Blog Archives

4/28/2018 0 Comments

Swatch “Scuba Libre” Watch Review - A Playful Beach watch with water resistance

Swatch is well known for producing fun-type watches that are suitable for everyday casual wear, collectible, and fashionable at the same time. I cannot tell you how many editions of Swatch Swiss watches have been released over the years because there are far too many. Many collectors of Swatch watches have seen rising values in certain rare limited edition models, but the Scuba Libre is not one of them. I purchased this watch from JomaShop ( Link Below ) and today were going to talk about it a bit as it is my first Swatch since I was a very young boy at the age of 8.

Case

The plastic case on this 44MM wide watch is certainly light and that is one thing I took notice of. You cannot compare the weight to a stainless steel watch or even titanium to the Scuba Libre, even though it is one of the larger Swatch produced pieces. We have a small mineral crystal which is surrounded by a rather bold 60 click bi directional rotating bezel. The bezel is plastic as well in a matte plastic while the rest of the case is “brushed”. In terms of thickness we are looking at 16.6MM which is quite thick in all honesty. The height of the libre or “Lug 2 Lug” measures a decent 49MM which helps it wear a MM smaller or so with the 44MM case.

Dial

The dial of the Libre is actually quite small on this black/white edition due to the large oversized bezel. It does feature lume which glows green and it actually isnt too bad for a $80 Swatch ( Lume Show Below ). We have Swatch and Swiss printed in white below the 12:00 position, a large arrow pointed seconds hand which reaches the markers very nicely for easy legibility while the hands are quite thick and bold to match the bezel I assume.

Movement

The Quartz movement which powers this watch is unknown to me and there seems to be no information I can find out about it. I do believe it is some type of Swiss variant quartz movement because we do not get hacking when the crown is fully pulled out to the time set position which is a bit of a letdown, especially for a quartz watch. I would say Swatch was thinking “Fashion over Function” here. A nice feature is the easy battery change capability on the caseback which literally allows you to swap batteries within seconds.

WATER RESISTANCE - YES!

The main reason I chose the Scuba Libre over some other closely priced Swatch watches is due to the actual water resistance. Swatch states this model is 200M water resistance which means you can take this thing in the pool, ocean, or even shallow diving. The crown is Pull/Push but I assume there is a decent gasket beneath the crown. Many Swatch watches are not water resistant which is a bummer but this one is certainly a capable one.

Strap

The strap supplied is a black silicone strap with white going down the middle to match the overall black/white cookie aesthetic here. The strap is super comfortable and is not a stiff one indeed. At the end of the strap is the classic Swatch plastic buckle which the strap goes under and then is held securely by a silicone holster. One thing to keep in mind is that these straps are only meant for Swatch watches as the connection point is slotted.

Conclusion

The Swatch “Scuba Libre” is not a serious watch, nor a collectors dream watch in any way. This watch is meant to be fun and good for light water activities. For example, If I were to go to the beach am I really going to wear a Rolex or a Omega when I can simply throw my Scuba Libre on and have just as a good time without worrying if my watch will get damaged due to the rough waters here in New York beaches. Now if I were in Delray beach or West Palm, Is probably wear my Rolex Submariner to the beach. Anyway, this watch is certainly a fun new addition to my collection and now has me thinking...Should I buy another Swatch?! They are so cool!

Click to Purchase a Scuba Libre

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073ZKBMZ5/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B073ZKBMZ5&linkCode=as2&tag=wataddyoucha-20&linkId=67e84cb5aed3b3968bd2dde546127757

0 Comments

4/24/2018 4 Comments

STOWA Antea Klassik 365 Automatic Watch Review - A taste of German Watchmaking and History

Today fellow watch enthusiasts we are going to take a look at a traditional german watchmaker by the name
of STOWA ( Schto-Va ). Stowa has been around a very long time and you might have seen their famous pilot flieger watches during the world war 2 era but this model dates way back to 1937. This was a time when watches were generally smaller, mechanical as a standard, and in my opinion had a bit more class and elegance.

History behind the Antea 365

Original 1937 Stowa Antea Bauhaus

The Antea Klassik 365 has been produced by STOWA since 1937, and at that time the “Bauhaus” design was relatively a new concept. Bauhaus style watches are generally simple, clean, elegant, and very traditional in look and size. The original design has not changed much and stays true to form as you can reference to the picture above. The design of the dials came from Weber & Baral, a german dial factory located in Pforzheim. Popular german watchmaker A. Lange Sohne actually produced the first style back in 1937 not too far from Stowa’s production ( picture below ) using the same exact dial manufacturer. In 2004 Stowa CEO Jörg Schauer re introduced the Antea line to the public, and in 2015 he updated the model a bit with designer Hartmut Esslinger which appeared a bit more fresh and modern while still utilizing the original bauhaus font.

( Original Dials from Weber and Baral )

( A Gold Antea Model from Stowa 1930s )

Case

The 316L solid stainless steel polished case measures 36.5MM in diameter and and 9.2MM in height or thickness and certainly feels of quality upon first impressions. These dimensions are very traditional and certainly pay tribute to the older Antea models. Keep in mind the watch is also available in larger sizes as well. The lug to lug measures 18MM wide and features drilled lug holes which is a nice touch. This makes it a breeze to swap out straps daily if you love doing that as much as I do. In terms of finishing we get an almost mirror high polish finish which looks excellent and certainly no corners were cut on the finishing. This is a 3 piece case design containing the exhibition caseback, the case, and the bezel. This case is very circular in shape with longer thin lugs which help give the watch a bit of flare and substance and also it wears slightly bigger than a standard 36MM timepiece which is a good thing for me. The lug to lug distance comes in at a modest 45.6MM which wears more modern due to the long thin lugs. This watch can certainly be felt while the flat case rests beautifully on the wrist at a weight
of 52 Grams with the supplied cow leather strap. If you are afraid of getting the Antea wet while washing your hands or perhaps it starts to rain I would not be worried as it has a 50 Meter or 5 ATM water resistance rating. Although this certainly
is not a watch to submerge in the water or use for daily water activities. The pull/push crown is small
in size to match the case and is signed with the traditional STOWA logo.

Dial

The Silver coated dial screams of pure class and elegance and almost appears an off white to the eye at a quick glance. A inner anti reflective coated sapphire crystal covers the dial. Bauhaus design and Stowa tradition are also exemplified wonderfully here with the thin black printed Stowa below 12:00 down to the thin numerals surrounding the dial and the markings as well. A date aperture matching the dial can be seen at the 6:00 position and is definitely legibile with the black numbers against the Silver coated bauhaus dial. One of the nice things about Stowa is they also use thin and long heat treated blue hands on this model which is a lengthy process and most often seen in luxury watchmaking.

Movement

The model I have contains a top end Swiss Made ETA 2824-2 automatic self-winding movement containing 25 jewels. I assume most of you are familiar with this reliable, easy to service, and fairly accurate movement. Stowa also adds their own custom made rotor and heat treated blue screws for a bit of visual excitement and luxury. You can expect around 42 hours of power reserve and +5 seconds a day which is certainly good enough for me. The movement is also visible through a sapphire exhibition caseback held on by screws with a high polish and technical specification engraved around.

Strap

Stowa’s ANTEA model came supplied with a genuine cow leather strap which is 18MM tapering down to
16MM. I definitely can smell the difference and feel the softness
of this cut when compared to say “Genuine Leather”. There is no need for a break-in period and it conforms straight out of the box. The strap is configured with a dual button butterfly clasp and a Signed yet Small and minimalist signed buckle. The underside is in an off white color with contract stitching and embossed “STOWA”.

Conclusion

While there are certainly other watchmakers in todays time producing Bauhaus style watches, Stowa is one with real history and root in the beginning of the Bauhaus era and I must give them credit for that. They never cease to amaze me with their beautiful watches whether it be a Klassik Flieger which I previously reviewed or this more minimalist Bauhaus ANTEA model. They do not cut corners and offer a good value for your money from what I have experienced so far. This exact model configured sells for 857.14 EURO direct from STOWA ( Link Below ) and in all honesty I believe this is a fair price for buying into a piece of German Watchmaking history. I hope you
enjoyed this article and please do drop me a comment with your personal thoughts below.

Link Takes you to STOWA
Learn more about the ANTEA 365
https://bit.ly/2KkN5Fd

4 Comments

4/18/2018 2 Comments

APH Toscano Vesuvio Watch Review - Italian Inspiration and a unique design!

“Past Meets Present”

The brand APH TOSCANO was born in Canada with large inspiration from italian culture ( Naples ) and heritage. APH stands for the creators name Andre Peter Harris Toscano. That’s a long name right , haha Fuhgeddaboutit. Their first debut model is certainly one to catch the eye as it is 100% its’ own thing and has a crown at the 12:00 and the 6:00 which makes it very unique and captivating. This model manufactured in Switzerland is dubbed the “Vesuvio” and named after one of the most infamous Volcanoes which in fact destroyed Pompeii, Herculaneum , and so on. The watch also has design inspiration and roots from Napoli, Italy.

Case

The case of the Vesuvio measures in at 42MM in diameter and 13MM in terms of thickness. The case is comprised of solid 316L brushed stainless steel and features a 49MM Lug to Lug distance with a 24MM lug width. The crystal on this model is indeed a genuine sapphire crystal with Anti-Reflective coating which does help from my experience in the brightest times of day when glare from the sun is beaming down on your watch. In regards to water resistance, the piece has a 300M rating which is superb and can definitely be used for all types of water activities, including diving. The case is definitely one that took time to design and plan out as there are nice curves with flat and round surfaces which makes this watch look a bit like a “Fancy Diver”. Having said that the watch can definitely be worn for many occasions and I think you can pull it off with a suit or with a pair of shorts or jeans.

The Two Crowns

If you have not noticed by now this watch features two screw down crowns. The crown at the 12:00 position is used for functioning the hour, minutes, and date which is located at the 6:00 in a black window with white numbers to match the markers and black dial. The second crown located at 6:00 is screwed down as well and used for operation of the internal bi directional rotating bezel for timing a dive or whatever it may be up to 60 minutes. These types of internal bezels were first seen on very old compressor style dive watches and I do adore them. We do not have to worry about any bezel alignment issues here, gentlemen. A good note to mention is the crowns stay completely away from the wrist and you wouldnt notice they are there until you actually look at the watch. A hint of italian culture is signed on both of these crowns as well; they are marked with the Denari symbol which originates from old Neopolitan playing cards and symbolizes “Money”.

Dial

The black dial almost appears glossy a bit in different lighting conditions due to the AR coating on the crystal and features applied indices with strips of SuperLuminova with polished silver outlining. The numerals on the internal bezel which sits above the actual dial matches the markers perfectly in whitish color. One thing that caught my eye is the lumed rotating bezel, making it super easy to set in the dark. APH is applied in a polished silver while Toscano is printed in cursive below it. We have three lines of text above 6:00 which shows “Vesuvio” in red, “Swiss Made”, and 300M marking the water resistance. The date aperture at 6:00 is not super bold but still has good visibility and matches the dial as the date wheel is black and the numerals are white.

Movement

APH decided to use the popular Swiss Made Ronda 715 quartz movement in this model. This movement is widely used in the swiss watchmaking industry by other brands I have reviewed such as Victorinox ( Victorinox INOX ). It is a reliable one and certainly will last you a lifetime. If this watch were to have a ETA-2824 or a Selitta the pricepoint would definitely be double what it is now, which would be out of range for many watch enthusiasts.

Caseback “Danali”

The caseback is brushed in a circular pattern which I love because as the light hits it, it gleams all over the place. There are 6 screws holding down the caseback which are small in size and stay out of the way. There is also a large Danali symbol in the center, the same one we see on both screw down crowns.

Strap

The first thing I noticed when unboxing this timepiece was the soft and supple genuine rubber strap ( this is not silicone ), The strap needs no break in at all and certainly conformed to my wrist which is a must for me! It has a pattern almost similiar to that of the Patek Aquanaut but not as pronounced. The buckle is signed again with the Danali and brushed in 316L steel. ( 24MM Strap Tapers Down to 20MM )

Conclusion

The Vesuvio certainly resembles Italian design in a way and stays true to its creators which is a good thing in todays microbrand industry as many are quick to create lies about inspirations and cultures they have never experienced before. It is indeed a piece that may not to be of everyones liking due to the overall double crown aesthetic, but once in hand and on the wrist , It certainly is a pleasure to wear. The watch is a real Swiss Made watch and has that overall Swiss feeling at a pricepoint of $499 USD. I believe 200 units were created and they are available from APH TOSCANO on the webstore ( Link Below ), Id love to hear my readers thoughts and opinions on this model so please do not hesitate to drop a comment below. Thanks for taking the time to read this, and if you are Italian “Grazie Mille”!

www.ToscanoWatch.com

2 Comments

4/14/2018 1 Comment

Nordgreen 2 handed Minimalist Watch from Copenhagen - The Next Daniel Wellington?

Nordgreen has successfully funded their kickstarter campaign exceeding their own expectations and did fairly well. They are a micro brand based out of Copenhagen, Denmark and are producing simple, clean, minimalist style quartz watches with some really nice strap options to choose from. Today we will discuss the Nordgreen Native model in a 40MM stainless steel case. They do offer other options and styles such as 36MM, and 38MM cases in this model. The watches are designed in Scandinavia and shipped from Copenhagen.

Case

The 40MM case on the Native is comprised of 316L polished Stainless Steel coated in rose gold all around and is rather slim at an incredible 7.1MM. The overall case shape is round with short lugs protruding from the case. The lug width measures 20MM which is certainly fitting for these overall dimensions. The case was designed by Jakob Wagner, not that I know who that is but I am sure a simple google search would be suffice. Anyway, the case is clean with a decent mirror polish finish and I do not see any blemishes or anything of that sort. The caseback is fitted with a Pop-On style caseback which holds the Battery and Quartz movement that powers this 2 handed quartz timepiece. We also do get a pull/push crown with 30 Meters of water resistance, signed caseback with logo, and a signed crown. So far so good, let us get on to the Dial and aesthetic.

Dial

Stainless Steel Version on Left - Rose Gold Version Right*

This 40MM Native model has probably one of the simplest and cleanest dials you can have on a watch. We have two hands, one hour hand and one minute hand. There are also applied indices going around this circular white dial. Below the 12:00 is the Nordgreen logo which in all honesty looks really good and definitely exemplifies the style of watches they are making. The hour markers are applied as well and seem to be pretty neatly done with no error. Let us move on to the movement!

Movement

The Native is sporting a very simple, reliable, and practical Japanese Quartz 2 handed movement. These movements typically last around 2 years with their battery life, and gain around 5 seconds a month. Need I say more?

Strap Options

Smooth Black Leather Steel on Top
Rose Gold Embossed Leather Bottom

I believe one of the strongest points of these watches are their genuine leather straps. They certainly do the wrist justice and are quite supple and do not require much of a break-in period I have found. I have experienced the straps similar brands such as Daniel Wellington use and these are certainly more comfortable and don't literally hurt the wrist right out of the box. They are also equipped with a stainless steel polished buckle and signed with the Nordgreen logo. Another note is the size of the buckle because some companies definitely throw on an oversized buckle which makes the watch hard to wear and often the buckle will stick out in a weird position when fitted on the wrist. But they did a great job with this minimalist size buckle and it does fit the 20MM ( tapers to 18MM ) strap great. Good Job Nordgreen! ( Steel Mesh also Available as well as other color leathers )

Pricing

The pricing for this model is $200 USD , but I believe they are running a special 15% off if you check their website which would lower the price a bit more. Overall, this is rather lower than some of the other equivalent brands in this market. I think the price is fair and if you are a fashion/trendy man or simply want a watch that looks good, will work without hesitation, and does not break the bank, the Nordgreen could be an option to consider for yourself.

https://nordgreen.co.uk/
( Official Website )

1 Comment

4/7/2018 2 Comments

Oceanica Reef Automatic Dive Watch

NOW LIVE ON KICKSTARTER MAY 10TH 2019! EARLY BIRD SLOTS AVAILABLE AT $199.99 SHIPPED WORLDWIDE!

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE

History

Oceanica is a brand new microbrand to hit the scene in 2018 with their first release dubbed the “REEF”. It is a tool dive watch with some exceptional water resistance and certainly pays tribute to vintage seiko dive watches.

Case

The 44MM in diameter cushion case is certainly
extremely comfortable on my 6.5 inch wrist with the rubber 20MM dive style strap supplied. It is also comprised of 316L surgical grade stainless steel. The sides are highly polished and I do not see any mistakes there and looks fairly good for a $300 dive watch. The tops of the lugs and case are finely brushed and keep in tune with the style of dive watch seiko produced in the 70s. The caseback is signed “OCEANICA” with their really cool and detailed shark logo and is finely polished as well.

Movement

The Reef is equipped with a Seiko NH35 automatic self winding caliber. This movement is a dependable and trustworthy workhorse. I have experienced over 100 watches during my time with this caliber and not once have encountered a technical issue. This model is keeping around +4 seconds a day consistently which is superb! The movement has hacking, hand winding, and 40 hours of power reserve while 24 jewels reside under the caseback as well. This is a great choice of movement and I am glad they went with this over a Miyota 8 series because those for the most part are god aweful movements.

Dial

The dial on the Reef is fairly simple and stays true in the historical aspect of the Seiko 6105 dive watch. We get our stop light style seconds hand, applied lumed markers with C3 SuperLuminova. We also get a beautiful Domed Double Anti Reflective coated genuine sapphire crystal. The Reef logo is printed to look vintage as it is semi faded in a way and I think it matches the black/red oceanica logo just fine. We have a date aperture at 3:00 with quicket and is certainly legibile. The lume is spectacular on this model and I was not surprised because C3 superluminova is bright and does the job well! On top of this sapphire resides the 90 Click unidirectional dive bezel with aluminum insert and lumed pip.

Straps

Now here is the great part about Oceanica as a value oriented company. The watch comes supplied with a great robust and flexible rubber 20MM strap with polished 316L hardware. Now heres the kicker, they also come with one of those high end luxury seatbelt style NATO straps for free. These straps cost about $25-$30 USD from competitors using the same exact nylon and strap. I thought this was really nice of them to do this and the strap looks and feels great on this 44MM case.

Conclusion

( For their official website and store please visit www.OceanicaWatches.com )

Furthermore my fellow Watch Addicts, this watch certainly plays a role in my collection as a tribute to the past and replaces my need to buy a Seiko 6105 which will have tons of problems down the road without replaceable parts, and cost me almost $2,000 USD. The watch is comfy, is great for everyday wear, and fits like a glove. I reccommend you check this one out fairly quick if you have an interest as Oceanica only produced 50 of these pieces for their first run hence “Limited Edition” printed at the 6:00. You can check out my full video review on YouTube below as well. Be well my friends!

2 Comments

YOUR CART

Swatch “Scuba Libre” Watch Review - A Playful Beach watch with water resistance

​Case

Dial

Movement

​WATER RESISTANCE - YES!

Strap

Click to Purchase a Scuba Librehttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073ZKBMZ5/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B073ZKBMZ5&linkCode=as2&tag=wataddyoucha-20&linkId=67e84cb5aed3b3968bd2dde546127757​

STOWA Antea Klassik 365 Automatic Watch Review - A taste of German Watchmaking and History

History behind the Antea 365

Case

​Dial

Movement

Strap

Conclusion

Link Takes you to STOWA Learn more about the ANTEA 365 https://bit.ly/2KkN5Fd

APH Toscano Vesuvio Watch Review - Italian Inspiration and a unique design!

“Past Meets Present”

Case

The Two Crowns

Dial

Movement

Caseback “Danali”

Strap

Conclusion

www.ToscanoWatch.com

Nordgreen 2 handed Minimalist Watch from Copenhagen - The Next Daniel Wellington?

Case

Dial

Movement

Strap Options

Pricing

Oceanica Reef Automatic Dive Watch

NOW LIVE ON KICKSTARTER MAY 10TH 2019! EARLY BIRD SLOTS AVAILABLE AT $199.99 SHIPPED WORLDWIDE!​

History

Case

Movement

Dial

Straps

Conclusion

( For their official website and store please visit www.OceanicaWatches.com )

Archives

Case

WATER RESISTANCE - YES!

Click to Purchase a Scuba Libre

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073ZKBMZ5/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B073ZKBMZ5&linkCode=as2&tag=wataddyoucha-20&linkId=67e84cb5aed3b3968bd2dde546127757

Dial

Link Takes you to STOWA
Learn more about the ANTEA 365
https://bit.ly/2KkN5Fd

NOW LIVE ON KICKSTARTER MAY 10TH 2019! EARLY BIRD SLOTS AVAILABLE AT $199.99 SHIPPED WORLDWIDE!