Carl Suchy & Söhne was founded in 1822 by Austrian watchmaker Carl Suchy and quickly became the most important watchmaking company of the Habsburg Monarchy. At that time Carl Suchy & Söhne’s watches were produced in their workshops in Vienna and Prague as well as a pocket watch factory in La-Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. With the demise of the Habsburg Empire, the official watch Purveyor to the Royal and Imperial Court disappeared in the early 1900s, but in 2017, the brand was revived. Combining Viennese elegance with high Swiss watchmaking skills, the brand now produces its watches in Switzerland.
Back in October 2023 —around the time of the SIAR in Mexico City— we met Robert Punkenhofer —one of the owners of Carl Suchy & Söhne— and we were blown away by the watch on his wrist. Robert was wearing a Belvedere Danube and at that precise moment, we knew we had to get one of them and do a proper hands-on review of it.
Things to Know About the Watch
Named after the Baroque architectural masterpiece the Belvedere Palace in Vienna, Austria, the Carl Suchy & Söhne Belvedere Danube is equipped with a stainless steel case measuring 40 mm in diameter and 12.5 mm in thickness. The Belvedere Danube watch at first glance is somewhat reminiscent of a Piaget Polo or a Patek Philippe Aquanaut, but upon further examination, its barrel or pebble-shaped case is very unique. The total weight of the watch is 106.8 grams.
Belvedere Palace in Vienna, Austria. Photo by Martin Zenker from Unsplash
With elongated lugs and a case that combines a pearl-blasted finish —much finer than regular bead-blasting— with mirror polishing, the result is outstanding as far as the play of light. The screw-down crown —guaranteeing water resistance to 100 meters— is finished with the same motif as the center of the dial and the angles at the lugs are just captivating. The only downside is the corrector on the left caseband. The case is so nicely finished that we would’ve preferred to be able to set the date via the crown not only for aesthetic reasons but also for practicality. There’s nothing simpler than setting the date via the crown without having to carry around a stylus to push the corrector when making adjustments.
But here comes the most unique and interesting part of the watch. The blue lacquered dial —in person, the color looks more like a slate grey or blue bayoux— features a concave outer ring and a decorated center with a date aperture that changes position every day giving the watch a very unique look but also changing the way the dial plays with light as the pattern at the center of the dial —half horizontal grooves and half vertical grooves— moves at different angles. The color of the dial is a true chameleon that varies depending on lighting conditions and whether you are looking at the dial from the side or right from the front.
Additionally, the date is indicated by one numeral from 0 to 9 in combination with an underscore as necessary. One underscore for the 10s, two underscores for the 20s, and three underscores for the 30s. The numbers 6 and 9 are also differentiated by a dot under or over.
While it is not our preferred way of reading the date as it takes time to get used to it, we think that it is a very clever way to display it more uniquely and less traditionally. The same applies to the information at 9 and 3 o’clock respectively, referring to the Swiss-made origin of the watch and that the brand was founded in Wien —Vienna, Austria— in 1822.
The dial features concave rhodium-plated applied indexes and skeletonized Dauphine rhodium-plated hands half mirror-polished and half frosted. The play of light on the hour and minute hands is simply out of this world as you can see below. The sapphire crystal is slightly domed and treated on both sides with an anti-reflective treatment.
All indexes and hands —including the seconds hand— are filled with SuperLumiNova and the brightness is fantastic even with the faintest change in lighting conditions. The Lume is blue and lasts a good number of hours, but nothing extraordinary like Panerai or Rolex.
The Carl Suchy & Söhne Belvedere Danube is delivered on one of the most supple rubber straps we’ve ever encountered. The integrated blue rubber strap is equipped with quick-release spring bars and secured by a deployant stainless steel folding clasp. The buckle is very sturdy and extremely well-finished. The strap features a beautiful pattern on its interior that was inspired by the Baroque shapes in the gardens at the Belvedere Palace in Vienna.
The Movement
Turning the watch over reveals the beautifully finished movement with a gold-plated ring and oscillating weight engraved with the facade of the Belvedere Palace and the individual number for the watch. The automatic movement powering the Belvedere is the automatic calibre CSS201, which is built upon a Dubois Dépraz and ETA 2892/2A. The movement provides a power reserve of 42 hours when fully wound while beating at a frequency of 28,800 vph.
On the Wrist & Price
On the wrist, the Carl Suchy & Söhne wears slightly smaller than its actual size because of its integrated strap which optically reduces the case size at the lugs. The watch wears extremely well with casual or dressy attire and for the price, this is a fantastic purchase considering the level of design, finishes, and overall appearance of the watch.
One thing we would’ve loved is to have a normal way of reading the date with two numerals rather than the use of the underscore. Other than that and the date corrector, this watch ticks pretty much all the boxes.
The first 100 pieces in the first series of the Belvedere are currently sold out but you can pre-order right here on our website —only a small deposit is required— to get one from the next series of 100 pieces for delivery around July 2024.
Sticker Price USD 8,600. For more info on Carl Suchy & Söhne click here.
