 Starting at $386 dollars for the standard Miyota powered version this new release which is currently live on Kickstarter has a ton of neat and geeky features for the watch enthusiast like myself. There is also infinite add-ons which include custom engraving, custom steel band, Sapphire caseback, and even a Launch into near Space which is filmed !  The case itself ( features Mars Dust at the 3:00 )comes in a black or silver orientation or copper / gold. It is moderately sized I think coming with 100M of water resistance with dimensions of 43MM x 12.6MM thick. The cases are all sandblasted and fitted with a genuine Sapphire crystal as well. The option for a titanium caseback and titanium bracelet are also available which literally gives you infinite options when it comes to customizing your Nasa timepiece, which I really dig. Basically, the more expensive swiss powered version is comprised of titanium whilst the 316L steel model is equipped with the Miyota calibre. So far so good no?   Movements Utilized  The movements incorporated are two movements I have had much experience with and are great base calibers. One being the Miyota 8 series which is reliable and has a decent power reserve of around 40 hours or so. It beats at 3HZ and is a movement that will last years to come without servicing or regular maintenace. On the more expensive side we have the Selitta SW caliber which is closely related to the ETA 2824 and is a very robust and durable swiss made automatic movement. It features hand winding, hacking seconds, and a 38 hour power reserve with a beat rate of 28,800 BPH. Personally, I would go for the SW200 Considering it is definitely a much higher quality movement in my eyes, but you will pay more.  Furthermore guys - This watch has ALOT to offer that other brands simply cannot offer the average watch enthusiast at a price below $900 or $400! They definitely went above and beyond then what most campaigns offer via watches on Kickstarter. I can definitely reccommend this one to my viewers as it is truly special and has infinite options for your customized personal NASA approved watch. Hope you guys enjoyed!
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 Case and DialThe new Nine Four Successor 2 is definitely a big improvement in 94s watch lineup. It features 3 of the most trending dial colors ( Salmon, Ice Blue, and Green ). The solid steel case has somewhat of a vintage feel to it and is nicely cut and finely brushed. This is a semi lugless design and really helps the watch hug the wrist nicely at 40MM wide with a case height of 44MM and a width of just 10MM. It features a sapphire crystal as well as anti reflective coating which helps with the legibility factor. The dial itself is really quite stunning and even more so in the metal. The textured dial with its sharp and circular cuts really make it look like nothing else out there on the microbrand scene. The markers and hand applied and filled with blue BGW9 Swiss Luminova allowing for an overall good legibility factor at night. It is a simple three handed layout with no date, which helps that itch for a perfectly symmetrical watch dial. One thing that I really approve of is the 100M of water resistance even though we do have a Pull/Push crown. It is really nice to to be able to wear your watch in the pool or at the beach without having to change it. Overall, Its a neat and well executed design which sits right at home on my average 6.5" wrist.     Movement 94 went with a higher grade movement this time around - That being the Miyota 9015 series. This movement beats at 4 hz ( 28,800 BPH ) unlike the NH35 utilized in the Successor initial models. It features a nice smooth sweep and in my opinion is a much more reliable and accurate movement than the NH35 series movements. We get all the goodies such as hand winding, hacking seconds, and 40 or so hours of power reserve. The watch also features a nice exhibition caseback to get a glimpse of the inner workings of your timepiece, which actually looks pretty good! Stainless Bracelet The bracelet is a solid brushed stainless steel H link style with a 20MM width at the lug. It has that kind of AP royal oak shine to it when the light hits it, and is easily adjustable. The clasp is a standard milled clssp and buckle with 3 micro adjustments, which I found to be ok especially for the introductory price of $329.00 for the Pre Order which started April 16th via their website. The brushing is decent, and it does not pull hair - so definitely very usable and goes well with the case styling as well. Conclusion - Overall ValueOverall, the Successor 2 I think has a lot to offer the watch enthusiast for the coin - We are getting all that we want for this price and a bit more with these hard to find colors and especially the unique textured dial it offers. For $329.00 many micros offer lower grade movements such as NH35s and Miyota 8215s being quite frank. I applaud a watch at this pricepoint which houses a 9015 and comes on a nicely executed bracelet, because in all honesty it is getting quite hard to find such specifications at this price range.   3/31/2022 0 Comments Marloe Watch Company Pacific 76 Watch Review - Swiss Made - More Than a Watch Itself... Case The Pacific series by Marloe watches , a UK based bespoke watch company and with a story behind it. The Pacific 76 is inspired by the dawn of the Jet Age - a time when only those with heavy pockets were able to fly worldwide and take advantage of global travel. You can see some of that design language in each of their models in the Pacific range. It itself is inspired by the Concord airplane which includes british colorway with navy blue and small red detailing. It has a refined elegance with its' tri finished 40MM case which stands 12MM tall with 100M of water resistance ( Would I take a watch this Pretty in the Pool? Idk.. ) . The lugs measure 20MM and the lug to lug distance is a satisfying 47MM which sits flush on my 6.5" wrist. The sides of the cases are semi hollowed with a frost finish, whilst the tops are polished and the side profile is brushed. The case shape itself is very unique and surprised me with its ends flairing upwards instead of downwards. The caseback is another first for me and I say this because it features a domed sapphire crystal implanted into the steel screwed on back, which is something you just don't see! And no, it does not wear uncomfortable because it is seated inside the metal allowing it to sit flat on the wrist. It also gives the mechanical movement a bit more of life as distortions can be seen at odd angles. Overall, the finishing is quite good as is the execution - which I would expect for a price of $1400 USD.   DIAL The blue dial is quite simple, yet very detailed with applied markers and numerals filled with blue lume. Marloe remains clean and subtle printed in white beneath the 12:00 while the small seconds sub dial features a radiant circular line pattern with a red seconds hand. To top it off they added a clean railroad track outer portion to keep accurate time and make timesetting easy. The hands themselves are legible and are colored with red and white at the tips to match the markers where you read the time. Its quite a good idea and something new, like I said - they always have interesting design language and that is what really separates them from the rest of the smaller watch brands out there today. They go their own way, and test the waters of the true watch enthusiast. MovementThe movement is mechanical, and its produced by Selitta - a good movement producer which produces Swiss Made automatic and mechanical movements. The movement had to be swiss considering this is a Swiss Made timepiece as marked at 6:00. Its a fairly standard and robust movement which boasts in robustness, accuracy, and longetivity. The SW-216-1 contains 24 Jewels , Hacking seconds, and a power reserve of 40 hours when fully wound at a beat rate of 28,800 BPH ( the same as an ETA-2824 ). They do state -8 +15 seconds per day which seems accurate as my model runs about +7-8 seconds fast oer day which is perfect and acceptable at this price range.  Leather Band Supplied ( One of Many Options )Now, on their website they have 8 band options to choose from for the 76...yes, 8. Its really great for the enthusiast to sort if customize their Pacific with the colors they want as each of us have different tastes. I myself prefer a black band with a blue dial do that is what I chose. The band is supple, comfy, and did not require a break in period. It also features a nice signed polished steel buckle and quick release bars, which are kind of the standard in 2022. Overall, its a decent quality band and will stay on the watch.    Furthermore....Furthermore, I think this offering is quite good in my opinion. It is a thought out piece - not one made to homage another watch or parts of a watch. It is a watch to pay tribute to the dawn of aviation and international airline travel. It is a watch which tells a story with all its' small details and carefully executed angles and looks. I really wish more brands would put this much effort into a watch release as Marloe does, because I have yet to come across a brand as thorough as them in the 7 years I have been reviewing timepieces. As for material and specifications - they are also in line with the complete package and I think the price is fair for what you are getting. Thanks for taking the time to read, and I will see you guys real soon!   5/20/2021 0 Comments Wise Hitman Dive Watch Review Wise is a small microbrand from Thailand that produces a couple different styles of dive watches and assembles each watch prior to shipping them to you - This model is priced at $328 USD , You can also watch the full youtube video on the Watch Addiction ChannelCase and Dial  The black dial on my sample is almost sunburst like and the green from the ceramic lumed bezel definitely shows on the dial in sunny conditions. The solid 316L stainless steel case measures 41 x 47 x 12.3MM thick. It is a nice size - especially for my 6.75 inch wrist. The 20MM lugs compliment the case size just fine which is nice to see. Changing straps on this model will be a breeze as there are limitless options when it comes to 20MM bands. The lume is strong as it should be with BGW9 on the applied markers and filled bezel. The markers seem very neat and are quite legible under the ar coated Sapphire crystal. Legibility is definitely not an issue on this 200M rated dive watch - Oh yeah! This watch can go diving with this rating and does feature a signed screw down crown and caseback as well.   Movement The NH35 is used in this watch which is pretty normal for micro brands as it is a workhorse movement snd usually functions with ease for many years. They are quite steady and accurate as you know by now. They do have the hand winding and hacking seconds that lacks in some of the Miyota branded movements. I think at this price it is doable and do not really have an issue with the NH35 TMI produced by Seiko. Bracelet The bracelet is a decent one. It is an oyster style bracelet with screw links and a simple two button push clasp which is milled. I actually prefer these simpler slimmer clasps over the large bulky ones we have seen used by other microbrands. They fit comfortable on my wrist and keeps the clasp in proportion to the actual size of the watch and case.    Conclusion Furthermore gents - the HITMAN is definitely a nice looking diver with some decent specifications for the price , However other brands out there are offering better specifications for the price , so it really is all up to the customer. I like the variety of bezels they do offer and the smooth brushed finishing of the case as well as the oyster bracelet which is quite comfortable. I am not so sure about the name HITMAN as this literally has nothing to do with a dive watch, but hey we all have our own opinions. However, if your in the market for a clean dive watch with good quality control and a decent oyster bracelet that is not a homage watch or replica watch like many brands offer - this can be a suitable option for you.
5/7/2021 0 Comments Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical H69439411 Watch Review - White Dial - the BEST watch under $400? Case and Dial The relatively new Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical Series by Swiss watchmaker Hamilton ( Swatch Group ), definitely hit a home run with this new field model which resembles an original Field watch from an era where Hamilton was actually an American company and produced numerous timepieces for the US army during the war. There is also the use of a nicely tuned mechanical movement for a longer power reserve, with a slower beat rate, and some nice strap options as well. Hamiltons best sellers are their field watches and I must say for the price ( Purchased at $328 from JomaShop Link Above^, It is a great watch! ) The solid 316L matt finished steel case has very traditional dimensions but does not really wear as small as they suggest. The case itself is 38MM / 9.6MM / 46.4MM Lug to Lug / 20MM Lug Width. The case is REALLY thin , and thats a good thing, as the originals were not that thick either. I love the fact that they added drilled lug holes for that vintage vibe and quick strap change accessibility. The dial is very a traditional field style and almost identical to the original field watches of World War II. It is meant to be extremely legible, crisp, and to the point. There is no need for a date when your in the trench timing mortars right? The off white dial is very nice looking and fits the patina liked triangles which are filled with C3 lume as eell as the hands. The long spear sweeping seconds hand reaches far out to the minute track allowing for precise second to second timekeeping. This IS actually a 2 piece case where the matt bezel is actually a part of the actual case itself, and then comes the screwed down brushed caseback for 50M of water resistance. The crown being traditional as well is a decent size with good grip and is Pull/Push. This is not a watch to go swimming with. Of course, mostly all Hamiltons come equipped with Sapphire crystals and the Khaki Field is no exception.    MovementPowering this bad boy is the all new Hamilton H-50 calibre which is a manual wound movement with a power reserve of 80 Hours - increased from your traditional 38-40 hours. The base movement is an ETA 2801-02 hand wound caliber with 17 Jewels beating at 3HZ or 21,600 BPH. Considering we get almost double the power reserve, the beat rate was slowed from 4 hz to : hz to achieve this. I generally do not have a problem with it as the power reserve on this thing is insane meaning I can put it down on Friday - Pick it back up on Monday and go to work without winding it. Accuracy so far is quite good at around 4-5 seconds gained per day. Nato BandThere are a few different band options for the Hamilton KF , but I chose the leather/nylon Hamilton band. It just fits the whole style and scheme of the watch perfectly in my opinion and with such a thin watch, it almost wears too thin on a leather band. The nato is definitely of good quality and very flexible so there is no break in period needed for this one.   ConclusionFurthermore, if you have around $350.00 to spend on a nice mechanical timepiece - this could possibly be your best best for good reason. First, your getting a watch that was actually used in a way by the army and in real tactical situation. Secondly, Hamilton has a large history and a great story behind the brand. Lastly, there are not many watches with Swiss on the dial, ETA movements, and Sapphire crystals from reputable watchmakers at this pricepoint. I am definitely loving mine and I think you would love it as well!    CaseThe relatively new to the turtle scene is the SRPC44 Golden Goose! This watch is identical to the former popular Seiko Prospex turtle line, but its painted in a gold coating/color. No, this is not real gold in any way and is just a coating of a gold color. The case 200M water resistance case measures 45MM across by 13MM thick with a pair of 22MM lugs. A nice little feature is the drilled lugs which made changing out straps that much easier, especially with those thick stock Seiko spring bars which can be a real pain sometimes to remove. In terms of finishing the gold is highly polished on each side while the top portion remains brushed just as every other Seiko turtle. It does fit nice on wrist and does wear smaller than its' dimensions suggest due to a short lug to lug width. It also features a steel screw sown caseback with the typical Seiko embossing. The crown on my example is located at the 4:00 which is very true to most seiko dive watches and actually threads very nicely and I didnt have an issue with this model unlike a few of the Seiko SKXs I have picked up over the years.    Dial and Lume The sunburst-like black dial features lumed Lumibrite markers and a very legible handset. The dial really does go well with the gold tone as well as the gold/black 120 Click bezel. Believe it or not...My bezel ligns up! I was quite surprised as most seiko divers from the Prospex line have misaligned chapter rings and bezels. Hence, one of the reasons many buyers opt out for other watches with good quality control and better specifications for the same money, such as the Oceanica Reef Dive watch. The bezel insert remains aliminum, so no ceramic upgrade yet - but it does operate fairly smooth with minimal backplay. Now the lume is always good with seiko models as they use their in house formulated Seiko Lumibrite which glows green in color and will last the night! ( well no Lume really lasts 9 hours but, it will last around 30 minutes before it fades.   Same Rubber Band BUT...Gold BuckleI really do like these Seiko silicone bands , as they are really really soft and conform perfectly to the wrist. There is absolutely no reason to swap this one out as it fits the aesthetic of this diver perfectly as well as my wrist. The buckle is also painted in gold to match the case, which you would expect at a price of around $400 for this Seiko diver.  MovementYep...Did you guess? It is using the Seiko 4R36 which is the Day/Date version of the seiko NH35A. This movement works, lasts a long time, is robust tough and fairly accurate within + or - 10 seconds usually out of the box. The movement is quite simple and beats at 3HZ , has hacking and hand wind with a quickset day and date function. ConclusionIf you are a true Seiko fan, and really want something out of the ordinary, or perhaps a "Blingy" turtle, perhaps this model is for you. I have even seen the new custom jubilee bands in full gold color which pair with these, and...it looks pretty good and bad at the same time. It is kind of like wearing a Michael Kors gold watch, but your wearing an actual decent entry level Seiko diver at the same time. I am not sure if these are for everyone, most definitely not for me as I would only wear a gold watch if it was actually gold, or atleast gold capped with real gold material. But, as I have always said we all have different tastes :)    |
