Brew’s Latest Metric, in PVD Black, is Inspired by 1980s Car Culture and the Sportiest Metric Yet

Brew’s Metric chronograph has become one of the biggest watch hits in the microbrand space since its introduction just a few years ago. The cycle of restock to sellout has been basically uninterrupted since the Metric made its debut in the summer of 2021, and the line recently saw an expansion with a gold plated version that rewired our expectations of what this watch can be. Now, just a few months out from that gold Metric, Brew has dropped a version in black PVD directly inspired by brand founder Jonathan Ferrer’s love of car culture. 

All of the Metrics have a solidly vintage infused vibe, but this one is squarely placed in the 80s, and anyone who has spent any amount of time thinking about cars from that decade will immediately understand the connections Brew is making in the design of this watch. The design is overtly sporty, with bright red accents inspired by instrument clusters on 1980s 911s contrasting sharply with the matte black dial and case. The blasted steel pushers and crown dramatically set off the case, and give the watch a tool-like sensibility. But it’s the sleekness of the black coating on the case and bracelet that does the heavy lifting in connecting this watch to 80s sports cars. 

Something that we’ve always appreciated about the Metric is its fidelity to a style of sports watch that became popular in the 1970s, watches with shaped cases in sizes that by today’s standards would be considered a bit undersized, but in their day would have just been normal. The Metric has a cushion style case that is nearly square, but not quite, and a bracelet that appears integrated flowing directly from the far edges of the case walls. That bracelet is designed with a heavy taper and horizontal links stacked on top of each other to further play up the connection to 70s sports watches. Most of all, though, it’s the case size that really makes these watches work. They measure just 36mm across and 10.75mm thick, and feel like a vintage watch on the wrist in the best way possible. 

Like other Metrics, the black PVD version runs on a meca-quartz chronograph movement (the VK68 made by Seiko, to be precise) which keeps time with a quartz regulator but has mechanical chronograph functions. There’s a big difference in the tactile feel and action of a mechanical chronograph compared to that of one that runs through a quartz system, and that feel has been prioritized by Brew with the use of this movement, not just in the Metric, but in other chronographs they’ve released over the years. Importantly, these movements allow the Metric watches to be accessible to just about everyone. The new black Metric carries a retail price of $475. 

The black Metric is available as of today on the Brew website.