Even despite the gadget being powered by an average (but, hey, it is still a Swiss-made job!) quartz chronograph movement made by Ronda, the new Edox WRC X-Treme Pilot III Edition (ref. 10303-TIN-NIN) easily takes the top spot in my personal The Next Sporty Chronograph shortlist for this year.
Created with car enthusiasts in mind (i.e. persons not obsessed about ‘true’ mechanical movements,) the WRC X-Treme Pilot III comes in a trendy titanium case of a rather unusual design with a black PVD numbering plaque on one of its sides.
Visually massive, yet feather-light thanks to the chosen alloy, the case measures whole 45 millimeters in diameter and 13.80 millimeters in height. The mid-sized lugs make the WRC X-Treme Pilot III suitable for most potential owners. You will probably still feel the timekeeper sitting on your wrist, but in a good way: it is always a pleasure to be aware of a premium-priced fashion item ticking under your shirt’s cuff. A comfortable watch of gargantuan proportions: just what a modern consumer wants.
Of course, there was no need for such a huge case: the Ronda 5021.D quartz movement, which the Edox 103 caliber is based on, is only 28.2 mm in diameter and less than 5.5 mm in height. There must be plenty of empty space inside this black-green monster.
However, with such a huge body the piece creates a sense of presence that you can feel just by looking at the promo photo.
The Ronda 5021.D quartz movement that the aforementioned caliber is “based” on (I have an impression that the original caliber was simply rebranded for marketing purposes) offers a sort of average performance with its -10/ +20 seconds per month instantaneous rate, but it, first, is repairable and, second, features a fairly impressive power reserve of approximately 54 months (that, as usual, depends on how often you plan to use the chronograph function,) which makes it a pretty solid choice for a watch that comes with a recommended price tag of almost €1900.
Of course, with its satin-finished titanium and black carbon fiber on the dial the new Edox WRC X-Treme Pilot III Limited Edition might have looked rather dull.
However, thanks to touches of electric green both on the dial (the chronograph hands, the numerals on the date disk, and the name of the model) as well as on the case (one of the chronograph push-pieces, that are unusually placed on the left side of the case and are designed to be easily operated with the right thumb and index finger,) the ref. 10303-TIN-NIN actually looks as cheerful as a guy that just took the podium for the first time.
See also: Edox WRC Chronorally quartz chronograph (ref. 36001 3 NIN)
WWR Verdict
Originality 3.5/5
Build Quality: 5/5
Usability: 4.5/5
Overall Legibility: 4/5
Nighttime Legibility: 4/5
Value for Money: 3/5
Overall Rating: 4/5
Photos: Edox
Edox WRC X-Treme Pilot III 10303-TIN-NIN specification
Price: €1890 (MSRP)
Movement: Quartz, Caliber Edox 103 (base Ronda 5021.D), repairable, Swiss Made
Jewels: 10
Movement decoration: Gold-plated
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, chronograph, date
Power reserve: More than 4 years
Case: Titanium
Bezel: Titanium, black PVD
Shape: Round
Size: 45.00 mm
Case height: 13.80 mm
Dial: Black carbon fiber
Hands: Steel (white and green)
Water resistance: 100 meters
Strap: Black rubber strap, tire tread pattern, titanium clasp with engraved Edox logo
Crystal: Sapphire, antireflective
Back: Solid