First introduced in 2014, the Vanguard is retro-inspired and infused with contemporary touches – a re-imagination of what the dive watches used by frogmen in the ’40s could have evolved into.
The Vanguard has retained its distinctive character over the years and stayed faithful to the minimalist design of the earliest Gruppo Gamma timepieces.
2022 introducing the Mk I Vanguard
The Vanguard’s raison d’être is to be the ultimate tool watch. The timepiece stands out with its strong afterglow, using Swiss Super-LumiNova of the highest grade that provides darkness visibility like no other. Italian leather straps are fitted as standard issue, although being one of the most versatile “strap eaters” the Vanguard is likely to see many strap changes once it’s in your collection.
INTRODUCING THE MK I VANGUARD
In 2021 Gruppo Gamma decided to surface the Mk I Vanguard, an old-school, retro-inspired interpretation that’s based heavily on the same early design that spawned the Peacemaker. This design in fact preceded those of the Vanguard models that we’ve been rolling out since 2014; it was a design that we decided not to put into production at the time.
The Mk I Vanguard collection is entirely powered by Swiss mechanical movements. ETA is the largest Swiss movement manufacturer in the world and access to its movements by independent brands is very limited if at all possible, but we were able to acquire these movements in small quantities and these have found their way into our Mk I Vanguard.
There are three models available:
- AG-00 – black sandwich dial and brushed steel case without date
- AG-01 – black sandwich dial and brushed steel case with date
- AV-00 – full lume reverse sandwich dial with aged steel case without date
The choice is not easy, but the good thing is that each one will find his/her own Vanguard for sure. The AG-00 is probably the most classic and universal model, while the AV-00 is attracting watch collectors that are looking for something truly special and with a lot of lume. In case you need a date indicator then the AG-01 is perfect for you – thanks to the wide date window showing three dates it is much easier to read the current date even if you wear glasses.
