Richard LeGrand Odyssea MK II Dive Watch Review - Affordable 200M Dive Watch

Today gents I have in for review a very nice looking and capable dive watch from a new microbrand called Richard LeGrand. They are based out of Asia and from what I can see so far, are producing affordable automatic dive watches with quality components. Lets dive in!

Packaging

The Odyssea came well packed from DHL within 2 days in a nice size leather type box on a cushion inside. The watch was also well wrapped with plastic protecting the bracelet. I am one not to care too much for boxes but all in all it is a decent box.

Case

Getting to this 316L solid brushed stainless steel case we have an awesome watch addict lovable size of 41MM across minus the crown. The case has chamfered edges along the 20MM lugs with a high polish accompanied by a 90 Click Uni Directional dive bezel with a Sapphire insert. The use of such materials as Sapphire in the bezel shows the quality and extra effort shown when producing this value packed watch. There is a nice thick coin edge for a secure grip on the bezel which I have had no problem getting a hold of at any angle. In terms of the bezel action it is slightly tooly with solid precision clicks and no alignment issues at all. The play is very minimal and comparable to the play of my Seiko Turtle SRP777. The actual thickness of the piece is piece is 13MM with a reasonable lug to lug distance of 47 that allows it to wear like a 40MM watch because the lugs are not all that long. Over at 3:00 the Mid sized screw down signed “RL” crown lies solo without crown guards, resembling a vintage dive watch way back. This screw down crown and caseback gives us 200M of true water resistance making this a capable tool dive watch that can be used for any type of water activity including diving of course.

The solid stainless steel caseback is engraved with a raised beautiful anchor and vintage diving helmet.

​Dial

You may have noticed from the picture the Sunburst effect on this black dial. The dial is made of black Ceramic which is another power hit in the value section of the Odysseaa. In the direct light this thing really gives off colorful hues of black and dark grey. On top of the dial lays a slightly domed AR coated Sapphire crystal for increased legibility in high light conditions. The configuration is quite simple with a very symmetrical dial ( thank god for no date! ) containing numerals 12-3-6-9 with rectangle markers in between. All of these markers are lumed as well as the Sapphire bezel with BGW9 Blue lume which slightly resembles Rolex Chromalight in terms of color. The lume isnt Seiko strong but it is definitely pretty good and visible at night and lasts some time.

The long pointed seconds hand has nice lume applied as well as the hands which are quite long, and that is something I enjoy on dive watches because I can easily glance at the watch and tell the time.

​Movement

The automatic self winding 24 jewel NH35 movement resides inside the Odyssea which is a standard movement for a tool dive watch at this price point. This movement is seen in many watches and I have reviewed tons of watches with this movement through the years. I have yet to see an NH35 fail on me , so yes they are reliable, trustworthy, and most importantly get the job done. The movement beats at 3 HTZ or 21,600 BPH and mine on the timegrapher has been gaining around 4 seconds a day. Hacking seconds and hand wind capability is a big win over the Miyota 8215.

Strap Options - Bracelet or Rubber?

The watch comes equipped on a solid stainless steel bracelet with solid end links. This watch is using pins holding together the links which I am not so fond of but at this price I will have to settle. The actual quality of the bracelet is very good and even includes a milled polished clasp with a two-button signed deployant. There are 4 micro adjustments for a comfortable fit. Let me also remind you that this bracelet can accomodate larger wrists and there is plenty of room for 8.5” wrists and above. With the supplied spring bar tool and set of spring bars Richard LeGrand also includes a silicone strap if you wish to swap straps, which is a good idea for summertime use. The bracelet is fluid enough and feels of decent quality for $300 and I would not rush to change straps, atleast for me,

Conclusion

The Odyssea mark II offers a lot for the money, there is no doubting that. It certainly is not a luxury watch but contains some luxury components along with some hints from historic watches from the past. At $299 it will be hard to find another micro brew offering with this level of sophistication, quality, finish, and extras. I think with the sunburst ceramic dial, NH35 automatic movement, Sapphire crystal and bezel, you will have a hard time finding a better set of specs for the coin. I have also left a link to RLG and my hands on YouTube review below. Thanks for reading, and may your journey be a pleasant one.

Richard Le Grand Website
https://www.richardlegrand.com/