While perhaps not all good things must come to an end, a one-week watch review by its very nature must ; )
I have spent the last seven days with the Islander Astoria Automatic, and it has been a revelatory experience. Most of you familiar with Islander watches will know that it is sometimes thought of as the "house brand" for Long Island Watch, a very well-established e-commerce watch seller. But what you then also probably know is that the owner, Marc Frankel, is one of the most perspicacious chroniclers of watches around through his You Tube presence. He is also more than a bit of a rock star with watch collectors. Think I'm exaggerating? Go to the Wind Up Watch Fair in NYC from the 16 - 18 of this month. Try to get close enough to say hello and shake hands. You will be battling a scrum of fans and well-wishers. Yes, he is that popular. But one other thing about Marc - he is actually as nice and engaging as advertised. But I've already gone a bit off topic, so back to the matter at hand.
Back at the turn of the last century, there was a bit of a fascination with tounneau (that's barrel for you non-francophones out there) style watch cases. You might recall they were the calling card for one Franck Muller watches. But even at the more pedestrian levels they were a hot item. And the tounneau bug first bit me when I clapped eyes on the Tissot Porto. Actually, that is only half true. I encountered the Porto's older sister, the Lisboa while transiting (as I did about 5 times a year) through Kastrup airport in Copenhagen either on my way back home to Helsinki, or to London for business. It was a classic looking watch with a twist on a tank style. But it fell out of production before I could pull the trigger, and this was when Ebay was in its infancy. So the Porto really came out just in time for me.
The pros of the Porto - design clues consistent with Franck Muller's big-boy tonneau.
The cons (and sorry Tissot, there were several) - the case was waaaaay too big. Also easily scratched. But into the bargain the case felt "tinny", not the sort of gravitas you expected for the size. The self-winding movement was more than okay. But in truth, I never fuly warmed to it. It was too big and felt a little "thirsty" as it was a dead ringer for it's more expensive competitor.
Now in fairness, that was 25 years ago. And tempus has clearly fugited since then.
And that is why I was so interested when I stumbled across the Islander Astoria Automatic on my Instagram feed.
So now that we've completed more than enough preamble, let's get down to the review.
The case, while smaller than my star-crossed Tissot Porto falls into my "Goldilocks" category of just right. It measures 34 mm in diameter, and is 37 mm on the vertical scale. It's total lug to lug is a very harmonious 44.2 mm.
The case back is solid, and in truth, I am so tired of looking at plain, undecorated movements I prefer it this way. But the case back also has a visual story to impart. The engraving is a rendering of Steinway Manor which is located in Astoria - hence the name.
The edges are smooth, not sharp, the fit is comfortable, and the size of the watch will be a good fit for most of the folks out there.
The dial is another nice touch. The texture and pattern add depth to the watch face as a whole, and the use of 4 roman numerals (at 12, 3, 6, and 9) is nicely complimented by indices to complete the whole.
The movement is Miyota's 9055 (no date). The time keeping has been solid, and I only needed one time correction over the course of this review week.
The setting and winding was smooth. The crown bears the Islander logo, and is smooth to the touch, yet tactile at the same time.
The strap's lug width is 18 mm, tapering down to 16 mm at the clasp, which also bears the Islander logo.
The strap is made of fabric with a leather backing. And this would really be my only critique. The quality and comfort are there, and I ALWAYS appreciate quick springs. But I would have probably preferred all leather. That's just little me, we all have our preferences. With that being said, it looks quite smart and as mentioned is comfortable to wear all day.
The dial and hands are lumed, and in all honesty, I am glad that they are. It is a subtle application that does not overwhelm, but rather enhances the watch's aesthetics. And there is one fun little Easter egg. If you look closely at the Roman numeral at 6 o'clock, you will notice that the right half of the V in the VI is actually the world ISLANDER printed out ; )
Now ultimately, inevitably, we have to talk about price. The Islander Astoria is priced at $359! That is a lot of wrist-bound-time-machine goodness for not a lot of money!
And while I personally love the pink, there are still two other color possibilities out there for you if pink is not your jam.
So, from your pal Henki's perspective, this is a wonderful watch at a very, very aggressive price. It is well finished, performs well, and truthfully? It gave me joy to wear. As mentioned previously, the only thing I would change is the strap, but that is it.
Should you wish to do some further research, here are the pertinents, straight from Islander:
Movement: Miyota 90S5 Hi-Beat Automatic (self-winding, hand wind, hacks)
Case: Stainless Steel
Case Diameter: 34mm
Case Height: 9.2mm
Case Lug to Lug: Stainless steel, 34mm x 37mm, 9.2mm thick, 44.2mm lug to lug
Case Back: Solid etched caseback held with screws
Crystal: Sapphire
Band: Leather backed fabric, quick release, 18mm
Band Width: 18mm
Water Resistance: 50 meters
Weight: 53 grams
Warranty: 1 year
