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Not That Kind of Sombrero…
Sombrero: an often high crown hat of felt or straw with a very wide brim worn especially in the southwest and Mexico. But we’re not talking about that sombrero; we’re talking about a watch from KUOE. Welcome to my KUOE Sombrero review!
My History with KUOE
I’ve been a huge fan of KUOE ever since I acquired one of their watches earlier this year on my trip to Kyoto. They’re a brand based out of Kyoto known for their British field watch designs that are classic and clean, appealing to a lot of seasoned collectors and people just getting into the world of watches.
So naturally, I became curious when they reached out to me to review their first-ever dive watch.
A Different Take on Dive Watches
When you hear the words “dive watch,” you immediately think something quite rugged. KUOE was smart to stick to their design aesthetic for the Sombrero, which, by the way, the Sombrero they’re referring to is the Sombrero Galaxy, which is said to be the most beautiful place in space.
Now, I’m not quite sure if they drew inspiration from space, but in my mind, I’d like to think they drew up inspo from the Mexican sombrero hat.
Especially when you look at the box sapphire crystal resembling the hat shape and texture dial similar to that of the weave pattern of straw featured on this watch. That makes sense, right?
Let’s Talk About That Compressor Case
KUOE was smart to go with the compressor case design for the Sombrero, also known as the reference 90-011, marking their 11th watch model and first-ever dive watch design.
It allows the watch to remain sleek and classy like the rest of the watches in their catalog while still functioning as a proper dive watch.
To operate the rotating bezel, you’ll need to unscrew the top crown at the two o’clock position, allowing you to move the inner rotating bezel forward and back.
The action is super smooth with a tad bit of resistance to help line up with your minute hand perfectly.
Like a few other compressor-style cases I’ve encountered, I was afraid that operating the crown for the bezel would be a bit tough to get to, but because of the way the crown is shaped, it allows you to do so with ease. And this is pretty crucial for a dive watch.
I mean, it’s not like most of us are taking it for a dive, but for someone like me who uses it to time my breaks, it’s very convenient.
The Specs That Matter
It’s 38mm in diameter, less than 12½mm thick, and has lovely brushing and high polish facets at the lugs. It’s really all you can ask for in a dressy diver.
But it’s not just the aesthetics that impressed me – it has a depth rating of 200M and magnetic resistance of 20,000 amps per meter, to be exact. I’ll be honest; I’m not sure exactly what that means, but I’m sure someone reading this does, especially if they’re working around highly magnetic fields.
How It Wears – The Bracelet Game is Strong
Regardless, all this makes the Sombrero from KUOE a proper diver’s watch and one hell of a tool watch for something that looks as pleasing to the eye as it does. On the wrist, it wears great due to the compressor case design.
I sometimes forget I’m wearing a dive watch, especially when paired up with their Jubilee bracelet, which, by the way, is a lot better than I was expecting.
It has solid end links with quick release for easy strap changes, uses actual screws to size the bracelet, and something I really wasn’t expecting – an easy-to-use adjustable extension at three different positions.
If you find yourself struggling to find the perfect fit, or if you’re kind of like me and you find your wrist contracting and expanding throughout the day, this is the convenience.
There’s also a flat-link bracelet option, but I think the Jubilee really fits the sporty dress aesthetic the best, and it helps that it’s super comfortable, too.
Either way, KUOE includes a German leather strap, which is great, but the Jubilee is much more at home on the bracelet, regardless of the occasion.
That Salmon Dial, Though…
KUOE was nice enough to send me over a watch of my choice for this KUOE Sombrero review, and of course, I had to opt for the salmon variant, but it does come in a few other options like green, black, ivory, and gradient options, so there is surely something that will suit collector’s tastes.
At first glance, it may appear as a flat salmon dial, but if you look closely enough in the right light, there is a linen texture to the dial, which is just subtle enough to not be so distracting and gives depth to the dial that is really interesting to look at.
The salmon color on the Sombrero is pretty dynamic – in some lighting, it takes on a pinkish tone, and in others a warm copper.
If you know me, I’m a sucker for anything that has 3-6-9 indices, and with the Sombrero, you’re getting 12-3-6-9 applied indices, which adds to that overall military-inspired look.
The lume uses old radium-colored Super-LumiNova, which looks great against the salmon dial and is applied to the bezel. I’m not usually into the Fauxtina effect, but I can’t see this working with full stark white indices, so kudos to you, KUOE.
About That Name…
The sapphire crystal KUOE decided to use is coated with anti-reflective and anti-fingerprint, making that dial super legible in all types of lighting scenarios. Including the name of the watch, Sombrero – now to be honest, the word “Sombrero” on the dial, well, I’m not sure how I feel about it.
A Spanish word on a Japanese watch kind of throws me off a bit, especially when the first thing I think about when I hear the word Sombrero is a Mexican hat, not so much the Sombrero Galaxy this drew inspiration from. Nonetheless, it’s an interesting quirk of this watch I can get behind.
Under the Hood
Underneath the hood, KUOE decided to go with the high-beat Miyota caliber 9039, which gives the watch the added benefit of thinness at just 11mm if you don’t count the height of the crystal, which is remarkable for a dive watch, adding to that sporty, dressy aesthetic.
Now, I know a lot of people would rather have a date complication, but the symmetry of the Sombrero without it is honestly the way to go.
Watch This Review
Final Thoughts
Let’s wrap this KUOE Sombrero review up. I’ve had the Sombrero on my wrist for the past week now, and it’s a tough one to take off. It sits at the perfect Goldilocks size of 38mm, the dial is fun to look at, it wears great on the wrist, especially with that new Jubilee bracelet, and it’s a proper tool watch all while looking appropriate enough to wear with a suit.
I’d say KUOE cleared up any doubts I had about their first dive watch. Ah finally, a Sombrero I can wear indoors without getting weird looks.
From a young age, I was hooked on watches. My dad and uncle were both collectors, and I couldn’t resist the allure of their timepieces. But it wasn’t until I stumbled upon a Casio digital calculator watch in college that I truly fell in love. (I originally bought the watch to complete my Back to the Future costume for an 80’s-themed party)
It wasn’t until the release of the Swatch Moonswatch watches that Clicky Bezel came to fruition. My wife (bless her heart) had been bugging me for years to start a YouTube channel, and I finally caved in with my first video covering my experience camping over 16 hours for the hyped-up Moonswatches.
In a relatively short time, I’ve been lucky enough to connect and collaborate with some big players in the industry, including Nomos Glashütte, Jomashop, Minase, and now Fashionbeans. To learn more about my passion, find my content here on fashionbeans.com, follow my Youtube page: or visit my website at: