case is also very nicely executed, with a high sloped unidirectional rotating bezel. The bezel insert is aluminum, and two styles are available: the simpler day/night style Regia and the more instrumental Regia X. Above the dial is a flat sapphire crystal with AR coating.
Among other impressive details of the case are the crown, which is also sloped like the bezel, and the case back (intended by the designers to resemble those on historical military watches). The dial is another attractive detail of the watch. It starts with a matte black dial and high-contrast luminescent applied hour markers and hands. The mostly round shapes of the dial are easy on the eyes, with sharp angles appearing rarely, such as on the tips of the hour and minute hands. The center of the dial has additional depth, which is rare for military-style watches. An unusual (but effective) choice by Peren is to turn the usually prominent 12 o'clock marker into an inconspicuous round date window.
Inside the Peren Regia X is a Swiss automatic Sellita SW200-1 movement, operating at 4 Hz with a power reserve of about 38 hours. This is a very respectable movement for a watch in this price category. Even the black FKM strap is custom-made, with a horizontal stripe to break up the monotony of a plain black strap.
Peren states that both Regia models are released in a limited edition of 300 pieces each. I think that once the wider public becomes aware of these watches, they will sell out quite quickly. However, this requires time and luck in such a crowded space.
The price for the Peren Regia X watch is 963 Swiss francs. More detailed information can be found on the Peren watches website.