The Ægir CD-2: a long-overdue review

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BSears
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The Ægir CD-2: a long-overdue review

Post by BSears » Sat Dec 06, 2014 11:25 am

Todd Caldwell, founder and CEO of Ægir Watches, Ltd., came to DWC a day after DWC went live and has been with us ever since. I'll not duplicate his company introduction and figure he does a much better job than I could ever do describing his intentions, goals and dreams. http://www.thedivewatchconnection.com/f ... =57&t=7806 When he set out to make the CD-2, he had two goals: a standard version and a limited edition, and together the 2 would not exceed 100 watches total. I quickly got on the list for the CD-2 LE, as did a few others here. The watch itself was simple in design, purposeful in execution, and would carry with it the handiwork and expertise of Thomas Prescher. Unfortunately, numerous delays and setbacks caused by suppliers, in particular the movement supplier MHVJ, ultimately spelled the death knell on the limited edition project as years passed and patience waned. In the end, only 1 LE was made. Read more about the saga here: http://www.thedivewatchconnection.com/f ... 57&t=34923

Todd persevered and moved on, with the CD-2 standard version still moving with the Soprod Alternance 10 (A10-2) powering the watch. The standard case has had some changes along the way as well. Some customers mentioned that the standard case wouldn't accept thicker leather straps. Todd addressed this and I will let him chime in to give the specifics if he wants, but I believe it included moving the lug holes out a bit. I've got the details buried somewhere in my emails with Todd. Additionally, the original bezel had minute indices surrounding the lumed pip at 12. This was later changed, with a ceramic material being added to the engraved numerals and minute markers, and smoothed out, as seen on mine below, and the latter being a "cleaner" look, in my opinion.

Some quick specifics (taken straight from Todd's website http://aegirinstruments.com/?page_id=828 ):
CD-2 Specifications

Case

German made 316L Stainless Steel. Brushed finish
Helium relief valve
7mm screw down, signed crown.

Movement

Soprod A10, Swiss made automatic, 25 Jewels.

Dial

Applique hour makers, filled with Superluminova BGW-9C1

Dimensions

42mm diameter, (Not including the Crown)
50.5mm lug to lug length,
24mm between the lugs (24mm strap width)
14mm in height.

Crystal

Sapphire, domed, anti scratch with anti reflective coating inside.

Bezel

Stainless Steel, engraved minute markings with black finish.
Rotating 60 click unidirectional. (Anti Clockwise)

Water Resistance

Rated for 701 meters

I will note - my measurements are on par with those given on Todd's website. We all get concerned with lug-to-lug measurements and Todd recognized this, noting those as well. ;)

And for those interested in the Soprod A10, here's a nice exploded view in .pdf format from Soprod: http://www.soprod.ch/EN/index_htm_files ... 10SQ-2.pdf and technical aspects here also http://www.soprod.ch/EN/index_htm_files ... _A10-2.pdf

The Soprod A10 boasts hand-winding, quick-set date, and hack capabilities, with a power reserve of approx. 42 hours at 28,800 bph. The movement is nicely finished and this is displayed nicely in the see-thru caseback on my model.

On to some pics!!

Nice big box (that's what she said). The AEgir branded tape is a nice touch. :fro:

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Nice way to secure the pelican case inside too.

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And extra secure tamper tags on the branded pelican:

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Gratuitous Chris Reeve Knives Sebenza 25 pic, to boot. ;) I had to get those tags off somehow.

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Inside:

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I opted for both the Isofrane and the brown Metta Catherina strap. The strap is second to none in comfort. Love those straps.

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The unbranded Ennebi roller buckle is a really nice touch and a change from the typical pre-V buckle with a lot of custom straps.

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A look through the caseback. #50/50 :fro: :fro:

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Nicely decorated movement. It's a shame some high-end manufactures don't do this on supposedly limited editions watches, see-thru caseback or not. :stir: :lol:



Now a note on Todd's customer service. First off, second to none, though I suspect some other forum favorites (like Graeme and Jason) would be just as accommodating. For 2 weeks after getting this watch, I had no idea that the indice at 4 was missing lume! Several years ago, when I was picky as shit about lume, I would have noticed this in the first 5 minutes. Funny how over time, you just enjoy a watch for what it is without picking it apart on day 1.

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I contacted Todd. He was as shocked as I was. Needless to say, a new dial went out that day to his watchmaker stateside in NY. So off it went a few days later when I got around to shipping it overnight. Todd immediately reimbursed me the cost. All I was out was a bit of a wait, which killed me as the CD-2 had become my favorite watch, displacing my now-gone Omega Bond SM 2531.80. I had it back in about a week, if I remember correctly. I haven't heard of any other dials having this issue, which is typical for me as Murphy and his stupid "law" follows me around quite a bit. :lol:

FIXED!

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The matte black dial and large hands make this watch easily one of the most legible at-a-glance watches I have ever owned. The bezel "teeth" are nice and grippy, providing enough grip that wet or slick hands have no problems turning the bezel, but are not likely to snag on anything. That's been my experience. Very little bezel play, too.

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The case proportions are perfect, IMO. At 42mm, it goes with just about anything. Yes, even a suit.

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On a GSD black Horween (with the Ennebi buckle from my Metta)

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I went a bit strap crazy with this watch, too. In addition to the GSD, I picked up a nice rubber strap with butterfly deployant from Steinhart. I could do without the branding on the rubber itself, so if anyone has one and they want a double-branded Steinhart, hit me up. (Sized for approx. 7.35" wrist)

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At GABP watching the Reds!

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The sapphire crystal has a nice dome to it also. Hard for me to capture, but you get the idea:

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I lucked out and picked up possibly the last black Metta strap Todd had in stock. It's been on this one for a few months now.

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I even got a chance to take a dip in the Atlantic this past August at Isle of Palms, SC. (My apologies to the SC crew. We were on a family vacation and my wife would have f'n killed me if I deviated for a watch GTG :rolleyes: )

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One of the coolest mods I've seen on the CD-2 is Mark's (andrema) - the DLC really makes those hands "pop." Love this mod! http://www.thedivewatchconnection.com/f ... 57&t=27635

Speaking of mods, I'll be swapping out the current seconds hand for the lumed "lollipop" style seconds hand here soon. The current seconds hand is 13mm long; the lumed one is .75mm longer with no color on the tip.

With Todd releasing the much-anticipated CD-1 (damn that watch is beautiful!), my want exceeds my need. But when has this hobby ever really been about need? :shrug: Unfortunately, the war chest is empty and likely to be that way. But the white dialed CD-1 is certainly on the short list. I consider Todd an asset to the forum and am glad he has hung around and been such an active part of the forum.

BOTTOM LINE
The CD-2 certainly fits the bill as a dressier dive watch that fulfills that "tool" watch role as well. The bezel has solid, positive clicks in 60-second increments. The BGW-9C1 lume is nice and bright and lasts through the night. The hands have a large surface area for application of the luminous material so that you have very little problem making out the time in the dark and are equally legible in daylight for at-a-glance time checks, especially against the matte black dial. The black date wheel hides in that dial, until you need it. In low light conditions you might have to make more effort to make out the date, but that is such a minor issue it doesn't even register on the complaint meter.

The movement keeps good and consistent time. Mine is currently losing a bit, so I'll have that adjusted when the seconds hand gets swapped out.

The case and bezel on mine have some evidence of wear - this is not a safe queen. But it has held up well in daily use. As mentioned, the case dimensions really make it a joy to wear, and it still fits nicely under most shirt cuffs for office wear. Screw bars attaching the strap make for easy strap changes.

As I also mentioned, the Soprod A10 makes for a great movement choice (compared to the ETA 2824-2 that used to be so ubiquitous). Being nicely decorated is an added plus. Notably, the movement lacks a true movement holder in the case. There is a small lip on the inside of the caseback with a rubber gasket that puts pressure on the movement when closed. On that note, the case also features 2 rubber gaskets for water resistance. Needless to say, it held up just fine being battered by waves in ocean.

The crown is nice and grippy as well, mimicking the bezel teeth. The movement winds smoothly and there is a nice spring action when the crown is completely unthreaded. Crown guards are a nice touch and the smooth contours accent the other case lines. The case and bezel are both nicely brushed. (I apologize I failed to take macro shots of the brushing. Perhaps later.)

Also, as mentioned, Todd is tops at customer service. He always responds to emails, and addressed my concerns about the missing lume at 4 without batting an eye. I will say, I can certainly see how this might have been missed as the dial maker should have caught this. The indice appeared in daylight to be identical - it wasn't until the lights were off and the dial "charged" that the missing lume was noticed. It took me 2 weeks to see it!

With Todd releasing the much-anticipated CD-1 (damn that watch is beautiful!), my want exceeds my need. But when has this hobby ever really been about need? :shrug: Unfortunately, the war chest is empty and likely to be that way. But the white dialed CD-1 is certainly on the short list. I consider Todd an asset to the forum and am glad he has hung around and been such an active part of the forum.
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Re: The Ægir CD-2: a long-overdue review

Post by Panerai7 » Sat Dec 06, 2014 11:30 am

Great review Brad!
I really need to pick up something Aegir

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Re: The Ægir CD-2: a long-overdue review

Post by jimyritz » Sat Dec 06, 2014 11:42 am

Awesome review Brad...hard to decide between the CD-2 and CD-1 :think:

Nice job by Todd :thumbsup:

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Re: The Ægir CD-2: a long-overdue review

Post by Joe C » Sat Dec 06, 2014 11:50 am

Everything you said is dead on.... Killer watch, killer service :thumbsup:


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Re: The Ægir CD-2: a long-overdue review

Post by andrema » Sat Dec 06, 2014 12:05 pm

Very nice write-up, Brad! The CD-2 is my favorite dive watch for the price! IMO it is a great value for what you get in quality and CS!

#1 Aegir fanboy here...I have actually seen Todd walk on water! I have never seen the Bremont boys do that! :)
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Re: The Ægir CD-2: a long-overdue review

Post by andrema » Sat Dec 06, 2014 12:06 pm

BTW - All three dial colors kick ass!!

Here is a grey and white :)

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Alternate black dial... :thumbsup:

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Last edited by andrema on Sat Dec 06, 2014 12:54 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: The Ægir CD-2: a long-overdue review

Post by Nellipj » Sat Dec 06, 2014 12:27 pm

Great job Brad, I couldn't agree with you more. Todd makes a fantastic watch :thumbsup:

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Re: The Ægir CD-2: a long-overdue review

Post by BSears » Sat Dec 06, 2014 12:33 pm

andrema wrote:Very nice write-up, Brad! The CD-2 is my favorite dive watch for the price! IMO it is a great value for what you get in quality and CS!

#1 Aegir fanboy here...I have actually seen Todd walk on water! I have never seen the Bremont boys do that! :)

:roll: :thumbsup:
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Re: The Ægir CD-2: a long-overdue review

Post by dukerules » Sat Dec 06, 2014 12:42 pm

That's a helluva review, Brad :thumbsup:
I love the CD-2, and, of course, Todd is the man.

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Re: The Ægir CD-2: a long-overdue review

Post by JBZ » Sat Dec 06, 2014 12:46 pm

Nice write-up Brad. Thanks!
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Re: The Ægir CD-2: a long-overdue review

Post by AntonioPD » Sat Dec 06, 2014 12:53 pm

Thanks for posting Brad! Great pics and description. :thumbsup:
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Re: The Ægir CD-2: a long-overdue review

Post by toxicavenger » Sat Dec 06, 2014 6:59 pm

Great review Brad, I actually was on the first list to pick up a watch from Tod but I had to back out. I still kick myself for doing that bit shit happens. Congrats on a great watch and my hat is off to Todd being who he is.

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Re: The Ægir CD-2: a long-overdue review

Post by bogartrules » Mon Dec 08, 2014 7:34 pm

Totally sold I !!!(WANT)!!! One like yesterday lol. Honestly one of the best looking watches I've seen in a long time. Oh btw. First post and hello to everyone ;-)

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Re: The Ægir CD-2: a long-overdue review

Post by BSears » Mon Dec 08, 2014 7:42 pm

bogartrules wrote:Totally sold I !!!(WANT)!!! One like yesterday lol. Honestly one of the best looking watches I've seen in a long time. Oh btw. First post and hello to everyone ;-)

Thanks fella. Feel free to post up in the main forum and show us what you got. We like pics. Some might ask for pics of a girlfriend/wife/livestock. You can overlook them unless you're savvy. :cheers:
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Re: The Ægir CD-2: a long-overdue review

Post by jeckyll » Mon Dec 08, 2014 8:55 pm

Nice review, great looking watch! :)
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Re: The Ægir CD-2: a long-overdue review

Post by t20569cald » Tue Dec 09, 2014 3:05 am

Well, I thank all for the nice words , and Brad for the nice review.
One of my checks now after that, is the lume test that never occurred to me before.

They tried to lose me from the Yamahaki forum, but I found you guys a day or so later. You cant hide from me
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Re: The Ægir CD-2: a long-overdue review

Post by Pasquale » Tue Dec 09, 2014 4:23 am

Outstanding watch and review B.
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Re: The Ægir CD-2: a long-overdue review

Post by kempoman » Tue Dec 09, 2014 5:34 am

Great review, great watch & Todd the great.
Watch collector since 1989

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Re: The Ægir CD-2: a long-overdue review

Post by ezcheese » Wed Dec 10, 2014 6:55 am

That's how it's done! :headbang:
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Re: The Ægir CD-2: a long-overdue review

Post by Axelay2003 » Sun Dec 21, 2014 9:57 pm

Spot on review! Adding another CD-2 model(gray dial) once Todd receives the updated bezels in a week or so. I wish Todd only the best. He is definitely a rare breed(in the most positive way) in this business. This I can attest from my experience dealing with him with my blue-text CD-2 white dial.

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