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8/17/2020 1 Comment

Oceanica Stingray Watch Review - Best Affordable Dive Watch of 2020

Case

The all new stunning and impressively built $239 Stingray is housed in a 41MM diameter stainless steel brushed case with 200M of water resistance making this one a true tool dive watch! It really is well finished and punches way above most other microbrands in terms of case quality, cut, and finishing. To my belief most brands with this type of quality charge upwards of $350 USD and up for this type of work, but not Oceanica, making this really a bargain. It is sad that most will never seem to realize that though! The lug to lug is 47MM whole the lugs are 22MM and the thickness at 12.5MM. One of the impressive areas is also the embossed custom designed by owner Caseback of a stingray swimming in the Ocean. It really is very detailed and perfect down to the details. The sides of the case are finely brushed with lug guards and a signed shark screw down crown.

Dial

There are two Sunburst dial options for the Stingray and possibly more if they reach 50,000 in funds. These are black and a nice blue which changes hues indoors and outdoors. The ceramic lumed 120 Click bezels are also very solid with satisfaction at each click and a luxury feel. The custom bezel contains good traction for your fingers at all angles, and easy to grip. The dial itself contains orange and red/white colours depending on the dial you choose and a nice arrow seconds hand. The indices themselves and hand applied and bordered with a polished silver border, making them pretty easy to read, as a diver should be. We get a domed sapphire crystal which feels tough, as the watch does with five layers of under anti reflective blue coating.

Movement Automatic

The seiko NH35A automatic movement is utilized here with a beat rate of 21,600 and 24 jewels. It has about a 40 hour power reserve when fully wound and also features hacking , self winding via crown. This is a well known movement and a tough robust one , a good choice for a tough automatic diver. Generally speakong these are usually accurate within 5-10 seconds a day and require little to no maintenance.

H-Link Style Bracelet

I really dig this bracelet, its the same bracelet actually seen on some microbrands that charge around $600 for their watches which I find funny. The custom clasp contains six micro adjustments making it possible for a perfect fit without a quick adjust. The clasp also contains the oceanica logo and a flip over lock with two button eject. Its a comfortable bracelet , and even has solid end links which match the case perfectly. Adjusting this one was a breeze with screws on one side and I removed four links for my 6.5" wrist.

Conclusion

Furthermore, the STINGRAY definitely has features and characteristics seen at much much higher price ranges in microbrand watches. They honestly should
of charged atleast $300 for this one. Well, the value goes to the customer I assume! It really is a great looking multi situational diver which has superb qualities in every aspect. You wont find an area where they skimped on- The bracelet is stellar as well as the caseback and case / dial / lume. I think they knocked this onw out of the park and hope to see more from this young brand which emerged in 2018. If I were you I would reserve one on their Kickstarter as they usually sell out instantly or within days of releasing them on the website...from past experiences.

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8/17/2020 2 Comments

Nine Four Watches Review - Successor Automatic

Today, we come back to the 94 SUCCESSOR , a watch we had the privilege of taking a look at during their prototype stage. The watch is now ready for sale and available via their webshop linked below. Let us see how it came out!
Some Updates:
( Better Lume )
( Applied Logo )

Nine Four Webshop

Case

The successor is most definitely a good size, one that can accompany wrists of all sizes in this modern era of slimming down, the solid 316L stainless steel case is for the most part brushed, without error. In terms of measurements it comes in at a very impressive 10.5MM thick with a diameter of 40MM. Looking at lug to lug distance is comes in at around 49MM due to those end curves and integrated bracelet adding a MM or two. The watch definitely wears like a smaller 40MM watch due to that integrated AP style bracelet, and it hugs the wrist very nicely. One thing I really adore is the 100 Meters of water resistance, making this a water capable watch to swim with or even shower with if you please. It seems most watches with this design cue seem to be 50M water resistant, so the 94 successor definitely has an advantage there. The caseback is screwed down with simple specification and a polished brim whilst the signed crown is pull/push. The crown is small enough to match the case dimensions, but doesn't effect the use of it - it is still easy to manipulate and grasp. Overall, its a nice slim fit that can definitely be dressed up or down - whichever may suit your lifestyle.

Dial

The Black dial variant I chose is my favorite over the blue Plank styled dial options they offer in this series. Black and steel just seem to fit perfect together in my watchgeek mind. We have a rather simple dial, but very symmetrical at the same time with applied lumed markers and shark lume filled hands. The applied 94 logo is applied below 12:00 whilst automatic is printed above 6:00. They were going for an overall clean and uncluttered dial, as a watch of this style should be - and I think they knocked it out of the park. Some brands seem to print too much information making the watch a bit too cluttered and annoying, which I do not really enjoy...I prefer a clean piece that I can quickly glance at the time without being distracted by useless text I already know about watch. All of this sits below a nice sapphire crystal with very good AR coating as it does not really show much glare.

Movement

The movement used in this model is the same as the prototype I reviewed a while back, it is the infamous NH35A automatic movement produced in house by powerhouse watch manufacturer Seiko. This movement is reliable, fairly accurate, contains all the extras we watch fans want - and helps keep the price at a level where our wives will be happy..The movement features Hacking seconds, Winding via Crown, 40 Hours of Power Reserve, and a beat rate of 21,600 BPH. I have a lot of experience with this movement and I can say myself that they are extremely tough, robust, and can go years upon years without a service.

Integrated Bracelet

The integrated bracelet really completes this Genta-Ish design they went for, and without it..I dont think the watch would look complete. It features a brushed finish with pins to adjust for a clean fit. I also do enjoy the butterfly clasp and clean look it displays when on wrist. I, myself found it to be quite comfortable and did not have an issue. It doesnt pull hairs or annoy my wrist , which is always a good thing! With all that being said, this bracelet will have to be used with this watch, but I am assuming at some point they may release an integrated rubber band or leather band to accompany it as many companies do. Otherwise, I dont have a problem myself using the bracelet as it is finished well without any sharp edges and conforms and articulates nicely for comfort.

Conclusion

Furthermore, the Successor is definitely a competitor in its' space - it has all the goodies we watch enthusiasts strive to search for when choosing a watch below $300 USD. We get a robust and accurate caliber, great lume, Sapphire crystal, and a clean symmetrical dial with great legibility. There is really nothing not to like about this watch, and If I were you I would definitely look into the brand and see for yourself. I do wonder what this Milwaukee based brand has planned for the future and I with them the best of luck!