Review: The Relio Solstice (Red Dial) - The One Watch Collection?

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What if one watch could truly become your collection? Not because you were looking for it?  And not because you were planning on it. No. It's because a watch is so good that it whispers in your ear, "We can make this work. It could happen."

It's a myth.  It's like finding a unicorn.  But is it possible .. ?

This beautiful Red Queen is the product of love and aspiration. The company is called Relio.  Relio is a symbol of new beginnings and taking risks, started by Leandro Fernandez and Anais Bergues as a series of sketches. The phoenix logo represents rebirth and the idea behind Relio is to inspire creativity and encourage taking chances. The focus is on attention to detail in every design to make each creation unique.

It's amazing to think that this is the first release from these founders. To discover that their watch is that good.  But don't take my word for it.  There are already plenty of reviews by major Youtube channels, including I Like Watches and our very own WatchChris:

https://reliowatches.com/pages/review

But we are here to talk about the bond between a man and his watch. That's the only way that a single watch could possibly become the entire collection. How did this watch even suggested that it could replace all others?  Sure, I want to explain. I want to tell you.  But first the specs. 

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I've grown to respect the Miyota 9039 movement.  Rock solid, accurate and no ghost date position.  The 20mm lugs are so reassuring. And that gorgeous red dial.  It jumped at me on the website. And the 38mm dial size.  The Big Dial era is dead. Let's bury it in the 90's where it belongs.  It's a perfect fit for my 6 1/2 inch wrist.

That was the point.  One reviewer stated, "They have made right decision after right decision." And I found it was true.  The collective harmony of the individual specs created a new experience.  The watch whispered, "I might be the one".  And the price point: a mere $395. It almost seemed like a dream.  

And now the wait.  The fortunately thing was that the company is located in California.  So it arrived fast! In only 2 days! Praise all the divine powers that be. Perhaps Einstein can explain why time stops when you press that 'buy' button? 

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When I first put it on, yes, it felt right.  Of course it still needed sizing.  For this watch, I decided to visit my local watchmaker Mike. He knows my size now, got it dialed down.  Soon, the watch was on my wrist.  So it had begun.  How do you do? Do you come here often? I was so ready to get acquainted and learn it's character.  

But it was not meant to be.  

There was a problem. I'm starting to think that I'm cursed.  You could call it the curse of the clasp.  If you've read my Steinhart Metropole review, you might recall that I had an issue with their clasp as well.  And it was the same here.  It was damn difficult to click the clasp into place.  You had to push really hard.  My heart sank.  "Not this again!"

This time I had learned my lesson. I didn't hesitate.  I emailed the company and explained my problem.  I was prepared to explain, provide proof, argue for my resolution.  There was no need.  One of the founders, Anais, responded quickly.  Yes, simply send back the watch and we will replace it.  Here is a shipping label.  Done!  

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What a relief.  And again the wait.  This time a bit longer since my watch had to reach them first.  That was understandable.  So I turned to my Seiko divers and G Shock.  The Marine Master had been neglected of late.  When the new watch arrived, I eagerly open the box.  First, test the clasp! Make it work, please! 

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And it was good!  And wonder of wonders, it was already sized to my wrist.  Anais had measured my first watch and sized the new bracelet.  No need to visit my watchmaker (or my clumsy hands). Now that was a nice touch.  

And you can already see scuff marks and scratches on the clasp.  It's nothing that dismays me.  It's simply a sign that I love the watch and wear it often. 

Take a look at the dial here in the sunlight.  It shimmers and glows with the light. It becomes an ever changing landscape of red hues.  It's why I call it the Red Queen.  

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And then there are the hands and dial markers.  I immediately realized that legibility is amazing! It's the contrast between the red and white. And those sword style markers are something I see rarely. They look so .. well sharp.  

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I was happy. I was sitting in my favorite Star Buck working on my drawings.  And I raised my hand to look again at the watch.  Don't we all do this when it's new?  But it wasn't there.  

Again disaster had struck.  

The bracelet had broken. The watch now lay on the table like some dead thing. Like an animal breathing it's last.  What had happened? 

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Looking closely, I noticed that one of the screw in pins had slipped out.  How was this possible? I could not understand.  Remember, Mike my watchmaker had not touched it. I emailed Anais again to explain.  He sent the following reply: 

"When we adjusted the bracelet we were being extra cautious as to not scratch the watch and it might be that we were a little too careful and the pin wasn’t fully tightened. We haven’t had this issue with any other watch so I assume that is the reason this happened."

I hope he will forgive me quoting him here.  I felt it only fair to offer this explanation directly from him.  In the spirit of helpfulness, there had been a slight error.  Still, it put me off the watch.  Because again, I had to fix a problem.  I took out my cheap Amazon watch kit and tried to put the pin back. 

And you know what?  It was rather easy.  I didn't have a screw size quite small enough; but, I felt it did the job.  I later took it to Mike for an inspection. He said the pins were good. Whew!  Finally, I was free to enjoy the watch.  

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Every relationship has it's ups and down, right? It's been months since that incident; and it still calls out to me.  I keep wanting to wear it.  It feels so comfortable on the wrist.  It feels right.  Right dimensions, right weight, and color.  That red.  What a pop.  

And did I mention? The bracelet is actually quite comfortable.  It has solid female end links.  The articulation is very good.  It does seem to mold itself to my wrist.  

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Now about that ahem .. one watch collection. Yes, I can honestly say that I would be happy to wear only this watch.  Will I do it?  Of course not, are you crazy?! There are more mountains to climb and watches to enjoy.  But you know what? This watch gave me that feeling.  And that's something.  It still does to this day.  One last shot for the road.  

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-- Carl

Review: The Relio Solstice (Red Dial) - The One Watch Collection?

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4/5
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  • Beautiful red dial
  • Excellent dimentions for a smaller wrist
  • Customer service is responsive
  • Solid and respectable Miyota 9039
  • High standard of comfort on the wrist
  • Initial QA issue
Reply
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Glad to see a so good review of this watch I have an eye on for months now. They deserve better visibility in the so competitive microbrand world. Thanks for the review !

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A very nice watch. The logo is a bit disorienting at first, I thought this is was a RZE watch. Took me a bit to see this R is swoopy and not all stark strokes. 

Love that dial.

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If it's the one watch you can reach for 99% of the time and never have to worry about it, then it's close enough to a one watch collection! Just hide the other watches in another box. 🫣

Also, really gotta appreciate the sincerity of the founders to support their customers. It's good to feel like you're building a relationship with the brand and makes you want to cheer them on.

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Guyllheaume

Glad to see a so good review of this watch I have an eye on for months now. They deserve better visibility in the so competitive microbrand world. Thanks for the review !

I agree. They deserve more attention.