Don’t forget that cleverly designed window to see (just) the escapement

Honestly, wearing my Brew Retromatic has seriously made me question if I still want a Reverso at all (it was one point my chosen next-to-buy). I pick it over my other watches (GS’s, BB GMT, Lange One) with genuinely surprising frequency

If I may break the rules here a little, I’ve decided to cut more (to get down to a core), and then maybe come back and add back in a few complimentary pieces.

Making a LOT of assumptions here from your about your wrist size (17cm?), style preference (dress + vintage leaning), I would keep it down to:

Dress + complication: JLC MC Moonphase

Chronograph/complication/microbrand: Baltic Tricompax

GADA (dressier, sector style, manual): Omega

GADA (casual, tool, beater): Longines Spirit 40

Then you could throw back in a modern diver (for contrast) or the vintage memvox, or the Reverso DuoFace for another complication (though I think you could just pick one between the Reverso and Longines Spirit)

Great review man, and thanks as always for making the reviews  personal to you. Can’t wait for the White Birch review!

I was lucky enough to get the Minamo, and spent a LOT of time considering the white birch last year (tried it on several times), here’s a couple of my way-too-into-the-details observation:

• The 9 series case is stupid good on the side profile; you really have to put it on to notice how snugly it sits on your wrist. The mirror polish on the bevels also help visually keep the profile small, it’s truly truly fantastic.
• Both movements are stunning, and yes I do see the starry sky on the Minamo movement, and it is lovely. Thanks GS marketing department!  
• The White Birch wore a LOT wider on my wrist, visually, than the Minamo. To the point where I just can’t see myself getting the WB because of it. The white dial and vertical pattern visually emphasizes the bracelet width just a bit too much for me; it’s not there on the 007 because of the dark dial and horizontal-ish patterning.
• That said, the hands, hour markers, and even that flat bezel top are all clearly designed bottom up for the WB. The wide angular hands (polished to stand out btw, where it’s brushed on the Minamo) and chunkier, faceted hour markers were made to contrast the textured WB dial, with the flat, brushed bezel there to frame it all. That same legibility translates totally across to the Minamo, but that flat bezel has to be my one knock on the 007 - it’s too reflective against the subtle blue waves on the dial. Any light source in the room gets directly reflected back at you when you look dead on to the dial, even with the brushing. And it totally gets in the way when you try to get a closer look at that exquisite wave dial. (This is not a problem on the WB because everything else is so bright)

That said, I don’t regret my purchase for a second, and I’m pretty sure I won’t be needing that 5 day power reserve for a while :) And despite it not working for me on my wrist… I think I agree with Brandon that the WB juuuuuust edges the Minamo.