Reservoir Watches

Reservoir: For People Who Think a Watch Should Feel Like a Dashboard

Reservoir isn’t about subtle elegance.
 It’s about single-handed retrogrades, jumping hours, and dials that look like they were lifted from a vintage speedometer or a pressure gauge.

Born from a love of precision instrumentation — aviation, diving, racing — this is a brand that doesn’t just borrow tool watch design language, it fully commits. If your wristwear is supposed to look like it came out of a submarine or the cockpit of a Mirage jet, Reservoir is for you.

Brand History: French DNA, Swiss Mechanics, Analog Obsession

Founded in 2017 in Paris, Reservoir Watch is the brainchild of François Moreau, who wanted to capture the visceral feel of analog meters — the

kind you’d find in fighter planes, vintage cars, and diving equipment — and translate that into watchmaking.

Instead of using three hands and a date window like everyone else, Reservoir came out of the gate with a signature display:

Retrograde minutes (0–60), jumping hour, and a power reserve at 6 o’clock.

All their watches are Swiss made, with calibers based on ETA 2824 architecture paired with proprietary complications developed in La Chaux-

de-Fonds.

This isn’t a repackaged microbrand. It’s an indie concept watchmaker with real mechanical cred.

Collector Highlights: Mechanical Dashboards for the Wrist

  • GT Tour / Supercharged / Kanister – Racing-inspired models that mimic tachometers and speedometers. Matte black dials, bright numerals, and retrograde action that snaps like a redline shift.

  • Hydrosphere – The dive watch. Circular case with radial retrograde minute hand, unidirectional bezel, helium escape valve, and jumping hour — all with 250m water resistance. One of the most unique dive watch executions out there.

  • Airfight – Pilot-style watches with cockpit gauge aesthetics. Matte titanium, bold numerals, and one of the best use cases for Reservoir’s layout.

  • Tiefenmesser – German sub-instrument inspired. Industrial, toolish, and all kinds of weird-in-a-good-way.

  • Sonomaster Chronograph – The brand’s first bi-retrograde chrono (two retrograde registers + time). Designed to resemble VU meters on vintage amps. Yeah, it’s a little nuts — and kind of amazing.

Movements across the board are ETA/Sellita base calibers (2824 or SW200) modified with in-house retrograde/jump hour modules — a bold

move that adds cost, complexity, and a ton of personality.

Why Collectors Should Care

  • Signature display setup — retrograde minutes + jumping hour = uncommon mechanical setup

  • Real mechanical innovation at accessible pricing — especially for under $5K

  • Insane dial variety — each line feels like its own world

  • Swiss manufacturing + French design — rare and well-executed combo

  • Perfect for collectors who already have the classics and want something left-field without being gimmicky

If you’ve got your Sub, your Speedy, and your Reverso… this is the kind of watch that makes your rotation interesting again.

What They’re Making Now: Purpose-Built, Design-Led, and Mechanically Cool

Reservoir’s current lineup spans:

  • Motorsport – GT Tour, Kanister, and Supercharged — all retrograde jumpers with auto-racing roots

  • Aviation – Airfight, with matte titanium cases and altimeter vibes

  • Marine – Hydrosphere, still one of the most original dive watch layouts ever built

  • Chronograph – Sonomaster Chrono — a double retrograde wrist spectacle with a music-gauge soul

They’ve also launched limited editions tied to partnerships with racing teams, cinematographers, and even tattoo artists — usually with cool dial

treatments, but still grounded in the core mechanical concept.

Fed’s Take

Reservoir is one of the rare brands that actually has a reason to exist.

They didn’t just make a dive watch because everyone else did. They made the Hydrosphere, which feels like someone melted down a dive computer

and rebuilt it as a mechanical art object.

I’ve sold GT Tours to racing fans, Hydrospheres to dive watch collectors who were bored of the usual suspects, and Kanisters to guys who just wanted a

wristwatch that actually made them smile every time they checked the time.

Is it for everyone? No.

But if you like your watches to snap back like a speedo needle and jump like a tach shift, Reservoir is a blast to wear — and a fun one to explain

to your watch friends.

One Hand, One Hour, All Style

If you’re tired of the same-old three-hand layout, but still want a watch that’s mechanically interesting, well-built, and fun as hell, Reservoir is

absolutely worth your attention.

Delray Watch occasionally sources Reservoir watches — especially GT Tour, Hydrosphere, and Sonomaster models.

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