GFNY PASSISTA WATCHES
The mechanical watch for road cycling - and one for every day.
The GFNY Passista Professional 300
The automatic watch made specifically for bike racing: GFNY Passista Professional 300 in titanium, hardened with Diamond Like Carbon (DLC) and a Swiss movement with Incabloc shock resistance.
Why a mechanical watch for road cycling?
Why a mechanical watch for road cycling?
At GFNY, we are watch freaks. We like to have a classic, mechanical timepiece on our arm when riding. Our world is saturated with digital appliances. Riding on open roads is our escape from it and a battery free, purely mechanical watch is the perfect companion.
We’ve tried many mechanical watches while riding and racing, ranging from $400 to beyond $10,000. They either didn’t withhold the stress of road cycling and its vibrations on rough roads. Or they were uncomfortably heavy or flopped around our wrists and dug into the back of our hand.
We’ve tried many mechanical watches while riding and racing, ranging from $400 to beyond $10,000. They either didn’t withhold the stress of road cycling and its vibrations on rough roads. Or they were uncomfortably heavy or flopped around our wrists and dug into the back of our hand.
What makes the GFNY Passista Professional 300 specifically for cycling?
At first glance, mechanical watches and road racing bikes have a lot of similarities: they are made of a long-lasting material, like steel or titanium; they have gears; they have technical specifications that make some of them superior to others; and above all, they give you a feeling. But there is one major difference between a bike and a watch: the lighter the bike, the better it is. But in watches, a certain weight, even “heft” signifies quality.
Hence the journey of the GFNY Passista watch is an uncommon path for a mechanical watch: we set out to make a mechanical watch that can sustain the stress of Roubaix cobbles or Tuscan strade bianche, while being comfortable to wear and almost “disappear” on your wrist.
Hence the journey of the GFNY Passista watch is an uncommon path for a mechanical watch: we set out to make a mechanical watch that can sustain the stress of Roubaix cobbles or Tuscan strade bianche, while being comfortable to wear and almost “disappear” on your wrist.
The material: Titanium
We started with a more rare, more expensive and lighter material than the usually used steel: titanium.
Titanium is most commonly used for aircraft or military applications due to its high strength and low weight, the best among all metals. Titanium is also hypoallergenic, meaning it is perfectly safe for the human body. In fact, doctors use it for hip and knee replacements for this very reason.
Titanium is most commonly used for aircraft or military applications due to its high strength and low weight, the best among all metals. Titanium is also hypoallergenic, meaning it is perfectly safe for the human body. In fact, doctors use it for hip and knee replacements for this very reason.
Tougher than steel: diamond-like carbon coating
To make a tough material even tougher and to give it a stealth look, we coated the titanium with diamond-like carbon (DLC) in a black color. The hardening rating for our coating is above 1000 on the Vickers scale. That’s more than 7-times harder than the 316L steel used on most luxury watches.
The crystal: sapphire
Sapphire was the only logical option for the crystal. It is extremely tough and very hard to scratch.
For excellent clarity, we added 5-layers of anti reflective coating to the underside of the crystal. Some manufacturers apply it to the outside of the crystal which isn’t a good idea because it scratches easily.
The style: dive watch
The GFNY Passista Professional 300 is a dive watch for two reasons: sturdiness and looks.
Obviously a bike racing watch is exposed to all kinds of weather so water resistance is important. We didn’t stop at 100m water resistance which allows you to swim with the watch. At 200m water resistance a watch is considered safe for diving because it equals resistance to a pressure of 20bar which can happen in much shallower waters than 200m below if you move your arm.
To double down on resistance, we increase the water resistance to 300m. That way your GFNY Passista Professional 300 is definitely ready for a dive post race - or a dip in the hot tub which is a particular stress you shouldn’t expose a normal watch to.
But a dive watch also has a unidirectional bezel that allows you to quickly time something by rotating the bezel. We chose ceramic as the material for the bezel because it is light and scratch resistant.
The movement: Swiss
Inside the GFNY Passista Professional 300 ticks the Swiss-made movement GFNY-HC01. The movement is Sellita-based and customized for GFNY. Sellita movements have a reputation for being extremely reliable. Incabloc technology protects the movement from shocks which is obviously important for a watch you use for sports. It’s a spring-loaded mounting system for the jewel bearings that support the balance wheel.
The self winding movement has a power reserve of 38 hours. That means it charges automatically when you wear it through a rotor and will keep running for up to 38 hours if you put the watch aside.
The self winding movement has a power reserve of 38 hours. That means it charges automatically when you wear it through a rotor and will keep running for up to 38 hours if you put the watch aside.
The movement is visible thanks to the sapphire see-through caseback. This obviously isn’t a necessity for a cycling watch but seeing the inner works of a mechanical watch is fascinating and shouldn’t be hidden. It's fun to watch the rotor rotate and charge the watch.
The dial: freshly paved road
Legibility is key for a cycling watch where you need to tell the time at a glance even at high speed. White hands on a black dial ensure telling the time is easy. The date blends in to not distract from time telling. The dial surface mimics a cyclist's dream: a freshly paved road.
For legibility in low light or darkness, we used Swiss Superlominova on the markers and the “sandwich” dial. The hour markers are cut-outs of the dial with a Superluminova layer between dial and movement. Fun fact: the logo is embossed and glows in the dark as well - obviously in GFNY green.
For legibility in low light or darkness, we used Swiss Superlominova on the markers and the “sandwich” dial. The hour markers are cut-outs of the dial with a Superluminova layer between dial and movement. Fun fact: the logo is embossed and glows in the dark as well - obviously in GFNY green.
The strap: titanium or silicone
The GFNY Passista Professional 300 comes with a quick-release strap system. No tools are needed to change the watch strap quickly.
The watch includes two antiallergic and soft silicone straps with titanium clasps. These are for sport activities: one in black and one in green.
If you want to dress-up your GFNY Passista Professional 300, just switch to the DLC coated titanium bracelet. It has a micro-adjust clasp for perfect fit. It has screwed links for easy and safe size adjustment.
If you want to dress-up your GFNY Passista Professional 300, just switch to the DLC coated titanium bracelet. It has a micro-adjust clasp for perfect fit. It has screwed links for easy and safe size adjustment.
The size: perfect
The case diameter of the GFNY Passista Professional 300 is 42mm which is the ideal compromise between wearability and legibility.
The lug width is 22mm and the “lug-to-lug” (also called wingspan) comes in at 50mm.
The case thickness is 14mm.
On the silicone strap it's ready to race at a featherweight 89 grams.
The GFNY Passista 200
This is your daily allrounder watch, from shower to office to after work drinks. Made in the same shape as the Passista Professional 300, the Passista 200 comes with different specs that make it stand out in your daily life.
The GFNY Passista 200 provides you, the avid cyclists and GFNY fans, a luxury watch to show your cycling passion while it also wears well from office to dinner with friends. This GFNY watch is made of stainless steel and with a Japanese movement.
With this model, GFNY created its own microbrand watch: same quality, or higher, than many Swiss made brand watches, but at a fraction of the price.
The steel feels good. Everything is brushed, there is no polishing, nothing is shiny. The steel doesn’t scratch easily, so it keep its high quality look.
The GFNY Passista 200 provides you, the avid cyclists and GFNY fans, a luxury watch to show your cycling passion while it also wears well from office to dinner with friends. This GFNY watch is made of stainless steel and with a Japanese movement.
With this model, GFNY created its own microbrand watch: same quality, or higher, than many Swiss made brand watches, but at a fraction of the price.
The steel feels good. Everything is brushed, there is no polishing, nothing is shiny. The steel doesn’t scratch easily, so it keep its high quality look.
The material: Stainless Steel 316L
This classic and tough proven watch material makes for a beautiful look with a great luxurious feel due to its heft.
The crystal: sapphire
Sapphire is the only option for the crystal of a daily wearer. It is extremely tough and almost impossible to scratch.
The style: dive watch
The GFNY Passista 200 is a dive watch for two reasons: sturdiness and looks.
The slimmer bezel gives the watch a contemporary look and the 200m water resistance means you don’t have to take it off when showering or snorkeling. Even scuba diving is still no issue for this allrounder.
The slimmer bezel gives the watch a contemporary look and the 200m water resistance means you don’t have to take it off when showering or snorkeling. Even scuba diving is still no issue for this allrounder.
The movement: Japanese
Inside the GFNY Passista 200 ticks the ultra reliable Japanese movement NH-35.
The self winding movement has a power reserve of 38 hours. That means it charges automatically when you wear it and will keep running for 38 hours if you put the watch aside.
The self winding movement has a power reserve of 38 hours. That means it charges automatically when you wear it and will keep running for 38 hours if you put the watch aside.
The dial: freshly paved road
White hands on a black dial ensure telling the time is easy. The date "pops" nicely on the dial. The dial surface mimics a freshly paved road.
For legibility in low light or darkness, we use luminous material on the markers of the “sandwich” dial and the bezel numerals. The hour markers are cut-outs of the dial with a luminous layer between dial and movement.
Fun fact: the logo is embossed and glows in the dark as well - obviously in GFNY green.
Fun fact: the logo is embossed and glows in the dark as well - obviously in GFNY green.
The strap: steel or silicone
The GFNY Passista 200 has a with a quick-release strap system. No tools are needed to change the watch strap quickly.
The watch comes with a stainless steel bracelet that has a micro-adjust clasp for perfect fit. The milled clasp looks nice and feels great, it's very solid and secure. On this steel bracelet nothing is “rattly” or cheap. It has screwed links for easy and safe size adjustment.
The watch also comes with two antiallergic and soft silicone straps with titanium clasps. These are for sport activities: one in black and one in green.
The watch comes with a stainless steel bracelet that has a micro-adjust clasp for perfect fit. The milled clasp looks nice and feels great, it's very solid and secure. On this steel bracelet nothing is “rattly” or cheap. It has screwed links for easy and safe size adjustment.
The watch also comes with two antiallergic and soft silicone straps with titanium clasps. These are for sport activities: one in black and one in green.
The size
The case diameter of the GFNY Passista 200 is 42mm which is the ideal compromise between wearability and legibility.
The lug width is 22mm and the “lug-to-lug” (also called wingspan) comes in at 50mm.
The case thickness is 13.5mm.
On the bracelet sized for a 17cm wrist it weighs 173g.
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