Watch Reviews

In 1979 Francis Ford Coppola directed a movie called Apocalypse Now. This movie was famous for a number of reasons not least of which was the rocky relationship between Coppola and the increasingly erratic Marlon Brando. The movie also gave us one of the more dramatic examples of The Flight of the Valkyries as well as Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore (Robert Duvall)’s “I love the smell of napalm in the morning,” line.

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For those of us that are more watch-minded, there are two very notable timepiece takeaways from Apocalypse Now. The first was Brando’s bezel-less Rolex 1675 GMT Master that he wore during the filming. The second was Captain Willard (played by Martin Sheen)’s Seiko 6105 Diver (known now affectionately as the Seiko Willard). These vintage Seikos have become increasingly popular and as a result grown rapidly in value. Luckily for some of our more practically-minded collectors Seiko has reissued the Willards in new modern examples. These watches retain the charm of the old 6105’s while adopting the modern materials and mechanisms we’d expect from a new Seiko.

Let’s get some specs out of the way:

All measurements are taken by me personally, and may differ from the manufacturer’s specifications.

• Case Width: 45mm from the widest point, but 42mm not counting the crown guard
• Case Thickness: ~13mm
• Lug to Lug: 46mm
• Water Resistance: 200m
• Weight: 173 grams
• Movement: Seiko 6R35
• Lug Width: 20mm

Fit

I think to be exceptionally succinct in this section I can say: On my 7.25” wrist the Willard wears like a molded dinner plate. The case size is wide and covers a significant amount of the surface area of my wrist (very similar to an SRP series) but the design of the case paired with the 13mm thinness makes it extremely comfortable. Generally speaking I’ve found that these vintage inspired Seiko models wear much smaller than their case size would suggest, and the Willard is no exception to that.

I think that the reason these larger Seikos wear smaller than their millimeters would largely come from the fact that the portion contacting your wrist is smaller than the overall case size. Looking at both a SRP series turtle and this SPB183 you can see the case flares dramatically out as it rises from your wrist.

Movement

The SPB183 uses the new Seiko 6R35 in-house movement. This is an upgrade from the previous 6R15. The main difference between the two is a 20hr increase to the power reserve. The 6R15 had a modest 50 hours power reserve and the new 6R35 boasts a weekend-spanning 70 hours. I’ve owned several watches with the 6R15, and while I can’t honestly say I missed that 20 hours in the practical application, more is always better to have. It is nice to see Seiko beginning to modernize their movement catalog. Getting up to a three-day power reserve has become somewhat of table stakes in new releases and to see this update made on a piece at this price point is very welcome.

In terms of accuracy, the 6R35 is rated to be within spec at, “-15/+25s per day.” Mine runs a hair fast. Seiko’s regulation of their Prospex series has been a matter of great debate and consternation amongst watch folks. Practically speaking I haven’t really noticed an actionable deviation. I’m sure any of us can agree that Seiko tightening this tolerance up would be a welcome improvement but in my mind at least this is par for the course when it comes to anything not sporting a Grand Seiko badge.

Case & Crown

The Seiko Willard stands out from its fellow vintage-inspired Seiko divers in that it has an asymmetric case due to its integral crown guard. You can see along the right side of the watch the case juts out at the 3 o’clock marker and hugs the crown securely, that guard then follows the curvature of the watch around and terminates into the lug. Personally, I love this detail. Not only does it give the watch visual appeal but it also is very effective at protecting the crown from any damage. This asymmetry also works to separate this watch from it’s SRP brethren visually.

The case finishes on the SPB183 are pretty utilitarian. Most of the watch has a brushed finish that will wear nicely and age well. The sides of the case are polished and contrast nicely with the brushing. This finish pairing is pretty standard for Seiko, my SRP777 also has this. The crown is an unsigned roughly 6mm crown. The texture on the crown is just sharp enough to make grabbing it easy.

A quick note, the SPB183 continues the tradition of Prospex Seikos having drilled lugs. I could kiss the designer for this. It makes changing from the bracelet to another option a sinch.

Dial and Crystal

I want to touch on the sapphire crystal first. This was the thing that caught my eye first when I was standing in my local Seiko AD. Along the edges of the crystal is a polished bevel that leads down into the bezel. This bezel catches the light in a really pleasing way as the watch moves in the light and gives the overall appearance of the timepiece lots of visual interest. I’ve seen boxed sapphire crystal before, and even faceted crystals on vintage Seikos and this seems to be an effective marriage between the two. Beyond that, it’s just nice seeing Seiko start putting sapphire crystals in their watches. For a long time even the higher dollar Prospex line came with Hardlex crystals — these are fine, but sapphire is far superior, and too many of Seiko’s competitors were offering it at similar price points.

The dial! So, my SPB183 is a limited edition release of the Willard Reissue. The primary distinguisher of the LE is the deep blue almost navy sunburst dial. There are also the SPB151 and SPB153 variants available. The 151 has a black dial (on steel a steel bracelet) and the 153 is an olive green sunburst (which comes on a black rubber strap).

Moving away from color the dial is fairly traditional with large rectangular lumed markers at the hour and double indices at noon. Seiko chose a quasi-stick style handset that is nicely faceted on either side allowing the hands to catch the light well. The stoplight second’s hand on the SPB183 is gold in contrast to the silver hour and minute hands. I’ve seen these called “stoplight” due to the split red and white lume plots at the end. This along with the blue dial are what separates the LE from the regular release.

Generally speaking, I really enjoy blue colorways on watch releases. Seiko did a really nice job on the Willard reissue giving it just enough panache to make it feel special (as a limited edition) but not making the color so bright that it appears gaudy. The goldish second’s hand is also a really nice touch and adds an additional layer of visual appeal.

All in all, this is a solid dive watch that has excellent legibility and should serve perfectly in the rolls that it’s intended for.

Bracelet/Strap Options

If Seiko could be said to have a weak point I believe that it would be their bracelet options. Generally speaking even on their high-end options like the Marinemaster 300 Seiko bracelets have always felt a little, “jangly.” The SPB183’s bracelet is an improvement on what I have seen in the past at this price point. It’s a nicely brushed oyster style bracelet. Seiko still insists on using the pin and collar assembly for the links that make these bracelets almost impossible for the end-user to size.

In the box with the watch comes a long Seiko diving rubber strap. For the SPB183 this strap is a dark navy blue to match the dial. These straps are generally very nice, although extremely long as well. The rubber straps are generally meant to be able to fit over a wet suit — so you may find it a bit longer than you’ll want to wear daily. That will ultimately be up to the end-user.

Seiko SPB183 Review – Final Thoughts

So I guess to summarize, who would the Seiko Willard reissue be best for? I would say anyone that’s looking to make a jump into a dive watch purchase and wants to stretch a little beyond the SKX or SRP collections. These are purpose-driven pieces that retain some of the je ne sais quoi that inhabits the vintage Seiko Willards.

If you happen across an SPB183 (the limited Blue version) I strongly suggest you pick it up if you can. Seiko LE’s have a, sometimes annoying, habit of dramatically increasing in value once sold out.

The Seiko Willard reissues are available in three different versions. The non-limited versions are the SPB151 (black dial on bracelet available) for $1350 and SPB153 (olive dial on rubber) for $1100. The Seiko SPB183 pictured here was released in a limited edition of 5500 pieces for $1400.

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Editor: I recommend purchasing the Seiko SPB053 at Amazon or Jomashop. Please consider that buying anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Also, if you like the watch reviews, here is a link to all our watch reviews.

You know…People change. This became blatantly apparent to me when I strapped an Apple Watch to my wrist and didn’t immediately burst into flames. A year ago if you had asked me about an Apple Watch I would have told you that for the right person, they are probably great. I couldn’t imagine being that person, however. This was all pre quarantine, before I was working from home, and before I couldn’t go to the Jiu Jitsu gym any longer. I found that I needed something that kept me accountable for how sedentary I was becoming. Working from home while not being able to go to the gym had me really out of touch with my physical activity level. Hard to ignore that with an Apple Watch.

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Apple Watches serve a purpose — Are they watches? Sorta. Are they fitness trackers? Yes. Are they productivity tools? They can be. Before we get into this, let’s set a ground rule for this review: An Apple Watch is not for someone who has an unbending fascination with mechanical wristwatches. If you are unable to see past the “iDevice-ness” of an Apple Watch this isn’t for you.

Let’s get some specs out of the way:

• Case Width: 36.4mm
• Case Thickness: 13.5mm
• Lug to Lug: 42.5mm
• Depth Rating: 50m
• Weight: 7.1oz on the rubber strap
• Movement: Apple’s WatchOS powered by the S3 Dual Core Processor
• Lug Width: Proprietary

Fit

Unsurprisingly, the Apple Watch wears really nicely. This isn’t a shock because when you have a massive company like Apple trying to design the next product for the general population, a lot of thought must go into size, thickness, and overall comfort.

They make the Gen 3 Apple Watches in two sizes. I’ve heard these referred to the “boy size” at 42mm, and the “girl size” at 38mm. I guess it may all depend on your wrist size, my suggestion would be to try both on and make a decision from there. The watches, however, are not measured like traditional wrist watches. The 42mm measurement is not side to side like we’ve come to expect from timepieces, but rather top to bottom. This means that in reality, the 42mm version is just over 36mm wide, and 42mm long. When actually being worn this seems less problematic than the numbers would suggest.

The watch is thin. It sits nicely on the flat of my ~7” wrist and would easily slip under a sleeve cuff if I was the type to wear such a thing. Honestly the lug to lug size is just about perfect for me with the rubber strap meeting the curvature of my wrist just about perfectly.

Movement

Man, how do I talk about an operating system in the same way I would a watch movement? The thing to keep in mind about a smart watch is that you’re not really going to factor in accuracy, obviously. These watches are always on time as long as they have charge and a signal to your phone.

So moving past timekeeping what is there to discuss? Well, I think the first thing I want to highlight is any sort of productivity use. Having access to the notifications on your phone at a glance without needing to remove your phone from your pocket, for me; prevents any sort of deeper diving. For example, if your significant other texts you just to ask a favor or tell you something you can quickly see the message on your wrist. If you were to pull your phone out of your pocket and read the message you might be tempted to then check your IG notifications, what about facebook, ebay? Etc etc… As with everything, your mileage may vary.

Second, fitness or activity monitoring. I think this is a really key part of what the Apple Watch does for people. Everything from being able to track your “rings,” to simple reminders to stand up for a few moments after you’ve been sitting a while. Due to current world events, I have been working exclusively from home. So that’s 8 hours a day (at least) in front of my computer, at my desk, in my home office. Getting a little ping on the wrist every so often suggesting that I should get up and walk around for a couple minutes is a good reminder to unplug from time to time.

Let’s not forget safety. Apple Watches (and iPhones for that matter) have Emergency SOS call features built in. Holding down the side button on either device will initiate a countdown, if you let the timer elapsed the watch/phone will call 911 and send your GPS location to emergency services and your emergency contacts designated in the health app. I’ve seen this used once and it’s a super valuable tool that you hope to never need. Additionally, the newest Gen 5 Apple Watches have fall detection; meaning if the watch detects a hard fall it will ask you if you’re alright and give you the option to call 911 as well.

Apart from these three major use-cases… I think the potential of an apple watch folding itself into your life is somewhat limitless. Perhaps only hemmed in by the apps that have been developed thus far. So it’s worth doing some digging to see how you could best use one.

Case & Crown

As with most Apple products the Apple Watch is available at several different price points. These prices are directly tied to the case material (and crystal) used by Apple, the rest of the watch is pretty much the same. The most accessible version would be the Aluminium or ‘Sport’ version. Apart from that Apple also offers the Apple watch in Stainless Steel, Titanium, and Ceramic.

The ‘Digital Crown’ will be your primary interface with the Apple Watch. It’s a free spinning textured button on the side of the apple watch. When you are scrolling text it will have a haptic feel to it that replicates a tactile clicking. Pressing the crown in either takes you back to the face of the watch, or into the app list for you to choose from. I don’t want to get too off track here because the Digital Crown doesn’t function at all like a traditional crown, but for what it’s designed for it works great. The inputs on the Apple Watch in general seem really well thought out and really allow the device to seamlessly integrate into your daily life without too much fiddling.

Dial and Crystal

The thing to keep in mind about these devices is that they are essentially little computer screens intended to display information formatted to fit them. Apple has cleverly designed the WatchOS interface to be primarily vertical so when you’re reading a text message or push notification it fills the 36x42mm display nicely. Any wider and you’d get into having a square display on your wrist that I think would make the information formatting a little trickier.

That being said the Series 3 Apple Watch has a 312 x 390 pixel OLED display. For a wrist-mounted computer screen the display looks sharp and is very responsive to touch. The OLED gives it rich deep blacks, and the colors pop right off as you move through the different screens.

This display is settled safely underneath an “Ion-X Strengthened” glass crystal. The stainless steel or higher versions of the Apple Watch use sapphire crystals. But…what is Ion-X Strengthened Glass and how strong is it? Well, instead of waxing poetic about something I don’t fully understand I’m gonna let unbox therapy do that in this video: https://youtu.be/ORIQXujC2v8 — What this video DOES show us is that this material from Apple holds up to nearly everything they throw at it. Just keep your sandpaper away from it eh?

Bracelet/Strap Options

So…I’m not going to say that Apple “Stole” IWC’s strap mechanism…but they are strikingly similar. It’s pretty simple, you press a button on the underside of the watch and slide the strap out of the lug. This is proprietary… but folks have made adaptors that accept traditional 22mm straps. One little point I want to make: For obvious reasons you can’t use a traditional NATO strap on an Apple Watch. The underside of the watch itself is how it monitors your heart rate so that needs to be in contact with your skin.

Apple has some really solid OEM options for these watches though. I love their rubber “Sports bands,” and I wouldn’t mind getting one of their “Sports Loops,” which would most closely resemble a nato strap. They also have several leather options and an, in my opinion, very expensive bracelet option.

Apple Watch Series 3 Review – Final Thoughts

Well here we are. I’m an Apple Watch owner, and frequent wearer. I really believe that if you begin to look at some of the things these devices can do apart from telling the time or pushing your IG notifications to your wrist; you’ll begin to see some real value in their potential. On my wrist it serves as a reminder to keep active. It helps me to read a quick message without getting lost in my phone. It tracks my adventures when I am biking or hiking.

Is my Apple Watch something I’d wear out to a nice dinner? Of course not, but for daily use it seems like a great addition to someone’s EDC. I think real watch nerds are gonna roll their eyes, but honestly… I think they’re missing out.

The cost of entry is low enough today with the Series 3 Apple Watches sitting at $199, I say give one a try.

Apple Watch Series 3 [GPS 38mm] Smart Watch w/Space Gray Aluminum Case & Black Sport Band. Fitness & Activity Tracker, Heart Rate Monitor, Retina Display, Water Resistant

• GPS
• Retina display
• Swimproof
• Optical heart sensor
• Stores music, podcasts, and audiobooks

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Editor: I recommend purchasing the Apple Watch Series 3 at Amazon. Thank you for reading.

I’ve been on a James Bond kick lately. So as the release of “No Time to Die” draws closer, I decided to check into buying one of the watches worn by the iconic super spy. But, a quick glance at the prices was enough to nix that operation.

Well, if I can’t afford a Bond watch, what about something that could have been worn by one of his Russian nemeses? Enter the $60-ish Vostok Amphibian, a Soviet timepiece released in the same year as the Connery classic “You Only Live Twice.” These watches are legendary for their oddball appearance and durability, backed by a legitimate diving pedigree. And hey, if it’s good enough for Steve Zissou, how bad could it be?

Fit

On paper, the Amphibian (also known as the Scuba Dude) reads as a moderately-sized watch. The steel case measures some 41mm across, with a sensible lug-to-lug span of 45mm. The outlier here is its 15mm thickness, which makes this a rather high-riding piece. Just take a look at that domed acrylic crystal.

My eyeball test estimates that the glass rises somewhere between three to four millimeters above the rest of the case. Why so tall? We’ll cover the purpose behind its architecture in a few moments. For now, know that Vostok does offer several different cases. This particular example is from their 710 line, also known as the “Ministry” style. There’s also the rounded 420, and a host of other more minor variations.

Despite its height, I’ve found the Scuba Dude to be an incredibly comfortable piece on my wrist. The lugs slope nicely away from the bezel, creating an interesting geometry. It’s a definite departure from your typical Swiss or Japanese design aesthetics, making it immediately recognizable.

Movement

Let’s get this out of the way: The Vostok 2416 is not a modern movement. It’s a hand winding, automatic mechanical straight out of the swinging 60s. In fact, it’s changed very little since it debuted alongside the first album from “The Doors.” That was in 1967, with LBJ in the White House and The Jungle Book in theaters. So, if a hacking seconds hand and quick set date are on your list of bare necessities, you’re out of luck.

Still, there’s plenty here to light my fire. For what it lacks in modern amenities, the 2416 is a proven, durable movement. There are certainly some rough edges, however, especially in the setting experience. Hacking may be absent, but you can get the seconds to stop for a while by dialing back the minute hand. This lets you get somewhat close, though it occasionally requires a shake to restart. Also, my Amphibian arrived with a weird stutter-step between the five and ten second marks. This sorted itself out over the course of my first two hours with the watch, and hasn’t reappeared since.

Let’s talk accuracy. For the first half the week, I was running around 45 seconds fast per day. While that’s certainly not great, I’d rather have my watches run fast as opposed to slow. Further reading indicated that most watches passing through international mail will be exposed to some form of magnetism. That’s a major problem for automatics, so I ran the Vostok over my degausser. The results since then have been closer to plus-35 seconds per day, so there’s been a slight improvement.

It’s also worth noting that, according to various internet forums, these watches have a break-in period of a few weeks. While this could be anecdotal, mine has gotten more accurate over its week-plus on my wrist. The hand-winding is a bit rough, but we’ll cover the quirks of its crown below.

Overall, I knew what I was getting into with this movement. With its hearty gears, stoic silence, and blue-collar ethos, it’s not hard to see the Russian DNA here.

Case and Crown

Though there are countless Amphibian combinations, I opted for the standard Scuba Dude because of its more traditional divers’ appearance. The entire affair is made stainless steel, with a surprisingly nice polish. The brushed back features Cyrillic script that I can’t read. Oh, except for the “200M.”

Let’s take a second to cover the uniqueness of the Scuba Dude’s construction. The story goes that, back in the 1960s, the Russians needed to develop a watch with a 200M diving rating. Being a Communist nation, they weren’t keen on the idea of purchasing patents for such tech from the Swiss. A group of engineers was tasked with replicating their results, while operating within the limits of the Soviets’ industrial capabilities. What they came up with was the Amphibian, a watch that utilized a domed crystal and rubber gasket. Under pressure, the watch’s components actually squeeze in on themselves, creating a tighter seal as the wearer descends in depth. It’s a neat bit of history, even if I’m unlikely to take up deep-sea diving.

Speaking of unique construction, the Amphibia’s 2416 movement has one of the strangest crowns you’re likely to encounter. It’s actually disconnected from the shaft, giving it a wobbly feel that can trick folks into believing that their watch is broken. Supposedly, this is intentional. Vostok enthusiasts claim that it provides additional protection to the mechanism in the event of an impact to the crown. The theory is that, since it’s free-floating, the winding shaft won’t be able to slam into the heart of the movement. Some folks consider this annoying, but I’ve chalked it up as another lovable quirk. Connected or not, I’m just happy that it’s a screw-down crown.

Dial, Bezel, and Crystal

Call me crazy, but I feel this is one of the most stylish watches available under $60. The eponymous Scuba Dude is a classic logo, and the polished hands and indices are really sharp. I love the sea-green dial, and the red second hand really pops. The date window is perfectly placed at 3-oclock, and the whole affair is nicely proportioned. Oh, and the lume far outpaces the weak paint found on the similarly-priced Seiko SNK809. The hands and hour pips are clearly visible through the night. Not quite as bright as the Citizen BM8180’s, but that’s more due to the smaller applied points.

Let’s talk about the bi-directional bezel. This is a sore spot for some dive-watch purists, who want to stick closer to the diver aesthetic. A one-way bezel allows you to more reliably track the amount of air left in your tank, while an unwanted spin of the Vostok’s outer ring could provide a dangerously misleading reading.

But for my needs, I’m onboard with the two-way spin. I actually found myself using the Amphibian’s bezel more than those on my traditional divers, from timing flights to making basic computations.

Lastly, there’s the acrylic crystal. Will it scratch? Yes, for certain. Do I care? No, not really. This is a fun, budget diver meant to be worn. And unlike harder mineral crystals, a quick application of Polywatch should be able to restore the Amphibian’s glass to its former glory.

Strap/Bracelet

Ready for my biggest criticism of the Vostok? This is, hands down, the worst bracelet I’ve encountered. Even among enthusiasts, the universal consensus was this – The metal is sharp, prone to pinch, and loves nothing better than to devour each and every hair on your arm. Thankfully, I had a backup plan in place.

Full disclosure: The green NATO you see here was provided free of charge by an outfit called Cincy Strap Company. I’ve been a long-time customer of theirs, and they hooked me up with a few of their “Premium SB Straps” as both a “Thank you” and a way to get their name out there. Until now, I’ve always purchased their standard (and excellent) Milspec models. But these premium SB’s are worth every cent of their $26 price tag. The material quality is top notch, from the hardware to the supple strap itself.

Here is a shot of the Amphibia next to my Casio MDV106-1a “Duro”:

While I love the look and feel of the NATO, it does cause the watch to ride higher than a UFO on my wrist. Still, I gladly rocked this look for several days’ worth of travel and testing.

I’ve purchased a basic rubber band for wear on the job, which should help keep the Dude’s dome from smashing into a steam valve. But, man, that olive NATO really pops with this dial.

Vostok Amphibian “Scuba Dude” Review – Final Thoughts

Long story short, I adore this watch. Between the historical significance, quirky design, and rugged personality, it’s exactly the kind of fun piece I enjoy having in my collection.

Now, here’s the hard part – Where can you buy one? While they’re available on Amazon for around $100, your cheapest route is through eBay. I paid $57 for mine, with free shipping. Just look for a dealer with a lot of positive reviews, and you should be okay. Here’s the catch – The watch ships from Russia. That means you’ll be waiting somewhere between two and four weeks for the Scuba Dude to swim across the pond.

There is another option – Meranom, the official Vostok distributor. The shipping isn’t any quicker, and the prices are generally around $75. But if you want to browse through the mind-boggling variety of the Vostok catalog, they’re your source.

Necessity is often the herald of invention. There is perhaps nowhere that exemplifies this better in the watch world than pilot’s watches. In 1904 Cartier released what came to be known as the first Aviation-focused timepiece, the Santos. The watch was designed at the behest of Albert Santos-Dumont, an early European aviator, who found it difficult to use his pocket watch while controlling an aircraft.

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Pilot’s watches needed to be reliable, easy to read, and luminous. Many other brands took a swing at designing pilot’s watches most notably Zenith, Stowa, Laco, and IWC — to name a few. As the popularity of these timepieces grew, they became fashionable and were appreciated for their simplicity.

The watch we’re talking about today is the IWC 3777-17 or the Le Petit Prince. The modern interpretation of IWC’s pilots’ chronograph. The Le Petit Prince aspect of the watch is derived from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s novel, The Little Prince. Saint-Exupéry was a well known French author and aviator that disappeared on a reconnaissance mission in 1943. His work has received a lot of notoriety both before and after his death, but Le Petit Prince stood out. The children’s book has been translated into 250 different languages and is one of the top-selling books in the world.

With that in mind, it quickly becomes clear how a significant producer of aviation-themed watches would choose to memorialize Saint-Exupéry with one of their pilot’s watches. The way they opted to do this was with a sunburst blue dial and a caseback engraving. The rest of the watch remains true to the 3777 Pilots Chronograph collection.

Now, before we get too far into this, let’s go over some specs:

• Case Width: 43mm
• Case Thickness: 16.25mm
• Lug to Lug: 53.5mm
• Depth Rating: 6 Bar or 60m
• Weight: 7.1oz on the bracelet
• Movement: Calibre 79320 (Valjoux 7750)
• Lug Width: 21mm

(All Measurements are my personal measurements and may differ from the manufacturer’s specifications.)

Fit

The IWC Chronographs from the 3777 family are all on the larger side. The longer lug to lug length mixed with the thickness of the case causes the watches themselves to present rather large on the wrist. They’re not uncomfortable, however. The dramatic downward angle of lugs causes the watch itself to hug your wrist nicely.

The thickness of the case itself could be a turnoff to some, but for my needs, it isn’t an issue. We’ll talk more about the bracelet later, but it’s worth addressing here; it’s excellent. The drape is well-executed, and the quick adjustment buckle system is a work of art. These really lend themselves to this watch’s comfort.

Movement

The movement IWC chose to use in the 3777 series is a bit of a sore subject. They opted for a modified Valjoux 7750 that they dubbed the Calibre 79320.

There are two sides to this story: On one hand, folks wish they IWC had opted to use one of their in-house calibers, perhaps something from the 69000 family. Which, of course, they did in the recently released Spitfire Chronograph from SIHH 2019. The 79320, however, is not an “off the shelf,” 7750. It’s been highly modified and regulated by IWC.

In my experience, the changes that IWC chooses to make to the 7750’s result in a movement that is extremely accurate, reliable, and anti-magnetic. So, for my wrist, I am more than pleased. This also means that down the line when the time comes to service the watch any competent watchmaker can do it. In-house movements generally need to go back to the manufacture for correct servicing (there are, of course, exceptions).

Case & Crown

One of the things that I appreciate about IWC’s pilot series and the choices they made with the cases; is simply that they have chosen to retain the tool-watch vibe on what could be considered a somewhat up-market piece.

The entire case is brushed, except for the thin bezel around the crystal and the beveled edges on the case. Polished details like this really serve to make the watch sparkle on your wrist. With a lug to lug length of over 53mm, you might think the watch would wear exceptionally large, but really the angle of the lugs curve down dramatically making it very comfortable on my 7” wrist.

IWC opted to use a 7mm screw-down serrated crown on their 3777 line. I’ve found it odd that with a screw-down crown the watch is only rated to 60m. I suspect that IWC is being conservative with that rating, but it’s not something I’ll push. This isn’t a diver after all. All that being said, the crown is excellently sized and designed for its intended use.

Dial & Crystal

Dials are what draw us into watches, aren’t they? I remember sitting in the (very fancy) lobby of a Wempe in Paris with my wife. The salesman wasn’t particularly friendly, but even my wife (an admittedly non-watch person) was drawn into the blue sunburst dial of the Le Petit Prince. When set next to the regular black dialed 3777, there was no comparison.

Each of the three subdials is recessed slightly and have a circular texture applied to them. This gives them some visual contrast against the rest of the dial. The hands themselves are polished silver and filled with pure white Super Luminova while the chronograph seconds hand is painted white. The ticking second’s hand at 9 o’clock stands out painted red next to the other subdials which are just white. I’ve always loved this detail, it adds just a tiny pop of contrast to the blue dial.

Being that this is a pilot watch technically, legibility takes priority on this dial. All of the hours that are not occluded by subdials or the date window are represented in large white numerals. At noon we see the traditional “Flieger” triangle. The date wheels are both white as well. This allows the date to jump off the darker dial. The hands also taper to precise points, allowing for accuracy when setting the watch.

Lastly, the lume… Oh IWC, why have you done this to me? Only the hands and quarter-hour markers are lumed. Now, they’re lumed well, but it would have been so easy for them to lume all the numerals. I can’t think of a good reason why they’d overlook this. It’s forgivable, but barely.

Bracelet

The price difference between the 3777 on a leather strap vs. on a steel bracelet is $1000. That’s a steep price grade for a strap option, but that’s what I did, and I feel like it’s totally worth it.

The steel bracelet from IWC is a mechanical work of art. Starting with the links, there are push buttons on the back. When these are depressed with the included pusher tools, the links slide apart. No screws, no split pins, or god forbid pin and collars to monkey with. The clasp is pure genius. It has a generous ratcheting quick adjustment feature. To expand the bracelet you simply press on the IWC logo on the clasp, flex your wrist some, and it will expand to accommodate. To retract it you just push it back together, and it’ll click into place. Genius. In addition to the mechanisms, the strap offers remarkable flexibility and movement. The “drape” of the strap over your wrist is perfect.

One negative aspect to the 3777 when it comes to straps is the lug width of 21mm. This is an uncommon width, so your options for aftermarket straps will be somewhat limited. I would suggest going the custom route and for $100-200 have a strap made to suit your watch and wrist specifically.

IWC Le Petit Prince Chronograph Review – Final Thoughts

If it’s not apparent from the review above, I’m a fan of this watch. It’s something that had been on my radar for quite a while, and ultimately I was delighted to put it on the wrist. If you’re someone that’s a fan of chronographs but want to get out of the usual Omega Speedmaster rut, this is an excellent choice. I personally suggest that you purchase it on the bracelet, but if you know for a fact that you prefer leather it’s an easy way to save some money. There are a lot of options when it comes to the pilot’s chronographs all across the spectrum of prices and quality. If you choose to go with one of IWC’s offerings, I think you’ll be pleased that you did.

IWC Pilot Le Petit Prince Automatic Chronograph Mens Watch IW377717

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Editor: I recommend purchasing the IWC Le Petit Prince Chronograph at Amazon and watches in general at Jomashop. Thanks for reading!

Watches, for some of us, become mementos of something we’ve done or somewhere we’ve been. Today it seems painfully appropriate that I am writing about this particular watch; It’s April 15th, 2019 and my afternoon was interrupted by the news that the magnificent Parisian cathedral of Notre Dame had caught fire and was burning.

< Buy the Tudor Black Bay Chrono at JomaShop

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The reason this is applicable here is that I purchased this watch while I was on vacation with my wife in Paris just a few months ago. Something that I have learned is: you can’t force something to have significance, but the time you spend, the places you go, and the people you’re with can all help imbue something with memory and importance to you. This Tudor Black Bay Chronograph will always remind me of those flying buttresses, and that giant rose window.

Now that we have that out of the way, let me introduce you to the Tudor Black Bay Chronograph, released at Baselworld 2017, this watched marked a big step for the Black Bay line that until now was comprised of just time-only watches. The Black Bay Chrono also marked an exciting partnership between Breitling and Tudor wherein the two brands exchanged some movement technologies with each other. I’ve always found this partnership to be one of the more interesting things about this particular watch—and it’s what attracted me to it. (that and my voracious appetite for chronographs)

Before we get too far into the review let’s go over some specs:

• Case Width: 41.4mm
• Case Thickness: 15.3mm
• Lug to Lug: 50.1mm
• Depth Rating: 200m (660 ft)
• Weight: 6.4oz on Bracelet
• Movement: MT5813 based on the Breitling B01
• Lug Width: 22mm

(All measurements are my personal measurements and may differ from the manufacturer’s specifications.)

Fit

I’ve always found Black Bays to wear and fit very well. My wrist is roughly 7” depending on how warm it is and if I’ve recently consumed MSG…but that’s always been a pretty versatile wrist size and I’m comfortable with watches that range from 38-44mm’s. That being said, the Black Bay Chrono is a comfortable-if-chunky watch on the wrist.

I would say the chunkiness is mainly due to its thickness. The in-house movement increased the thickness of the Black Bays slightly, but I would assume that the chronograph complication only exacerbated that. It’ll be up to you to decide if it’s too much for your arm, it isn’t for me.

Movement

As I stated in the intro Tudor was involved in a movement exchange program with Breitling. In this exchange, Tudor received the B01 movement for use in this watch. Breitling, on the other hand, took the MT5612 movement and renamed it the B20 after modifying it for use in the SuperOcean Heritage II.

It’s my understanding that the movements are modified by Tudor to include a tungsten winding rotor, variable inertia balance wheel, and a silicon balance spring. Lastly, Tudor changes the minute register to 45mins instead of Breitling’s 30 minute counter. This last modification is due to a historical reference, Tudor’s chronos have used 45mins since the Reference 7031 “Monte Carlo,” Chronograph.

My experience with this movement has been nothing but exceptional. All of Tudor’s in-house calibers come COSC certified these days, meaning that you can expect excellent performance. While I have not timed my watch to the second (I don’t own a timegrapher) I can say that it been right on the money every-time I’ve checked it. The chronograph pushers have a great action, as one would expect from a column wheel chrono like this. One other thing to note, the silicon balance spring means that this movement should resist a good deal of magnetism—this is a valuable quality to have in today’s magnetic-field-rich-climate.

Case and Crown

By this point in my watch-collecting practice I have owned four or five Black Bays, and one thing I love about them across the board is the case. Tudor, being the little brother of Rolex, benefits from their bigger brother’s case finishing capabilities. The watch is brushed on the tops of the case and polished on the slab-like sides. Tudor has also included some really lovely polished details along the bevel on each side of the case as well as the edge of the bezel where it meets the case. The effect these small details create is a subtle sparkle on the wrist as the watch moves through the light.

The Chronograph has the standard large Black Bay crown with Tudor’s rose printed on it, as well as two screw down pushers. My experience in the past with screw down chrono pushers has not always been the best, but Tudor’s nailed it with very smooth screw down action, which is easily used on wrist. One thing Tudor has stubbornly retained is the anodized aluminum collar around the crown tube, I would personally prefer a crown sitting flusher to the case, but it’s a minor gripe.

Dial and Crystal

The Tudor Black Bay Chronograph, like other Black Bays, has a boxed sapphire crystal. This is a pretty firm nod to the “heritage-yness” that Tudor is drawing from for these watches; It also looks great. The dial itself is a textured matte black that in the bright sun can almost look grey or charcoal. The hands and hour indices are a bright silver color with white lume filling the centers. I much prefer this over gilt dials used in other variations.

In terms of readability, Tudor has always excelled. The “snowflake” hour hand was designed for precisely that. It allows you too quickly too differentiate between the two hands and orient yourself on the dial at a quick glance. The choice of colors and materials also creates a helpful contrast. The Chronograph hand is a simple thin silver hand tipped with an arrow, I personally love the way it catches the light.

Not to pander to the internet forumites, but one issue that I have seen regarding the hands used on this watch is simply that the snowflake can obscure the sub-dials. That’s valid, and I suppose true; however, it’s never been something that bothered me.

The lume Tudor uses on the Black Bays is very effective, glows bright when you walk into a movie theatre and is easily seen for several hours. It’s green lume, so Tudor isn’t using Rolex’s proprietary Lumibrite.

Lastly the date window sits at six o’clock. It’s a rather stark contrast a from the textured black dial to the white back date wheel, but I generally prefer to have a date than not.

Bracelet

The Tudor Black Bay Chronograph comes on the standard steel bracelet available to most of the Black Bay collection. You can also purchase the watch on a leather or nylon strap, but honestly, I wouldn’t suggest that. Tudor, like its parent Rolex, has a reputation for making excellent bracelets and this is no exception.

The bracelet is an exceptionally well-executed steel bracelet with a fold-over clasp. It has been stylized to some extent with faux rivets on the links to emulate old-timey bracelets that were actually riveted together. These links, on the other hand, are screw together making adjustments simple and quickly done by the end user. The clasp features three micro adjustments to really dial in the fit.

I think in a perfect world there are several great strap options for the Black Bay Chrono. The first being, obviously the OEM bracelet, the second would be an Everest Rubber Strap, and the third would be either the OEM NATO strap or Crown and Buckle’s adjustable Chevron Strap.

Tudor Black Bay Chrono Review – Final Thoughts

Well, what can I say? I bought it…This is one of the few watches that I walked into an Authorized Dealer and left with it new. I think these are healthy options for those that like the Tudor Aesthetic or are interested in the movement exchange from Breitling. It’s a little weird to talk about a $5,100 sticker price to be a good value but considering AD discounts (and in my case VAT refunds) they can pan out nicely. You get a lot for the money.

I think these are also solid options for those that are looking for a chronograph but don’t really want to go down the Speedmaster route—the Black Bay Chronograph has a lot of ties to some nice watch heritage but is also not super expected. I think it would be rare for you to run into someone else with one.

Tudor Heritage Black Bay Chrono Chronograph Automatic Chronometer Black Dial Men's Watch M79350-0001

$5,042.58

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Editor: If you would like to buy a Tudor Black Bay Chrono, I recommend purchasing it at Amazon or Jomashop. Thank you.