Hello everyone, and welcome back to another of my reviews. In this article, I’ll review the new Street Racer Chronograph from the homegrown watch microbrand, Ratio Watches.
It has been a while since I last reviewed a microbrand watch, so it felt apt to return to my roots for the new year. I came across Singapore-based Ratio Watches, which was promoting its new Street Racer chronograph on social media. Priced very accessibly and offered in a range of dial colourways, the watch piqued my interest. I reached out to the brand to request a sample for review, and they sent one. The question now is whether it delivers – let’s have a look.
Ratio Street Racer Chronograph – Review
The specifications of the Street Racer Chronograph punch above its price point.
Firstly, the Street Racer Chronograph uses a domed sapphire crystal. As mentioned repeatedly in my previous reviews, I’m a strong advocate of sapphire crystal due to its inherent scratch-resistance. I always look for a sapphire crystal in my modern watches, as it greatly enhances the watch’s durability. It’s also worth pointing out that domed sapphire crystals are typically more expensive than flat sapphire crystals, so they are a rarity at this price point. There’s also an anti-reflective coating to prevent unwanted reflections. Furthermore, the Street Racer Chronograph has a water-resistance rating of 200M (due to its screw-down crown), making it durable enough for all everyday activities, including a dip in the pool.
Secondly, the Street Racer Chronograph is powered by the Seiko VK64 movement. For those uninitiated with mecha-quartz movements, a mecha-quartz movement basically allows you to enjoy the best of both worlds – the accuracy (and affordability) of a quartz movement (which also negates the need to wind the watch), and also the sweeping second hand that’s characteristic of a mechanical chronograph. With the Seiko VK64 movement, you get the capability to instantly reset the chronograph by pressing the bottom pusher.
Interestingly, the Street Racer Chronograph comes on a jubilee-esque bracelet, which gives the watch a slight vintage touch. The bracelet is relatively sturdy despite the affordable price tag, and the clasp even features micro-adjustment holes. The clasp is not the smoothest to operate, but that’s par for the course at this price point.
The Street Racer Chronograph even features a generous amount of BGW9 Superluminova, which glows brightly in the dark – no issues reading the watch at night.
The Street Racer Chronograph is offered in an impressive range of ten dial colourways. From the selection, I opted for the red variant, which felt the most overtly “racing” in character. It is also a distinctive shade of red—eschewing the darker maroon tones commonly seen on watch dials in favour of a brighter, almost orange-tinged hue that strongly evokes automotive influences. As befits a racing chronograph, a tachymeter scale runs along the periphery of the dial, ensuring that the chronograph complication is not merely decorative but genuinely functional.
With applied indices and recessed sub-dials, the dial exhibits a pleasing sense of depth. Visual balance is maintained through a bi-compax layout, complemented by a framed date window positioned at six o’clock to preserve symmetry. Overall, the design is restrained and classic, with the vivid red dial serving as its defining focal point.
The case is predominantly brushed, offset by contrasting polished bevels and edges for added visual interest. The Street Racer Chronograph also features a signed crown—a thoughtful detail that is not always a given at this price point.
The caseback features well-detailed engraving of a race car against a city skyline, reflecting the collection’s Street Racer ethos. Again, the level of detail is impressive for the price.
The Ratio Street Racer Chronograph measures 42mm in diameter with a lug-to-lug length of 49mm, dimensions that sit comfortably on my 7-inch wrist. While the brand does not specify the case thickness on its website, the watch appears to be approximately 13–14mm thick—hardly ultra-slim, but still noticeably slimmer than most mechanical chronographs.
Conclusion – so the Ratio Street Racer Chronograph “shiok” or not?
The Ratio Street Racer Chronograph manages to do just that by offering exceptional value for money. At US$179 (after applying the promo code below), it delivers an impressive specification sheet: a sapphire crystal, 200 metres of water resistance with a screw-down crown, a Seiko VK64 mecha-quartz movement, a Jubilee bracelet, and even Swiss BGW9 Super-LumiNova. The bi-compax layout is both classic and visually engaging, complemented by a wide selection of dial colours. In this vivid red configuration, the watch is particularly striking and neatly captures the collection’s racing-inspired ethos. If you are in the market for an affordable racing chronograph, it is difficult to imagine a stronger option at the sub-US$200 price point.
Those interested in purchasing the Street Racer Chronograph can use the promo code “WAHSOSHIOK10” to enjoy a 10% discount on the Street Racer collection. After the discount, the Street Racer Chronograph would cost only US$179/~S$230, making it a great value proposition. Readers can also use the promo code “WAHSOSHIOK” to enjoy a 5% discount on all other watches from Ratio Watches’ web-store.
View the Street Racer Chronograph collection here.
View the full range of Ratio Watches here.
Ratio Street Racer Chronograph Specifications:
Movement: Mecha-Quartz
Caliber: VK64
Chronograph: 1/5 second
Case: 316L Stainless Steel
Diameter: 42mm
Lug width: 22mm
Lug to Lug: 49mm
Glass: Domed Sapphire Glass with AR Coating
Band: Jubilee Bracelet with milled clasps
Lume Grade: Super-LumiNova BGW9
Luminous Features: Luminous hands and minute markers, Tachymeter, Sub-dials and Date window/Full-lume Dial
Markers: Applied
Dial: Two-layer Stainless Steel Dial
Sub-dials: 60-minute chronograph counter at 9 o’clock & 24-hour time display at 3 o’clock
Functions: Chronograph, Tachymeter, Date Display
Caseback: Solid embossed caseback with engraved image of city skyline and race car
Crown: Screw Down Crown
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P.P.P.P.S Shiok is a common word Singaporeans use to express admiration or approval. As of 2016, you can find the definition of the word in the Oxford English Dictionary.
