Stowa Partitio Review

THE STOWA PARTITIO IS STOWA’S BEST OVERLOOKED WATCH

Back in 2008, Stowa released the Partitio for the first time through Manufactum, a German retailer.

A remake of the original Partitio from the 30’s, it has now found its way into their core line-up, but it often overlooked in favour of the well known Stowa Flieger Klassik. Which is unfortunate, because the Partitio represents an incredible value for money.

Let’s take a look.

STOWA PARTITIO TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• MODEL NUMBER: Partito Klassik (white)
• MSRP: $675
• CASE DIAMETER: 37mm
• ALTERNATE MODELS: Black version
• MOVEMENT: Mechanical, SW215-1
• COMPLICATIONS: None
• POWER RESERVE: Estimated 40 hours
• WATER RESISTANCE: 50m / 165ft
• CRYSTAL MATERIAL: Sapphire

STOWA PARTITIO: THE DIAL

The first thing that catches the attention on the Partitio is the clean, almost minimalistic dial it sports. Just like its 30’s counterpart, almost everything about this dial can be brought back to function over form. That does not mean the form is lacking, but we’ll get to that later.

The dial, also available in black, features big Arabic numerals at the hour intervals. With a thin black outline, the numerals have a richly applied Superluminova C3 fill-in. The lume glows quite bright in the dark, making it really easy to check the time. Around the dial, Stowa applied an outer track with fifth of a second increments and numerals for every five seconds.

Thankfully, Stowa stayed true to the 30’s model and chose to go with the original Stowa logo which, besides being a lot better looking, also is the right choice in regard to authenticity. Stowa did a great job in capturing the vintage look and feel of the original Partitio.

The hour and minute hands are nickle plated and have the same Superluminova C3 filling as the hour numerals. The seconds hand extends almost all the way to the edge of the dial, making the legibility excellent.

THE SW215-1 MECHANICAL MOVEMENT

The Partitio comes standard with the ETA 2824-2 movement for the automatic version and the ETA 2801-2 movement for the handwound version. Both come with a solid caseback. For a premium of $68, Stowa delivers the Partitio with the Sellita SW215-1 handwound movement, which comes with a crystal caseback and is finished with Geneva stripes on the train wheel-, barrel- and balance bridge.

While it isn’t necessarily authentic, it is a really nice feature. The SW215 also comes with blued screws, a nice touch and a feature not too often found on watches in this price bracket.

The watch has an 42 hour power reserve, which is to be expected at this price. In terms of timekeeping, the Partitio gains about five seconds a day, which isn’t too bad for a movement in this price range.

STOWA PARTITIO: THE CASE & STRAP

The case of the Partitio (37mm in diameter, 46.9mm lug-to-lug) is made of fully polished steel. The case rounds off towards the front where it almost seamlessly transitions into the slightly domed crystal. The crystal has no anti-reflective coating, but after a month of wrist-time, we have not once been bothered by any reflections standing in the way of legibility. Furthermore, the Partitio has a signed crown with the smaller Stowa logo.

It is listed as waterproof up to 5 ATM, which essentially means that you can get it wet but not get it submerged. The 5 ATM rating is more than sufficient, and considering it comes with a leather strap, it’s doubtful many people will really put it to the test.

The leather strap is simple, but it’s only suitable. Nothing about the watch overly screams for attention, and nor does the strap. Stowa also offers a light brown, light blue, green or light grey leather strap for an additional $60.

The lugs, 18mm apart, bend along with the wrist, which makes it fit a wide range of wrist sizes.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS ON THE STOWA PARTITIO

At the time of writing, the writer has spent the better part of a month wearing the Partitio. It’s a piece that invites you to keep taking a look at it and marvel at the incredible beauty of the dial. And when, however unlikely, you get tired of the dial, flip it over to the back and repeat.

With the Partitio, Stowa has created a more than worthy remake of its 30’s counterpart, with the benefit of being a lot easier to service. Everything about this watch is just right: the proportions are excellent, the dial beautifully designed and a good looking movement that does its job.

At just below $900 for the SW215 version, the Partitio is a great looking watch at a very affordable price and definitely worth consideration.

STOWA PARTITIO Photo Gallery