The 164 Fathoms

From Octopus Watches -

Courtesy of Octopus Watches

Octopus Watches are a new venture, based in France with manufacturing taking place in Switzerland.  The first series to be released is the 164 Fathoms.  These are set to be available in January, stay tuned for further updates.

Courtesy of Octopus Watches

The case measures 43 mm in diameter and is of 316L stainless steel.  The bezel is unidirectional, 120 clicks.

Courtesy of Octopus Watches

The movement is ETA's 2824-2.  Hours, minutes, seconds and date at 3 o'clock.

Courtesy of Octopus Watches

 Water resistant to 300 meters.

Courtesy of Octopus Watches

Here are the pertinents, straight from the source -

References: 
KR.OCT164.Y (index / bezel yellow)

KR.OCT164.G (index / bezel color green
KR.OCT164.P (white index, black and red bezel)
KR.OCT164.O (index / bezel color orange)
KR.OCT164.B (index / bezel color blue)

Movement:
Swiss automatic ETA 2824-2, state of the art finishing, customized rotor

Case:

Diameter 43mm x 12mm - Case in polished and brushed steel. Unidirectional rotating bezel 120 clicks, inside lugs distance 22mm in polished and brushed steel. Double sapphire crystal with double anti-glare treatment, transparent sapphire crystal back screwed steel

Dial:
Sunray black, black highlight with 60 second scale
Exclusively faceted and polished hands of hours, minutes and seconds, rhodium plated, index Superluminova® white or color (yellow, green, blue, orange and white) silver matte printed OCTOPUS® logo at 12H and date window ringed at 3H OCTOPUS®, 164 Fathoms, 984ft - 300m automatic, SWISS MADE printed at 6H

Crown:
Screwed and engraved with the OCTOPUS® logo

Water resistance:
300 meters (164 Fathoms)

 

Seven Days with the Favre Leuba Raider Harpoon

Begins now.

Time's Up - Wrapping up the Aquamariner

Time and tide, or something like that.  The point being it's time to wrap-up the review of he Hager Aquamariner.

As previous readers may recall, I was somewhat taken with the clasp of the Aquamariner.  And not to bang on and on, but I have to share some realities about "telescoping" wet-suit extensions.  A lot of watch brands out there are incorporating them.  And many of them simply do not work.  The clasp incorporated into the Aquamariner is smooth, precise, and secure.  And as the aforementioned spill on the deck attests - pretty damn strong.

But, a watch is more than just the bracelet that holds it to your wrist.

The watch face is clear and well laid out.  and yes, that is a wee small bit of lint I did not get off the crystal - but this is real life, not a posh photo studio ; )  

The date is visible in in everyday life and the red second hand is easy to follow against the black dial. 

And unlike a lot of divers, the lume on the Aquamariner is actually quite good. 

 
The bezel is clearly marked and easy to operate.  It is unidirectional, marked for 60 minutes with a 15 minute countdown.  But with a twist - you will note in the image above the number 20 is in red.  Doesn't need to be, and honestly I don't know what the design motivation was - BUT I LIKE IT!  Now you may recall that I said that black dialed, black bezel divers are what the people want?  Well, I stand by that statement.  BUT - when you add an extra little something, like a red number 20 on the dive bezel?  It's like a little wink, it's just that little something that adds to the overall look and feel of the watch.  

The case back is solid, and smooth on the wrist without the obnoxious deep texture of a monumental motif. 

Simple, and effective in communicating the pertinent information.  

Rated to 300 meters / 1000 feet this is a watch for the briny deep.  There was no diving for yours truly.  But several trips to the pool were made, and the internals remained safe and dry.

The screw down crown is smooth in its operation and easy to use and set.   And nicely branded to boot!

So it is solid, comfortable, legible, and water resistant.  

Great, but does it tell the time?

Yes!  As with many brands, Hager has turned to the folks at Miyota for a dependable, highly accurate self-winding movement, the 8215.  The power reserve went for 43 hours (and some change).  And the time keeping was very, very good.  Miyota advertises a fairly broad range for accuracy, but the average over several weeks was + 8/9 seconds per day.  Really not too bad.

Here are the pertinents, direct from Hager:

Aquamariner
Black

41mm Stainless Steel

$450.00

Stainless steel case with a satin finished stainless steel bracelet equipped with a slidelock extension. Uni-directional rotating 60-minuted stainless steel engraved bezel with a black insert. Black dial with luminous silver-tone hands and luminescent dot hour markers. Minute markers around the outer rim.  Automatic movement with a 42 hour power reserve. Date Display at 3 o'clock. Scratch resistant sapphire crystal. Screw down crown with tube.  Solid case back.  Water resistant at 300 meters / 1000 feet. Functions: hour, minute, second.  Case diameter: 41 mm.  Case thickness: 12.75 mm. Lug to Lug: 50mm.  Band width: 22 mm.

So what's the verdict?

Let's view this from a place I like to live in, it's called reality.  At $450 this watch does exactly what it says on the box.  It works really well and looks really cool.  I realize that those are pretty basic comments, but in fairness this (or any basic diver for that matter) is a pretty basic watch.  And yes, gentle reader, that is a positive thing.  A dive watch should not challenge your intellect or abilities to set, wear, use and enjoy it.  It should have a bracelet that you can adjust yourself (and this one does).  It should look good, and this one does.  And overall, it should not represent a choice between a year of tuition for your child (state university with in state tuition).  The Aquamariner is a remarkably well-made watch at wonderfully reasonable price.  It is not a show pony or something to shove in the safe and wear only on special occasions.  This is a real watch to be worn by real guys and girls living real lives.  And quite honestly, if you feel that you need to spend more, then that is a personal choice (and one that I don't really get, but then again it is not up to me to get everything). 

But given the fact that Hager has now sold out of the black and the blue versions of the Aquamariner, and has only 10 of the burgundy bezel versions left?  

Well I think it is safe to say that I am not the only one with this opinion, and I personally might need to make a move on the burgundy bezel version before they're all gone!

Seven Days with the Hager Aquamariner

Starts now.

 

Stay tuned!

Wrapping Up Seven Days with the NTH Scorpène

So seven days have come and gone and it is time to send the NTH Scorpène back home.

It is important to understand that this particular model is a prototype, and one of the nice little perks of writing a blog is from time to time you get to have an advance peek and test-drive of something before it is available to the general public.  This past week with the NTH Scorpène has been informative and fun.

NTH is part of Janis Trading, the same folks who brought us the Lew & Huey line of watches recently.

The watch measures in at a very respectable (and welcome) 40 mm.  I for one am thankful that the trend is, well, trending back towards 40 mm as opposed to the more outsized versions of divers available.

NTH offers very sturdy, straightforward dive watches at extremely reasonable prices.  The Scorpène is currently available as a pre-order item, but if the prototype is anything to go on, I suspect it is going to be a hit.

So let's run through the usual questions starting with the fit and feel.  As mentioned, the Scorpène is 40 mm in diameter. Size-wise, it is for most of us out there in watch-land the ideal.  The fit and finish of the case and the bracelet are first rate.  No hard edges, no sharp points.  Smooth and clean to the touch.  

The case back is a screw down type and is solid stainless steel.  And this is another welcome touch.  This is a tool watch, and it is the attention to the seemingly smaller aspects bear this out.  A basic, and clean laser inscription graces the case back ensuring that it will not abrade or irritate the wearer's wrist.  It is also a tip of the hat to classic tool watch design.  The is a watch to be worn, it is not a show pony.  And should you for any reason wish to inscribe it with your pertinents, you have ample space to do so.

The crown is engraved as well and is also screw down.  This helps to ensure the water resistance which is warranted to 300 meters.

The watch sits well on the wrist and is comfortable all day.  

And a huge (and often neglected) factor in the comfort of a watch is the bracelet or strap.  And this does not disappoint.  The links are smooth and well finished.  

The bracelet is an oyster style, the clasp is a fold over with two release buttons on the side.  

The operation is smooth and the clasp is secure.

The unidirectional bezel is tactile and the operation is smooth.  The indications are the classic diver's 60 minute scale with a luminous triangle at 12 o'clock.  The bezel is treated with lume as is the dial.  And this brings me to my favorite aspect of the  NTH Scorpène - the dial and hands.

The dial and hands.  The dial's layout is classic, with the 12, 3, 6 and 9 and supported by indices elsewhere.  The hands are sword, black at the base but with strong lume as well over the majority of their shape.

This photo was shot in partial light, which gives you a good idea as to the strength of the lume.

But the Scorpène, just like any watch, needs a movement.  And NTH has selected the 9015 self-winding movement from Miyota.  The movement ran true and was accurate with an acceptable rate.  The maximum deviation I experienced was + 17 seconds over the seven days.  The movement can be hand-wound from a dead stop and has hacking functionality.

During the pre-sale period, the Scorpène can be yours for $475.  The regular retail price is $600.  This represents a solid value for a solid tool watch with classic design elements.  

The pre-order information can be found here -

http://www.janistrading.com/scorpene/

And here are the pertinents -

Case Material:

316L Stainless Steel

Caseback:

Solid, 316L Stainless

Display Crystal:

Double-Domed Anti-Reflective Sapphire

Water Resistance:

30 ATM / 300 meters

Bezel:

120-click uni-directional

Bezel Insert:

Steel with Lumed Markers

Crown:

Screw-down

Case Diameter:

40mm (without crown)

Case Length:

48mm

Case Thickness:

11.5mm

Lug Width:

20mm

Weight w/ bracelet:

5.5 oz / 155g

Movement:

Miyota cal. 9015 Automatic

Accuracy:

-10~+30 seconds/day

Beat Rate:

28,800 BPH

Power Reserve:

More than 42 hours

Warranty:

2 Years