RGM 160M Review (Long Post)

[Terry Newton]

My RGM Watch just arrived today. For anyone who is not familiar with this brand it is made by Roland G. Murphy from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Here is a link to the website: http://www.rgmwatches.com. Here is the link and large picture of the watch I purchased: http://www.rgmwatches.com/160M.html.

It has the following features:

Functions: Hour, Minute, Seconds, Day, Date, Month, Moonphase, 24 Hour Indication, Chronograph with 30 minute & 12 hour register

Case: Stainless Steel / Sapphire Crystal and Sapphire Crystal Display Back (diameter 38.5mm/ thickness 13mm)

Dial: Solid Silver Engine-turned by hand (guilloche)

Strap: 20mm x 18mm with Stainless Steel Buckle Black Louisiana Alligator

Hands: Blued-steel with no Luminova

Price: $6,300.00 + $800.00 for an 18K White Gold Skeletonized Rotor

Movement: Valjoux 7751 , High quality Balance, Hairspring, Escapement, & Mainspring, Ball bearing rotor axle, Bridges & Plates have Perlage & Cote de Geneve finish, 26 jewels, Automatic winding

It fits real well though it is smaller in diameter than my SS Date Submariner and my TT GMT-Master II c. Being a chronograph it does sit up higher on the wrist due to the thickness of the movement.

Here are some pictures:

This is all of the goodies that arrived with the watch. It included an outer box, a plastic/wooden display box, a DVD on the RGM Watch Company, a warranty card, a 4X Loupe blue in color with RGM written on the side and in a plastic container, a brass tool to set the date, a RGM watch polishing cloth in a plastic envelope, an instruction booklet, a hang tag with RGM written on it, and the watch itself.

The warranty certificate

The 4X Loupe

The outer box

The beautiful watch box, black velvet lined, with RGM Stamped in gold inside the case

The warranty certificate, brass tool, watch polishing cloth

The RGM DVD

The front of the watch

Another picture of the front. Notice the moonphase

Last one. I'm not excited in any way, shape, or form

Resting on it's little pillow

The display back with the 18K white gold skeletonized rotor

Another display picture

Another display

The side of the case with the pushers

I love the watch so far. It is very elegant and classy looking. The rotor makes some noise when it is spinning as it has ball bearings to ride on. You can barely move the watch and watch the rotor spinning like there is no tomorrow. It is surprisingly smooth and fun to watch. It is better entertainment than TV. It will take some time before I can be fair about the timing though I trust the movement is world class being a Valljoux 7751. It shows genuine blued steel screws in the display which is the same blued steel used in the making of the hands. I had a choice to go with a Super Luminova dial and hands combination though I prefer the simple elegance of the blued steel hands. The date is an elegant hand pointing to an outer numbered dial with 1 - 31. The case is finely finished stainless steel which has been highly polished. The package also came with the latest issue of IWC Magazine which has an extensive article about the RGM Watch Company. I am hoping to get a chance at some time to go to Pennsylvania and have a tour of the company. In the mean time the DVD that was sent with the package is showing several of their finer watch makers and finishers completing fine watches.

If anyone has any questions about this fine timepiece, please let me know. It has been my pleasure to write my first watch review. Thanks for taking the time to look at this fine timepiece.

Terry Newton