I have been into watches for longer than I can remember. I have had the great honor and opportunity to handle quite a lot of watches over the years. Sometimes I think that I have seen and experienced it all. Then something comes along that is a new experience, something that I haven’t seen in person before. That is what happened when the A-24 from Viribus Unitis (With United Forces) arrived on my doorstep. When I opened up the box the chocolate dial is definitely the first detail that immediately grabbed my attention. I do believe that this is the first chocolate colored dial I have seen in person. I typically gravitate towards matte black dials, so seeing this chocolate dial is very refreshing.

Viribus Unitis created some pretty nice depth to the sandwich style dial on the A-24. At first I thought that the minute/second markers were painted on but under closer inspection I pleasantly discovered that it was the white, bottom layer of the sandwich dial. The A-24 has some of the most beautifully detailed  hour markers I have seen on a watch, especially for a watch that costs $460 usd. The applied bronze colored markers encircle the white bottom layer that is peeking through each of the hour markers which are circular in shape except for the triangular shaped marker at 12 o’clock.

The hands on the A-24 are just as beautiful as the hour markers. Same color and same polished finish. The second hand is very cool and adds the the overal theme of this watch. There is an anchor on the end of the second hand and a lumed arrow tip at the opposite end. It was hard not to watch this second hand goide around the dial. It really moves with nice fluidity and with the detail & polished finish the second catches the light, creating a truly stunning look. The same can be said for the minute and hour hand as well. Each of the hands and the white sub layer of the dial are treated with super luminova lume. Which you can see by the picture below, glows a nice green glow. The lume glows nicely and lasts through out the night with enough of a glow to be able to read the time in darkness.

Before going further into the dial design I want to make note of a detail that could have taken this dial a bit further. The date window at 3 o’clock would look so much better if it had the same border as the hour markers. A detail that would give the A-24’s dial a nice completed look. The date wheel is white with black printed numerals.

I really like how Viribus Unitis handled the text on this dial in terms of the color and the unique way they have displayed the water resistance depth rating. The color of the text is just a shade lighter than the dial color so under some lighting you cannot even see the text. Had Viribus Unitis printed the text in white, I believe that it would have taken away something from this beautiful dial. If you look at the 9 o’clock position there are two arrows and some numerals. “The two arrows on the dial on position 9 are taken from a historical instrument for measuring the vertical speed. In this case, the upper arrow shows the service peak height of the A24, the lower arrow shows the water tightness of the watch (data in feet).” This is a nice, cool and unique detail. One of my personal favorites of this dial. Of course the dial wouldn’t look half as good if it wasn’t for the domed sapphire crystal with AR-coating.

The bronze case is hard to ignore any longer. The case is made of CUSN8 which is a high tin alloy of the phosphor bronze family. The additional tin within the bronze results in higher mechanical properties with a modest reduction in electrical conductivity. The case is 42mm (excluding crown) with a height of 11mm and 52mm lug to lug. The curved tappered drilled lugs allow the A-24 to hug the wrist nicely. The square shape of the case makes the A-24 wear closer to 44mm which adds to the great wrist presence this watch has. The aluminum bezel inlay has a good appearance. I like that the model name is included on the bezel as well. Something unique and different. The bezel is easy to grip and operate. There is no extra play and has nice 120 click action.

The screw down case back features an awesome engraved A-24 that this watch is based on. “The respective inspiration for this watch was the HANSA BRANDENBURG CC seaplane with the identification number A24. The pilot was Gottfried Freiherr von Banfield, who entered the list of the most successful Austrian-Hungarian fighter pilots with 9 confirmed and 11 unconfirmed won air combats. The original painting of the A24 was the basis for the design of the dial of this watch.” The case back is another nice detail that makes this watch special at the price point. I also love the little hammerhead shark on the case back as well.

Another detail that works well both functionally and aesthetically on the A-24 watch is the signed screwed down crown that features an engraved anchor. The large crown is extremely easy to grip and operate. The diamond shaped crown has that is synonymous with aviation/pilot style watches. The A-24 is devoid of any crown guards which gives the watch a clean look. The noncrown side of the case has Viribus Unitis stamped into the side of the case. This is a detail that people either love of hate. I typically don’t like it on watches, but I will tell you why I make an exception here. The bronze case is what makes it an interesting detail. As natural patina begins to form on this case, it makes it look so much better especially inside each of the letters.

Ticking away inside the A-24 is the Miyota 9015, with date display, 24 jewels, vibration frequency of 28800 bph. The A-24 timed in with an accuracy rate of -8 seconds per day during the review process. The A-24 comes on a 22mm nato strap in military green. The strap color is the perfect choice in my opinion and really plays well off of the bronze case. Another good choice option would be a brown nato strap to play off of the chocolate dial.

I think that Viribus Unitis has hit the mark with the A-24. The case construction is solid. The case material is beautiful and is always changing. Just from receiving the watch to the end of my review process it has already formed some natural patina. I put this watch through the paces and it kept up nicely. I did manage to put a small nick on the bezel which you are able to see in some of the pictures in between the 2 o’clock hour and 3 o’clock hour. I wiped out pretty hard running down a muddy embankment. The watch sustained no other damage. The cool thing about Bronze is that if you dent or nick the case, it just adds to the overall badass look of the case itself.

Some purists might have a problem with the unique A-24 on the bezel and the stamped Viribus Unitis on the case. I personally like the uniqueness of both details. The A-24 is packed full of nice little details. It is a unique choice if you are looking for something different from the same old diver clones out there and id you are looking for a unique tool watch with a bronze case. The A-24 is a quality piece which is packed full of details that give you a lot of watch for your dollar. I highly recommend this watch to anyone looking for a different choice and a truly unique experience.

I want to personally thank Viribus Unitis and you all for reading this review. As always I welcome your comments and questions below.