So, I’m introducing, rather confusingly, a pilots watch from a predominantly dive watch company as the name suggests. The Aquatico Bronze Blue Angels.

First impressions are good, as you open up the box you’re immediately struck by the beautiful glow of bronze, this being my first time trying a bronze watch I was more awestruck than normal when unboxing this beauty. I can’t wait to see how this will patina over time and develop a character of its own.

It’s a pilot watch so naturally it’s going to be larger, and it measures 43mm in diameter, and a rather large 51.5mm lug to lug. I tend to stick to watches under 42mm and below 50mm lug to lug but this wears surprisingly well on my 7 inch wrists. It is covered by a flat sapphire crystal with AR coating on the underside, and it does wear very flat on the wrist.

The beautiful speckled brown dial features a 24 hour indicator at the 11 o’clock marker and is a neat (but I don’t think particularly useful) feature that I’ve not seen on a watch before. The dial is uncluttered and precise, leaving no room for distraction, I can’t help but feel the removal of the 24 hour Indicator would be a welcome addition on this watch. The aforementioned brown dial is contrasted by large printed bronzey brown numerals that are clear and easy to read. The large sword hour and minute hands are beautifully bronzed on the outer edges and are accompanied by a sweeping bronze seconds hand that has a lovely red tip.

The dial also features a date window that isn’t colour matched which is a pet peeve of mine, I think it would have helped the dial immensely and would have made the whole look flow better if it was a brown date window with contrasting white numbers for the date. That being said, the date window is large and clear, the crown has a quick set function for changing the date instantly but no quick correction for it. So, if you overshoot the date you have to go the whole way round again to get the correct date.

The case and crown are both made from CuSn8 marine grade bronze and like I mentioned before that means that over time this watch will develop a beautiful patina and a patina that is unique to each watch, bringing extra character to it. It’s refreshing to see this type of bronze used in a micro brand of this price, other watches at this price point have used aluminium bronze and it won’t develop the same character of patina that CuSn8 does, so when you’re checking out a bronze watch make sure that it has CuSn8 bronze and not aluminium. The case back is solid and made of 316L stainless steel (not bronze) to avoid the bronze rubbing off on your skin). It features four planes, the blue angels and is rather nicely done, the case back looks good on this one.

The finishing on the case is basic, but nicely done, it doesn’t need to be spectacular because the patina that will develop will tarnish the case. The extremely grippy, slightly oversized crown has already started to develop a patina and is a dark brown with me. It is a screw down crown and this is where it gets confusing, this watch almost suffers from an identity crisis, it has 100m water resistance. Always nice to have of course, but this is a pilots watch, not a dive watch. I feel that 30m water resistance would have been perfect here, lose the screw down crown and upgrade somewhere else. The crown also is slightly misaligned, for me, it is positioned slightly too low and overhangs the bottom of the case meaning it digs into the wrist slightly.

The watch is powered by the Seiko NH37, a 24 jeweled movement that beats at 21,600 beats per hour and has a power reserve of 41 hours. It features hacking and hand winding and the time keeping it stated loosely as anywhere between -20 seconds per day to +40 seconds per day, but mine is doing much better than this and currently runs at around +-5 per day. It’s not surprising to see this type of movement in a micro brand as it’s incredibly affordable and accessible, but very reliable. A solid workhorse of a movement.

Back round to the dial and the printed indices and large sword hands are covered with Superluminova C3. The lume is massive on this watch, applied evenly and it shines and shines. The hands shining slightly longer than the indices, a nice touch is that there is some lume applied to the 24 hour dial and the red tip of the seconds hand is also lumed. The lume stands out so nicely against the brown dial and it brought a massive smile to my face when I seen how brightly it lit up the room.

A negative note on this watch is the crazy horse leather strap that the watch comes with, it just feels stiff and a tad plasticky. It does feature a nice oversized signed bronze crown, but I immediately swapped it out for a Vario nato style strap and it transformed the watch and made it extremely comfortable to wear.

This watch suffers from a bit of an identity crisis, in that it doesn’t really know exactly what it is, but it’s very close to being a great watch. An extremely affordable but quality pilot watch that has the potential to soar to dizzy heights if a few minor details were corrected.

The Specs

• Diameter: 43mm
• Lug to lug: 51.5mm
• Thickness: 12.5mm
• Lug width: 22mm
• Weight: 75g
• Water resistant to 100m
• Movement: Seiko NH37
• Price: $279 / ~£215

The post Aquatico Bronze Blue Angels Watch Review appeared first on 12&60.

Let’s a closer look to see how it holds up.

Video review

The specs

• Dimensions: 42mm diameter x 12.5mm height x 49mm lug to lug
• Weight: 106g
• Water resistance rating: 30ATM / 300m
• Movement: Seiko NH35
• Accuracy: +9.6 sec/day
• Lug width: 22mm
• Warranty: 1 year
• Price: RRP $299 / £235
• Available from:
  • Direct – https://www.aquaticowatch.com/goods/v9qfrf.html
  • UK / EU – https://www.doubleowatches.co.uk/product/dive-watches/aquatico-sea-star-bronze-brown-dial-bronze-bezel/ for £240

The case

The primary feature of the Bronze Sea Star is – you’ve guessed it – the solid CuSn8 bronze used. The pictures you see have developed a lovely, gentle patina in the two months I’ve owned it. That’s the charismatic thing about bronze: it ends up being very unique; and when you want to start again just strip it back (Brasso or lemon water are two popular methods) and start again. The finish of the case is completely brushed, so it’ll stand the rest of time.

It’s a standard barrel shape, with the added bonus of drilled through lugs making switching straps easy. It’s an impressive size (fairly common for a deep diver) and hefty weight, giving it plenty of wrist presence.

Another key feature is the 120-click bezel, with all the markings embossed accurately – it’s subtle yet easy to read due to the impressive depth of the details. It also has a lumed pip at 12 within a triangle. Some backwards play is there, but it is minimal. However, the primary issue I’ve noticed is the wiggle that exists when you push down on top of the bezel. It doesn’t affect the smooth action, but it’s a shame that the tolerances aren’t tighter (watch the video review to see the wobble).

Sitting on top of the case is a mega highly domed sapphire crystal – it makes it a real pain to photograph and it’s also very reflective. You can tell it’s super thick from looking at it (which shows the quality), but the clarity is just not there.

Another cool touch is the serial number laser etched between the bottom lugs.

The screw-in crown has great grip and the dolphin logo embossed on the end. The thread is smooth so it’s easy to use, but I find the depth of the crown sticks out a little far, and it knocks off the case to crown ratio. Visually I would have preferred it to be a little bit more slender as it would make it a little more elegant.

The screw-in caseback is stainless steel rather than bronze, which is a common occurrence as it stops them both seizing up (sometimes the bronze could oxidise so much that the caseback seals up to the case). It features a drawing of a mermaid riding a dolphin, and although it’s a bit crude artistically, it’s well executed.

The dial

The dial comes in three colour options; this one being the brown. I think it works splendidly with the bronze, complimenting the colours perfectly. The brown is a delicious milk chocolate colour, very similar to the strap.

In terms of design, it’s fairly classic: the main feature being the snowflake hands which always catch my eye. The hour markers are a standard layout, but I like the tall triangle at 12.

The hands and hour markers have a brushed bronze style border to them which looks good and is an effective offset against the brown dial base.

The gold plated border to the date window is surprisingly neat, and the white date wheel works out well alongside the white lume on the hour markers – so it doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb.

The printwork is a light brown / gilt gold, which makes the text a little difficult to read – but as a positive, it keeps it subtle.

The hands and hour markers are all layered with BGW9 lume which is acceptable for the price of the watch. It’s not mind-blowing, but you can see it at work.

The strap

The strap is crafted by hand with Crazy horse leather. It has a lovely soft rustic finish to it and it’s well sealed along the edges, which also applies to the keeper loops.

The brown colour compliments the bronze so well, and the thick cream stitching provides a contrast.

The tang buckle tongue is extra wide, resulting in wide holes along the strap and a more aggressive look. It also feels super secure and is easy to use.

The buckle itself is rather square and aggressive in design, with an angled top bar with the Aquatico logo lightly laser etched on. It’s a shame the logo isn’t engraved, as I’m sure that it’ll lose a lot of definition as the patina starts to sink in.

The movement

The movement powering the Aquatico Bronze Sea Star is the efficacious Seiko NH35. I see this movement so regularly it’s hard to keep writing about it as I’m always stating the same things: it’s dependable, cheap, and will run for years with very little maintenance.

It’s fairly ugly, but as we’ve not got an exhibition window in the caseback, that’s not an issue.

Specs include: running at a low beat of 21.6k bph (6 ticks a second), 24 jewels, 41-hour power reserve, hacking seconds, and hand and automatic winding.

This one is coming in at an acceptable +9.6 seconds a day – I like my mechanical watches to be within 10 seconds out.

Final comments

There’s no doubt about it, the Aquatico Bronze Sea Star is a lot of watch for the money, even with its flaws. The bronze case is beautiful; especially the bezel – however that little bit of wiggle is a shame. The water resistance and movement are as good as you can get at this price; so is the succulent leather strap.

My other criticisms are the depth of the crown (visually I think it could be a bit smaller) and the logo on the buckle – I would have liked that to be engraved rather than laser etched. Whilst the sapphire crystal is supremely thick and looks like it could take a hammer to it, the anti-reflection abilities leave much to be desired.

Saying that, despite the flaws, I still think it’s a great watch for the money. There’s certainly a spike in popularity with bronze watches at the moment – and the Aquatico Bronze Sea Star is a great option for you to consider.

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The Sea Star 300 promises so much at a pretty incredible price: Seiko NH35 movement, durable build quality, and 300m water resistance; all under £200. Let’s take a closer look to see how it fares.

Video Review

The specs

• Dimensions: 42mm diameter x 13mm height x 50mm lug to lug
• Weight: 164g
• Water resistance rating: 30ATM / 300m
• Movement: Seiko NH35
• Accuracy: +4.6 sec/day
• Lug width: 22mm
• Warranty: 1 year
• Price: $239 / ~£180
• Available from: http://www.aquaticowatch.com/goods/9syu3u.html

The case

Firstly, it’s good to recognise that the entire watch is very impressive, with a bulky, over-built ethos throughout. If you’re like me and love that kind of thing, then let me tell you: you’ll be impressed with how much steel you’re getting for your money.

The diameter is right on the sweet spot for a divers watch, although the height of 13mm means it sits on the tall side.

The case is fully brushed bar the polished top shoulders of the lugs, which are drilled-through meaning switching straps is much easier. The edges between the finishes are exceptionally sharp and crisp.

Sitting on top of the case is a very thick double domed sapphire crystal – you can tell this visually, and also when you tap it as it provides a deep thud. There is an anti-reflective coating on the underside which is perfectly sufficient for the price of the timepiece.

I really like the shape of the bezel; it flowers out which aids grip and also looks great when looking at the case flat-on. The bezel insert is printed aluminium, with a lumed pip at 12. Printing is good and it’s good to see the Pepsi colours used, which is much more eye-catching than a straight colour.

Although a helium release valve is not technically required for a watch rated at 300m, it’s still a cool thing to have. It’s located in the side of the case at 9.

The screw-in crown is really great to use – it has a decent grip, but also is very comfortably sized. It’s flat enough to look in place but wide enough to be able to be manipulated easily. It features the Aquatico logo accurately embossed on the end.

The screw-in caseback features a mermaid riding on a dolphin engraved within the centre, and the artwork of it is a little crude, so I’m not its greatest fan. But, it’s nice to see the effort here. Other details surround this central piece.

The dial

The dial itself is a simple design, but glad to see snowflake style hands used as they’re bold, eye-catching and very legible.

The hands have a brushed border, with a lumed centre.

The applied hour markers are constructed in the same way; the dull reflections from the brushed surround (rather than polished) is a gentle eye-catcher that is a little more relaxed and casual. The date window has a neatly applied steel style border which is surprisingly well manufactured.

There is no applied logo, but rather it’s printed. All print work is crisp and accurately done.

The lume is decent for the price; it doesn’t blow me away, but I’m not expecting it to.

The bracelet

The Sea Star 300 is loaded with an impressively think and chunky bracelet. It’s 22mm wide at the lugs reducing to 20mm at the buckle, being very weighty too signifying high quality.

It’s fully brushed, which is more resilient against scratches so it’ll look good a lot longer. All the links are accurately made with sharp, crisp edges. They also feature screw-in pins so resizing is pretty easy, just make sure they’re all nice and tight.

The buckle has a single locking flap on the top, with the Aquatico logo lightly etched in the centre – however, it could do with being engraved as it’s a little light. The buckle has a very secure fit and also features micro-adjustment so you can get the perfect fit.

The movement

The Seiko NH35A is used so much in affordable mechanical watches; with good reason too: it’s reliable, affordable and easy to regulate. It’s also cheap and easy to replace should something go wrong with it. It’s rather ugly, but with a closed caseback, no one will see it anyway.

Specs include: running at low beat of 21.6k bph (6 ticks a second), 24 jewels, 41-hour power reserve, hacking seconds, and hand and automatic winding.

The fact that it’s measuring at a staggering +4.6 seconds/day shows that it must have been regulated, as these movements don’t come out of the factory that accurate. Within COSC specs and under £200 is very impressive.

Final comments

This is a serious amount of watch for $239 / ~£180, there’s no doubt about it. What has impressed me most is the overall “over-built” nature of every single aspect of the timepiece: the thick crystal, the solid crown, the fat bezel, the impressively thick bracelet.

Any negatives I can think are only minor; the artwork on the caseback is a little crude, the buckle could do with the logo being engraved rather than laser etched, perhaps the dial is a little plain with nothing unique setting it apart.

But, if you’re after a rock solid diving watch, with a great build quality and decent specs for an exceptionally reasonable price – then you need to seriously consider the Aquatico Sea Star 300.

The post Aquatico Sea Star 300 Watch Review appeared first on 12&60.

Glancing at the specs (and indeed the watch itself), it looks to be a great timepiece for the money. Seiko NH35 movement, dashing looks, and a lovely leather strap for under $200 sure ticks all the right boxes. Let’s check it out in greater detail.

Video Review

The specs

• Dimensions: 40mm diameter x 11.5mm height x 50mm lug to lug
• Weight: 64g
• Water resistance rating: 10ATM / 100m
• Movement: Seiko NH35
• Accuracy: +9.1 sec/day
• Lug width: 22mm
• Warranty: 1 year
• Price: $199 / ~£155
• Available from: http://www.aquaticowatch.com/goods/kic4dy.html

The case

The 40mm case is fully brushed, and a simple barrel in shape. The size is very comfortable, but traditionally aviators are more towards the 44mm mark. Personally, I like it; you get the look and feel of an aviator but a more reasonable, comfortable size.

Sitting on top of the case is a K1 hardened mineral crystal. It’s a real shame it’s not sapphire, but at least it’s hardened. The clarity is stunning, however, with an excellent layer of anti-reflective coating on the underside.

The push-pull crown has the logo embossed on the end and is easy to use thanks to the reasonable size and effective grip.

The exhibition caseback has no detailing surrounding the window which makes it look oddly bare. Instead, some details are printed on the underside of the window, around the outer edge. It also has a fighter jet silhouette which is cool but obstructs your view of the movement.

The dial

In true aviator style, the dial is bright and bold; ideal for legibility. It has an eye-catching sunray steel central base, that works well with the concentric circular engraved outer edge.

The dial is loaded with Superluminova GLC3 and BGW9 (I’m not sure which is used where) – it’s really strong and impressive. I’ve found it charges quickly and glows brightly even in the day.

The hands have an attractive fish shape to them which is slightly different to what you’d expect, with a brushed base which matches the dial.

The date window is cut straight out of the dial base, I think it could be neater or had a little bit more attention. The printwork across the dial is very delicate and fine; impressively done despite the galvanised finish.

The strap

The strap is made of crazy horse leather. It is a beautiful rugged strap, but it’s a bit shorter than normal. It fits my ~7.25” wrist perfectly, with 3 holes left.

It’s super soft and supple, I love the look and feel. The horizontal stitching by the lugs and arrow at the base are an interesting touch.

The square tang buckle is completely brushed to match the case, with the logo lightly etched on the top bar. It’s a good size and easy to use.

The strap also comes loaded with quick release pins which are a plus, not that you’ll have the need to change it.

The movement

The movement used is the Seiko NH35, which is reasonably well regulated at +9.1 sec/day (I usually aim for anything under 10 seconds a day out). It’s certainly possible to regulate it to within COSC specs, but I can imagine that as they’re so well regulated straight out of the factory very minimal effort has been put into it from Aquatico’s side.

You really can’t go wrong with this movement (unless you’re desperate for high beat) – it’s sturdy, reliable, easy to maintain; and if it does go wrong – cheap to replace.

Specs include 21.6k bph (6 ticks per second), hand and automatic winding, date indicator, 24 jewels, ~41 hour power reserve, and bi-directional winding.

Final comments

Really, the only negative is the crystal. Yes, sapphire would be great but unfortunately, we don’t have it. Still, it could be worse, at least K1 hardened mineral is better than a standard mineral crystal.

Everything else is great for the money: the Seiko NH35 movement, level of detail on the dial, the lume, and the beautiful leather strap – all make it totally worth the money.

Yes having “Aquatico” strapped on an aviator is a little confusing, but it doesn’t stop it from looking great.

The post Aquatico Blue Angels Watch Review appeared first on 12&60.

Only 100 have been made, and Calvin has told me he doesn’t have any immediate plans to do another run – so if you like it, you’d better order one sharpish. It’s a very reasonable price at $210 / £165, and at initial inspection seems a very impressive watch for the money. Let’s take a closer look to see if it really is.

The specs

• Dimensions: 44mm diameter x 16mm height x 54mm lug to lug
• Weight: 184g
• Water resistance rating: 30ATM / 300m
• Movement: Seiko NH36
• Accuracy: -0.1 sec / day
• Lug width: 23mm
• Warranty: 1 year
• Price: $210 / £165
• Available from: http://www.aquaticowatch.com/super-charger-black-p-291.html

The case

The case looks like it has come straight off an instrument panel in a submarine. Whilst it’s no doubt rugged and raw; for the price, it’s actually exquisitely made. Multiple pieces all interconnecting to create this simple, yet appealing visual treat. There is an inner barrel with corner bulges containing the bolt threads which hold the top and bottom plates together. These plates are squares with the corners chopped off; the bottom plate includes the lugs.

The entire case is brushed, which makes most sense as it’s a tool watch and will need to stand the test of time – polished finish would just not be practical. The edging is a little sharp in places however, such as the tops and bottoms of the plates and lugs.

The lugs are drilled through, with a massive void for the gigantic screws used for the screw pins.

The case features a very large screw-in crown which has excellent knurled grip which is very easy to use. The thread is solid and easy to screw and unscrew. It has the Aquatico dolphin logo embossed on the end.

The 300m water resistance is a good rating for this price – as always, the first time I dunked it in water (which was the sea no less) I was a little worried; but it stood up to the test without fault.

The flat sapphire crystal is surrounded by a simple bezel with an outward brush direction, the crystal being very slightly raised so be careful not to knock it. The anti-reflective coating is wonderful for this price point, no doubts about it – it’s so clear at certain angles it’s almost as if it’s not there. I feel a decent AR coating always makes such a huge difference to the overall impression of a watch.

The screw-in caseback is plain and practical, with an illustration of a mermaid riding a dolphin. The artistic quality isn’t the best, but you’re not likely to see this much anyway. Varied specifics surround this drawing; all are lightly engraved.

The dial

Aquatico make special declaration that their watches are specifically professional diving timepieces; however I can’t help but feel that there’s a tactical influence to the Super Charger.

It has a flat black base, and is technically a sandwich dial due to the hour markers at a lower level.

The hour markers are stylised double digit numerals at 12, 3, 6 and 9. I like the usage of the leading zero, as it keeps balance throughout. Batons are used everywhere else.

The printing is accurate and relatively minimal. There are crosshairs in the centre, the logo in top half and depth rating / automatic in bottom half. The dial is surrounded by a minute track on the rehaut.

The hands are interesting fish shape, filled with two lume compartments. The seconds hand is a straight orange stick with a square two thirds up and a lumed disc within.

The lume is above average for this price point – it charges well and lasts a suitable amount of time.

The strap

The Aquatico Super Charger comes on an isoframe rubber strap, which is black to match the dial. It holes all the way along: 4 larger holes in the top quarter of either side are for show only. There are grip ridges on the underside to keep it in place on the wrist.

There is an angled cut off on the bottom of the long length and channels on either side to keep it interesting. The rubber is soft to the touch and surprisingly supple – sometimes these steps can be very tough to loosen up but this has been easy straight away.

The strap has an epic tang buckle with the Aquatico logo engraved on the top bar. It’s very angular and aggressive just like the case, with an incredibly curvaceous tongue.

The movement

The movement powering the Aquatico Super Charger is the Seiko NH36, which is more or less exactly the same as the incredibly popular NH35, with an addition of a day indicator. Both of these are well known as being great and reliable workhorse movements, so it’s likely to hold up well for quite some time.

The specs are all the same: 41 hours power reserve, hacking seconds, hand winding, 24 jewels. According to my Lepsi Watch Scope, the accuracy is a superb -0.1 sec / day – obviously this has been regulated which is a very positive sign.

Final comments

The Aquatico Super Charger sure is heavy at 184g – but it’s also extremely well weighted on the wrist. The AR coating is great and the general construction is superb at this price point. I’m not going to lie and say everything’s perfect; as there’s definitely room for improvement in terms of finishing the edges as they’re a bit too sharp, but that’s not that much of an issue in my eyes.

However, as great as the build is, the aesthetics are certainly unique and not for everyone; without doubt it’s a tool watch with a purpose and not really the kind of timepiece you can wear all day, everyday, at all times.

Still, for $210, there’s no doubt in my mind that this is a genuinely great watch for the money and comes highly recommended.

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