Another cheap thrill/First impression

[Henryj]

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So, this got here about an hour ago. Surprisingly good reviews on the interweb, a balance in my PayPal account coupled with boredom, and a sad lack of impulse control led me to this.

Quick impressions

Packaging - The watch came in a nice little cylindrical zipper case, probably pleather but a nice touch. The outer box included a little ziplock bag with both a double ended springbar tool and the right sized screwdriver to remove links from the bracelet.

The watch - they call it 39mm, but I’ll bet it’s 40. Nicely finished, ceramic bezel, polished and brushed finishes both look pretty decently done. The bracelet is basic oyster style, 20 at the lugs down to about 16 at the clasp. The clasp is a double button release and has an on the fly fine adjust. I’d describe the clasp as a bit Seamaster-esque with an internal button to release the microadjust, not a Glide Lock clone. Lume is BGW 9, so hands, markers and pip glow blue. I can’t yet speak to intensity or if it’s long lasting.

Bezel action is pretty decent, but the crown is a bit gritty. We’ll see if that smooths out over time.

Overall, I’d say the finishing is a lot better, more refined than you’d expect on a $204 watch.

I like five digit case size, and there are a few things that, in my mind, separate it from a mindless Subalike. Domed crystal, no cyclops, sword hands.

Movement is the Seiko NH35, and there’s a San Martin video out there that shows the factory setting watches with a timegrapher. True, hype? I dunno but we’ll see how it runs.

Overall, the Sub style is my gold standard for a clean and readable dial. The sword handset and no cyclops sold it to me as a cheap beater.

$204 plus $10 shipping, worth a shot.

I’ll update later after I get some run time on this one.

This watch certainly wouldn’t scratch anybody’s itch for a Submariner, but it’s scratched my itch for a Ginault.

[hobbit712]

Looks like a good cheap thrill. I like the sword hands. Congrats!