Review: Gorilla Fastback GT Drift “Elise”

Gorilla is a watch brand based in Cressier in the canton of Neuchatel Switzerland. Founded in 2016 by Octavio Garcia and Lukas Gopp. The brand as its name suggests, targets an adventurous watch lover, who has a taste in something more wild than the usual 3 hands classic timepiece. Here is our take on the Gorilla Fastback GT Drift “Elise”.

Gorilla Fastback GT Drift “Elise”

The Case and Dial

Sized at 44 mm, the squarish case is a mesh of materials and colors. It looks like it was designed to be modular, with potential for many variants in one case shape. Using a 3 piece construction, possibly 4, considering the twin layered bezel, the case is fastened by 4 screws through the case. We are not sure if it is screwed all the way through, but the decorative style and design likely draws inspiration from the same concept that made Hublot’s Fusion, Audemar Piguet’s Royal Oak Offshore icons.

4 main materials can be named in the case, woven forged carbon, bead blasted ceramic, anodized aluminum and titanium. The contrasting materials make for a sporty look, refreshing in many ways for those exposed mainly to single metal cases.

The side profile of the case shows a tapered integrated lug leading to the sandwiched layers of the case. A brushed crown resembling the central pivoting pinion of the wandering hours mechanism.

The case is rather raw and sporty, with a convex bezel and squarish shape. It is fit with a perforated rubber strap, driving a motor sports relation.

The dial displays the centerpiece of the watch, a wandering hours mechanism with 3 roving hour discs in the center aligning with a 60 hour minutes track on the rehaut periphery of the dial.

A main difference with the Audemars Piguet Starwheel, is the central seconds hand, which is absent on the AP. Apart from that, the 2 are very similar in terms of mechanical display. A close relative is the Moser Endeavor Flying hours.

The Movement

The Fastback GT Drift wandering hours was born of team collaboration with world-leading Swiss movement manufacturer, Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier. The module was manufactured by Vaucher and fit on top of a ETA 2824-2. The base movement provided the automatic winding reliability without the high cost of developing a completely in-house movement.

The downside to adding a heavier module to the small capacity movement, is a decrease in power capacity, to 36 hours on the 28,800 vph movement. There is little mention of the watch’s timekeeping, but it kept within reasonable limits during the loan period it was with us, and given the workhorse base movement, we are comfortable that it will keep good timing.

Concluding Thoughts

The Fastback GT Drift “Elise” is a limited edition of 350 pieces intended accessible to a new generation of watch collectors.

The watch does wear large, and has a distinctive presence due to the size, colour combination and the unusual display. Pricing and a rather reasonable given the complication, and we understand that there strong demand for these watches.