The Specs:

• Dimensions: 42mm diameter, lug to lug length 49.5mm, height 10.5mm
• Weight: 166g with full length bracelet
• Crystal: sapphire
• Movement: Swiss Made Ronda 6003D
• Water resistance: 100m

The case

The case is a fairly straight forward and simple affair. It’s a fully brushed barrel shape, with long curved lugs. The push-pull crown is unsigned and has a polished end, which delivers a mix of finishes. The finishing is good, it seems like it’ll be quite resilient to knocks or scratches. The caseback is also extremely simple; fully brushed bar a polished ring around the outer edge, and the watch specifics deeply engraved around the circumference. The sapphire crystal is very good quality: it has super clarity, and a decent anti-reflective coating. I think it makes the difference on an affordable watch and it’s impressive on the Etiqus Sport Tour.

The main feature of the case is the Butler Bezel: a patented design by Gary Butler, the founder of Etiqus. This is a way of keeping tabs of where you should be on a 18 hole course based on the well regarded belief that it’ll take about 4 hours to complete. Basically, you set the tee-off point (the ball on a tee at 12) to the minute that you start your round. As the time advances, you should be completing that hole as the minute hand goes within that section. Obviously it’s not perfectly accurate, as some holes are longer or more difficult that others, but it’ll keep you up to date with how you’re getting on throughout the round.

It’s an excellent idea, and one that deserves recognition – kudos to Gary for thinking up an idea like this and seeing it out.

The dial

The main thing of the dial that’s noticeable is the golf ball dimple effect. To the naked eye it looks great – it only really starts looking a bit “pixely” under the macro lens, and even then it’s not that bad. So it’s pretty impressive to have made this effect so well. But that’s not the only golf inspired element on the dial; the second hand is a red hold flag pointing left, just like what’s on the Masters logo.

The applied hour markers are made to mimic tee batons, and are accurately made and applied. They have a lured centre and a polished surround, matching the hands and producing a nice reflection in the light. I feel that the hands are a nicer shape than on the Sport Pro, mainly because they’re a little bit more subtle and classy looking, thanks to their sword shape. The lume on the hour markers and hands isn’t the best; it doesn’t glow too bright, nor does it charge particularly fast.

The printing across the dial is all accurate, and I like it when a little plateau is used on a textured surface so the print is on a flat surface, increasing accuracy and legibility as is the case on the Etiqus Sport Tour.

The date window is located at 3, and has a pleasantly made border surrounding it to split it up nicely from the dimple effect.

To summarise, the dial is well executed, with a couple of key golf design cues that will be appreciated by golfers.

The movement

The movement powering the Etiqus Sport Tour is the Ronda 6003D. It’s a simple, hard working, reliable Swiss Made quartz movement. It has a 3 and a half year battery life so you’ll get plenty of use out of it before having to change the battery.

The bracelet

The bracelet measures 22mm wife at the lugs, tapering down to 20mm at the buckle. The links are chunky and well machined, with two polished lines going along the entire length of the bracelet – very much like what you’d find on a Tag Carrera. It’s comfortable to wear, and is also very secure thanks to the double locking clasp. The clasp is rushed on top with the Etiqus logo deeply engraved on the top edge, and the locking flap is fully polished to keep things interesting. The bracelet is ultimately well made, styled correctly to match the case and watch in general, whilst being comfortable and dependable.

Final comments

As a watch, the Etiqus Sport Tour is well built and neatly designed. The golf ball effect on the dial is an effective visual component and the Butler “pace of play” bezel is a genuinely useful insert. Not forgetting Etiqus are a UK brand, plus the addition of a Swiss Made movement and very good sapphire crystal make it a must for any golf lover who is after a timepiece inspired by the great game.

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It’ll cost you £179 with a leather strap, or £199 on the bracelet. Let’s take a closer look to see if this is a reasonable price for what it’s offering.

The case

The case has an extremely streamlined appearance to it. Measuring in at 40mm in diameter, and a 50mm lug to lug length, it’s the perfect size for the classier look. It has a height of only 9mm, so it not only looks good on the wrist, but it also fits perfectly under a cuff.

The maximum weight of the Classic Tour with all links on the bracelet is 130g. So it’s not particularly heavy, yet it has a certain quality heft to it.

The finishing is a pleasant mix of brushed and polished stainless steel, the majority of the case being the latter. The top corners of the lugs (as well as the caseback) are the only brushed elements on the case, and are segmented in a very interesting way. The quality of the case in terms of machining and finishing is top notch, with no marks evident whatsoever, everything is more or less completely flawless.

The caseback is very simple, and is secured via push-fit rather than the more usual screw-in fit. This results in a lower water resistance, but it’s still rated at 50m, so it is perfectly acceptable for light water immersion. It’s brushed stainless steel, and has just two engravings – Etiqus on the top, and “spirit of the game” at the bottom, both following the curve of the outer edge. The engraving is nice and deep.

The push-pull crown is extremely simple, with no markings or engravings on the end. I personally would have liked to see something here, but it’s not too much of an issue that it’s been kept plain and simple. The grip is sufficient to alter the time and date, and it is all well machined with a high level of polished finish to match the side of the case.

Sitting atop the case is a very clear sapphire crystal with a thin layer of anti-reflective coating on the underside. This is most effective on the white dial, which is extremely clear, then the Auld Grey dial, then the black dial, which does show more reflections. Sapphire crystal is obviously always the best choice to go for thanks to the superior scratch resistance, and it seems to be pretty thick on the Classic Tour too – giving a decent thud when you tap it, signifying high quality.

The case is simple, but I do like the style of the brushed lugs and I think it does just enough to make the case a little different and interesting. The case as a whole is very well made and there’s no complaints here whatsoever.

The dial

The dial is available in three colours: black, white and auld grey. Auld grey is referring to the colour of stone used a great deal in St Andrews, the home of golf, which is a nice link. I can usually choose a favourite dial colour but to be honest, all three look great and I really can’t make a decision. They all look very classy and smart on the wrist.

The key feature of the Classic Tour, just like any other Etiqus, is the golf dimple effect on the dial itself. This is a great feature that many people love. It’s done in a subtle way so it’s not too harsh on the eye – so others don’t notice it at first, and then go on to comment about how much they like the fact that the face is just like a golf ball often when they’ve taken a double take. The dimples look fantastic to he human eye, but when viewed under a macro lens, they are a little bit pixelated around the edges. But, it still looks smart and is the best you’d be able to get.

The hands are simple and are obviously aimed at a more classic look. The second hand is golf themed without a doubt, being a red flag pointing to the left – inspired by the logo of a very famous golf tournament. The hour and minute hands are both the same shape, just in different sizes. The shape is called an alpha shape, and is a very thin diamond, with the bottom half being a lot shorter than the thin, elegant top point.

The hands are filled with lume, which isn’t that strong to be honest. It doesn’t charge up particularly fast, nor does it last too long. This same strength lume is found on the hour markers too.

The hour markers are applied, which I always love to see. They’re a pleasant trapezoid, with a polished base / border and lume center. The edge nearest the bezel is thicker than the other edges creating a “bold” base to them, keeping them visually interesting. They’re all very well manufactured and are applied accurately.

The printing on the dial is all very thin and precise, and I like how all the text is on its own little platform to avoid printing directly on the dimpled golf ball effect. This requires very high accuracy to get it all spot on and I’m pleased to see that this is the case with the Etiqus Classic Tour. The printing is pretty minimal, with the logo located in the top half, the company slogan “Sprit of the game” in the bottom half, Swiss movement at the very base of the dial, and finally the thin and unobtrusive minute track around the outside.

The date window has a polished border to it, which is always much more impressive to see than a simple cut-out of the dial. The border matches the hour markers and hands too, so they all reflect and catch the light pleasantly just at the right angles. The date wheel itself is white with black text on all the models, so if you’re the type of person who likes it to match, then the white dial is the one for you.

Which one do I prefer? It’s pretty hard to choose, but I think I like the white dial version most. Not only does it make most sense with the golf ball dimples but it also looks extremely classy (to be fair, all three do), but I just feel it catches my eye a little more than the other two.

The strap

The leather strap and bracelet both measure 20mm wide at the lugs, reducing to 18mm at the buckle.

The leather is very comfortable, soft and obviously high quality. It comes in a choice of brown and black, both bringing a different style and look to the wrist. The black strap is a deep, jet black, with matching stitching and is synonymous with a classic dress watch. Matched with the black dial, the Classic Tour looks great in a suit, but also passes off casually too. The brown strap is slightly more casual – it is a lovely rich oak colour with lighter stitching.

The buckle is quite simple, being a pretty standard tang buckle, and is completely polished. It has Etiqus deeply engraved within the top bar.

The bracelet is a mix of brushed and polished steel, with two thin polished stripes throughout. To match the streamlined appearance of the case, the links are also quite thin. This has its pluses and minuses. The positive is that it is very comfortable on, and as mentioned before it keeps the watch very thin and close to the wrist. The only negative is that if you’re like me and prefer a chunky bracelet, which offers a bit of weight and heft to the watch, then the bracelet on the Classic Tour will probably feel a tad too “lightweight” for you.

The finishing is all neat and tidy, especially around the difficult sections where the polished and brushed areas meet.

The buckle on the bracelet is brushed, with Etiqus deeply engraved along the centre of it. It’s a single locking buckle, so you release it by pressing the two buttons located on either side. This has proved to be sufficiently secure, I haven’t had it fail on me and pop open by itself yet.

I personally much prefer the leather straps, not because of the bracelet’s quality, but more because of the style – it’s just not to my taste. That not to say it’s a bad bracelet in the slightest. I believe it suits the watch very well, is very comfortable, and it has indeed proved to be very popular with the slightly more mature wearer.

To be completely honest, they’re both great choices no matter which on you go for. The leather is lovely and soft, and the bracelet is extremely comfortable.

The movement

The movement is Swiss Made, namely the Ronda 6003D. It’s a very solid and dependable quartz movement that is also used in the Sport Pro. It’s a higher quality movement than your standard quartz movement, thanks to its gold plating and 4 jewels. It has a battery life of around 3 years. The accuracy is the same as any other quartz; that being -10/+20 seconds a month – perfectly acceptable. Ronda have an excellent reputation of manufacturing reliable movements, so the Classic Tour Will keep on ticking for many years to come, both on and off the course.

The competition

Keeping to the style and specs of the Classic Tour, I think it’s main competitor would be the Christopher Ward C5 quartz. Both are quartz, around the same price range (the C5 is £199 for leather, £250 for bracelet), and are in a similar vein when it comes to looks. The C5 is Swiss Made, so it’s gotta bit of an edge there, but if you’re in it for the golf, then the Classic Tour is the obvious choice.

Final comments

My personal taste means that the bracelet doesn’t appeal to me (as someone in their late 20’s, I think it is more of a match for a slightly older generation. Gary (the director) tells me that the bracelet is very popular, and that the Classic Tour is favoured by the more mature end of the scale, which makes sense. If I really was to choose one of the Classic Tours, I’d most probably pick the white dial with the brown strap. It looks very sharp and classy, and it also wears extremely well thanks to the good quality leather and slimline case.

For £179/£199 I think they’re a great deal. Smart design, high build quality, and high specs are all working well here. Obviously all Etiqus watches are aimed at quite a specific market – that being those who love golf. If you do, then I don’t think there’s a better way to declare your love for this splendid game.

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That statement is the driving force behind Etiqus. I recently had the pleasure of meeting up with Gary Butler, the founder, who explained his fascinating story behind creating a watch brand focusing towards golfers. To cut a long story short, he thought to himself that you can tell if someone’s into diving, aviation, or racing from the watch they wear. So why should that be any different if you’re into golf? As there wasn’t anything available on the market, he set out to make an affordable, high quality watch for golfers. 

Based in Staffordshire, Etiqus are unequivocally British. They started selling mid last year (2014) so are still a very young watch brand. They have a range of watches, but the model we’re looking at now, the Sport Pro, is in my eyes their most impressive offering. Costing £269 on leather and £299 on the bracelet, let’s see if it’s a good deal – not only if you’re a golfer, but from a general watch enthusiasts perspective. 

The packaging

One thing that immediately stands out is the impressive packaging that the Etiqus Sport Pro comes in. It’s clear that a lot of time, effort and money has been put into this – something that sometimes can be overlooked by manufacturers. View the video review to see what I mean, but it’s a really pleasurable opening experience, with flaps here and there, boxes within boxes, and outer sleeves. It’s also got a brilliant little extra gift of a thick, quality ball marker for the green. A perfect talking point whilst on the course. 

The case

The Sport Pro is 45mm in diameter, which has been worked outwards from the size of a golf ball. So immediately in something so simple, we have a link to golf. There’s no denying that 45mm is on the large size. But if that bothers you, then there will be a smaller model released soon which is great news – and will probably go on to be a better seller.

Lug to lug, the Sport Pro measures 53.5mm, which actually isn’t that much for such a large watch. This is thanks to the relatively short and dumpy lugs. They are 24mm wide, which fits nice and large straps that will suit the watch well in terms of size. The lugs take a sudden down-turn, which fit the wrist well. I have a 7.5” wrist and it fits me perfectly fine.

Weighing in at 214g, it’s no featherweight either. It’s reassuringly weighty giving you a sense of higher grade, but not too weighty you couldn’t possibly play golf whilst wearing it.

The finishing and machining of the case is all completely flawless. It is brushed on the top, and polished down the sides and at the back.

Sitting on top of the case is a sapphire crystal. It’s very thick too – it gives you a decent “thud” sound when you tap it. It also has a light layer of anti-reflective coating on the underside, which does a great job in keeping the view of the dial extremely clear. It has a very slight blue hue, which looks great when you catch the light just right.

The push-pull crown is simple, but I like it. I like how the main segment is wider than the rest, creating a side profile that is rather shapely. It is completely polished, matching the sides of the case, and is machined very well. When you pull it out the stem feels solid, as if it’s all well put together.

The screw-in caseback is simple and understated, being completely brushed bar a polished rim, and various watch specifics etched around the outer edge, such as the name, the UK and US patent numbers for the bezel etc.

The Etiqus has a 100m water resistance rating, which is more than suitable for me to dip my hand in the water hazard to retrieve my ball. It’s enough to be able to swim in it too, which is always worth being able to do. 

Moving onto the bezel – the first thing you notice is that it’s not steel on top. It has a sapphire coated mineral crystal top to provide beautiful reflections. This is a lovely touch as it makes the watch look much more expensive. It almost mimics how a ceramic bezel looks. The bezel action is smooth, and it also lines up accurately. The printing of the insert is all very neat and fine, and it’s all rather impressive how refined it all is.

One of the main golf related features of the Etiqus is the pace of play bezel insert. Simply put, this works off the well regarded time of 4 hours to play a round of golf on an 18 hole course. You set your tee off time using the tee icon located at 60, and then as the time elapses you can see approximately what hole you should be on. Obviously it is definitely an approximation, as holes vary in length and difficulty, but it allows you to keep track of whether you’re on target to finish on time.

The overall quality of the case is excellent. There’s not a spot on it, and it’s all machines and made to an impressive level.

The dial

The most obvious ode to golf is the unmistakeable dimples found on the dial, reminiscent of a golf ball. These are subtle, so they don’t take over or spoil the look of the watch as a whole. The dimples are made to look 3D, with the edges reducing in size, as if you’re looking at a golf ball face on. This took some effort to get right, but it looks splendid now. When you look at the dimples with a macro lens, you can see the edging is not completely clean, but a little bit jagged. But, this is to be expected, and when you look at it with the naked eye you don’t notice at all.

The hands are relatively simple, with the minute hand being a baton with a point on the end, and the hour hand being a shorter baton with an arrow. The second hand, however, is a little more interesting – its counterbalance is a red flag pointing left, as can be found on the logo of a major golfing tournament. The hour and minute hand are both lume-filled. Whilst the lume isn’t mind-blowingly strong, it is suitable enough, and charges and lasts an average rate. The hands in general are excellently made, with no flaws visible at all. They are polished, providing a pleasant reflection when the light hits the dial.

The applied hour markers are also polished, so they also reflect the light. This is always something that pleases me. The hour markers are all the same shape – that of a tall triangle with the very tip cut off. At 12, there is a double triangle, where both are lined up next to each other. They’re all pretty small in size, so they don’t take up much real estate on the dial, keeping things simple and letting the dimple pattern do the talking.

The date window is located at 9, and features a splendid polished steel border, very neatly made and applied. It’s attention to the little details like this that always please me to see.

The printing on the dial is all very sharp and fine, and everything is positioned on its own little platform, providing a flat base for the printing to be accurate. This is a wise choice as it could get messy printing something directly on the dimple pattern. This is the case for the logo in the top half, “Swiss Movement” right at the base of the dial, and “Golf Linksometer, Pace of Play” in the bottom half, referring to the functionality of the bezel.

I do like a good deep rehaut, which can be found on the Etiqus Sport Pro. A printed minute track is located on it, with the number printed every 5 minutes. It’s pretty subtle, not taking up much space on the rehaut, which is a good thing. It keeps everything pretty neat and tidy, without spoiling the overall design.

All in all, the dial is very well designed, and also proficiently executed. It is obviously focused on golf, but done so with taste, and in a way that’s not over the top.

The movement

The movement is a solid and dependable Swiss Made quartz, namely a Ronda 6003 D three hand date. It boasts 4 jewels, 40 month battery life, and a date function. Nothing too radical or interesting really. The accuracy is between -10/+20 seconds a month, as is the case with most Quartz movements. Chances are you’ll find it’s actually a lot more accurate than that.

Of course, for £300, you can get Swiss Made automatic watches. But Etiqus have made it a requirement that their movements have to be Quartz. Why? Because they’re designed that they can be worn whilst playing golf whilst the main purpose is as a proper watch worn off the course for recognition as a golfer. It’s much safer to wear a quartz on the golf course, as they are more resilient to shock and are less likely to get damaged in the long term. So whilst an automatic movement would be preferred by many from a watch enthusiasts perspective, in this situation, it’s just not the right choice.

When you’re adjusting the time and date, the movement feels solid in the hand, reassuring you that it’s not a cheap piece of junk driving the watch. 

The bracelet

There’s no denying it, the bracelet is thick and chunky. It’s impressive to see, feel and wear. This is mainly thanks to the sheer size of it – it measures in at 24mm at the lugs, reducing to 22mm at the buckle. Personally, I love a decent, thick and bulky bracelet. But for some, this may be too much. I have felt the leather strap, and can say that it looks and feels excellent too – so that’s always a suitable alternative.

It’s completely brushed, bar 2 thin polished lines either side of the centre link. This is a wise choice as the brushed majority will be more resilient to scratches, whilst the polished lines introduce a bit of class and smarten up the look of the watch.

The links are very thick and are obviously very well made. They are quite angular in design when viewing them side-on, which is a pleasant and unexpected design cue.

The bracelet utilises standard pins, so it’s easy to resize straight out of the box, if you have a pin removal tool. 

The double locking buckle is all brushed, and feels extremely sturdy and dependable whilst on. This is an obvious plus, as you don’t want your watch flinging off when you make your drive down that 500 yard hole. It’s nicely machines, with the Etiqus logo quite deeply etched on the top. The only negative about it really is the elbow joint is a bit plain and ugly, and doesn’t seem to be quite on the same level as the rest of the bracelet.

The whole thing is very impressive, extremely comfortable, and does indeed portray a high level of quality.

The competition

As we discussed earlier, Quartz is the only way to go whilst playing golf. Because of this, I’ve decided to omit all mechanical watches whilst I’ve thought about the alternatives. To be completely honest, there’s nothing out there that is a direct competitor. 

The watch that comes closest is the Tag Heuer Golf. They’re no longer made, but you can get one second hand for around the $700. This doesn’t have the functionality of the pace of play bezel on the Etiqus, the only thing really linking it to golf is the dimple texture on the dial. Personally, I don’t think it’s that great a looker.

Another alternative is a watch that’s not golf related at all. It’s Quartz, British, and gorgeous in its design and execution. Costing the same as the Etiqus at £300, the new Swiss Made Christopher Ward C60 Trident 300 Quartz is a watch that would settle in nicely in a golf club. But, if you’re a true golfer, it just won’t cut the mustard when compared to the Etiqus.

Final comments

I’ll go ahead and say it – if you don’t play golf, a watch like this is rightly so completely lost on you. Even so, if you’re a watch enthusiast, you can still appreciate the thought and design that’s been put into the Etiqus Sport Pro. It is a very well designed and made watch, no doubt about it. It looks and feels impressive, and anyone who appreciates watches will know that this is a quality timepiece. Not only is the watch great, but I love the presentation box it comes in too. It shows how much thought and effort has been put into it. Gary Butler, the founder, is a wonderfully honest man. He discussed with me his desire to create as good a watch as possible for the golfer, at a reasonable price. He’s succeeded in his goal, which is definitely worth commendation. 

It’s simple really. If you love golf as much as you love watches, buy an Etiqus.

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