ice watch x Disney collaboration Tron watch

This is a review of the ice watch x Disney collaboration Tron watch, reference TRBEUP. This watch is released in conjunction with the Tron Legacy movie. The breakdown of the model number, TR - Tron, BE - Blue, U – Medium and P – Polycarbonate. There are two other models in the collection, reference TRYWUP for the yellow version and TROEUP for the orange.

The watches are a limited edition released for the Japanese market. From my understanding, the blue and yellow were a run of 500 pieces in total and the orange limited to 200 pieces.

Basic specifications:

Function: Hour, minutes and seconds

Case: Polycarbonate, diameter 40 mm bezel, 38.5 mm case, height 12.5 mm, lug width 20 mm, lug to lug 47.5 mm

Movement: Miyota quartz

Crystal: Mineral

Water resistance: 5 ATM

Retail: USD 120

CASE

The watch is well made and finished. The watch is designed based on the popular Rolex Submariner. The case is made of black polycarbonate and has a nice ‘polished’ finish. The sides are also polished but the bezel is matte. The sides are well chamfered and are very uniform across the chamfer as can be seen in the photograph below. There are no rough edges.

Surprisingly the bezel can be rotated and it is uni-directional and takes 60 clicks to do a full rotation. The bezel insert is polished black and is unmarked except for a blue band. Within the blue band is a white band. These bands simulate the ‘light’ or ‘glow’ of the wheel of the Tron bike. The white band is not really center to the blue band. The bezel, in a sense is non functional.

The Tron bike.

The polished case back is made of stainless steel. However, do not be fooled into thinking that it comes with a screw-down case back. It does not. The case back is a snap-back case back. It is made to look like a screw-down case back.

The markings on the case back: the manufacturer signature, ‘ice-watch’ adorn the center of the case back. Above it is the Disney signature and below it, in very small print, 'Miyota Japan Movement'. Around the center is the company website at 12 o'clock position and 'Stainless Steel Case back' at 6 o'clock. Unlike the other ice-watch, these markings is etched onto the case back and not engraved.

The crown is also made from stainless steel and is polished PVD black. It is of the push-pull design. It measures a good 7 mm in diameter and 3 mm thick. It is signed with the ice-watch logo. The size of the crown makes it a pleasure to use and operate. It pulls out to adjust the time.

MOVEMENT

This watch comes fitted with a basic 3 hand Miyota quartz no date movement. This information is based on the ice-watch website and on the case back. The accuracy for this watch should be good, as good as any quartz movement should be. The movement should be very reliable as it is sourced from Miyota. The movement 'hacks' as all quartz movement does.

DIAL

The black dial has a polished finish. The entire dial is void of any markings save for these: at the 12 o'clock position, you have the ice-watch signature. At the 6 o'clock position, is the water resistance rating '5ATM' and below it 'WATER RESISTANT'. All the legend is rendered in black and it is very difficult to make it out.

As the dial is devoid of any markings, telling the time and even adjusting the time is difficult. For that matter reading the time is not easy as even the hands are rendered in black.

HANDS

The hands are similar to the ‘Rolex type’ design Mercedes hands and as stated above, it is black. The hands have a polished finish, but it does not help in telling the time. It is difficult to tell the time at a glance. The seconds hand is rendered in blue. All the hands do not have any luminous material.

CRYSTAL

This watch is fitted with a mineral crystal. The crystal is flat but it does extend about 0.5 mm above the bezel. This makes it prone to chipping. The crystal lacks any AR coating.

BRACELET

The bracelet on the watch is also made from black polycarbonate. The bracelet is very well made. There is hardly any play on the bracelet. The bracelet is of the 3-piece design. The centerpiece is matte and the pieces at the side are polished.

The end pieces fit the watch case perfectly and there is also no play. There are cutouts at the back of the end pieces to facilitate removal of the bracelet from the watch. The bracelet offers the normal adjustment that you would find on any bracelet of this design. The adjustment pushpins are serrated at the ends to lock it into place in the bracelet pieces.

The clasp is made of black polycarbonate. It is matte and the exterior is textured to look like the rest of the bracelet. It does offer plenty of fine adjustment. The folding part is made from stainless steel and is marked such. It is finished matte. It is very thin but it works.

CONCLUSION

This watch is a novelty and should be treated as such. It is not an everyday watch, more suited to a collector who is very into novelties or to the movie Tron (which I am). It is not outstanding value for money and it would be nice if it were serialized, as it is a limited edition watch.