Comparing the two, it’s obvious that Melbourne Watch Co have come a long way. To think around 5 years ago Sujain started off building custom pilot, PAM, and marine watches under the guile of “Melbourne Custom Watches”.

To me, they were one of the first true microbrands that we see so much of nowadays – using Kickstarter to springboard their dreams of becoming a successful brand. Nowadays, there’s a new release on Kickstart every week. 4 years ago, however, it was all pretty new.

Like the original, at a glance the Flinders Classic looks plain and simple; but has a few tricks up its sleeve by way of little design nuances which I love – a sign of clever design. Let’s take a closer look to see how it fares.

Video review

The specs

• Dimensions: 40mm diameter x 9.9mm height x 47mm lug to lug
• Weight: 77g
• Water resistance rating: 5ATM / 50m
• Movement: Sellita SW200-1
• Accuracy: -0.5 sec/day
• Lug width: 20mm
• Warranty: 2 years
• Price: AUD $950 / £535 / $700
• Available from:
  • DIRECT – https://www.melbournewatch.com.au/collections/flinders/products/flinders-classic
  • UK based? Page & Cooper are their official rep – https://www.pageandcooper.com/melbourne-flinders-classic/

The case

The case actually wears quite large for a 40mm diameter; most likely due to the fact that it’s all dial – thanks to the thin bezel, and also the shape of the barrel. It’s not the most shapely, but it has a pleasant array of finishes and angles working well together. It has a slightly unconventional construction – the caseback and lugs are together as one unit, whilst the barrel fits around the lugs and then the bezel sits on top.

The fully polished bezel has a precise angle and joins to the case, which in turn is fully brushed. The lugs are polished on the sides and shoulders, whilst the top and insides are brushed. The caseback has a thin polished edge which is visible whilst wearing the watch, with the flat back being brushed housing various details deeply engraved surrounding the exhibition window.

The push-pull crown is very easy to use thanks to a tiny nick in the underside of the case, allowing you to get your nail in easily underneath it to pull it out – a great idea that should be out there more. The crown itself has the M logo embossed on the end, which is polished against a blasted backdrop. The grip is thick yet classy, and easy to use. I always used to think that the crown on the original Flinders stuck out too much, so I’m pleased to see the dimensions have been revised.

The flat sapphire crystal is exceedingly clear, with a very effective anti-reflective coating.

The dial

The Flinders Classic has a crisp, multilayered, bold, white dial. There’s a central disc with vertical channels surrounded by an outer edge at a higher level, providing a sense of depth to the dial. The very outside minute track drops down to the same level as the centre.

The printwork is all delicate and crisp, the thin black ink on the white dial is very elegant.

The applied indices are intricate and are spotlessly manufactured, with square edges and a ramped end; as well as a subtle separate sphere at the base which tops it off. The design is the same as original, but higher craftsmanship.

The date wheel has a polished steel border, cutting into the higher outer ring. There’s a custom font used on the white date wheel.

The main hands are simple in shape; straight with a pointed tip. They’re blued and pitched which catch the light so well. The seconds hand is the same across every single Melbourne Watch – a thin point with the “M” of the logo as a counterweight.

Unfortunately there’s a stray bit of fluff on the dial at around the 52-minute mark; hopefully, this is due to the watch being a press loaner.

The strap

For me, 20mm wide is a suitable size for the strap. The soft, matte textured top grain is clearly very good quality leather, which is backed up by the lovely smell. The matching black stitching keeps things classy.

The fully polished buckle is the same style from the very beginning – a bulbous top bar which houses the Melbourne Watch Co logo. It’s good to see a twist like this on the buckle, as they can be so boring and plain. Down either side is a channel that catches the eye. Just be careful, as the polished nature is sure to pick up plenty of hairline scratches pretty quickly.

The movement

The movement is a fine upgrade from the Miyota 9015; the Swiss Made Sellita SW200-1. It is visually exactly the same as the ETA 2824-2, bar the inclusion of an extra jewel. It has an excellent reputation, and will surely be reliable and serve you well got many years.

The specs are all as you’d expect: 28.8k bph (8 ticks per second), 38-hour power reserve, hacking seconds hand, hand and automatic winding.

It’s clearly been excellently regulated; it’s coming in at a highly accurate -0.5 sec/day. It also has a customised rotor, with a plate applied on top and custom print work.

Final comments

Firstly, it’s worth noting that there’s no doubt that this Flinders is many times better than the original; and that also goes to show how far Melbourne Watch Co have come in just a few years.

Is it still worth the money? Yes AUD $950 / £535 / $700 is a lot, there’s no denying that. I’m sure many of you are saying that you can get fully Swiss Made equivalents for that – and you’re right, you can. However, we’re seeing an interesting shift currently thanks to Microbrands like MWC. As only 50% or so of the VALUE of a watch has to be constructed in Switzerland to allow those two ever-so-important words printed on the dial (that cost is usually covered by the movement and labour itself), the majority of some “Swiss Made” watches are actually made in China. Indeed, this demonstrates that the microbrands that are openly made in China are actually on a par with some Swiss Made watches. I’m not talking about Omega or Rolex, but the more affordable Swiss timepieces are honestly no different to a watch like this Flinders apart from those two words on the dial.

Anyway, rant over. Is it worth it? I believe so. The level of finishing is beautiful, and the movement’s regulation is top-notch. The fluff under the dial is a bummer, but I’m pretty sure it’s a one-off and wouldn’t happen again. I love to close attention to detail on the dial and case, and despite it looking simple at a glance, there are little nuances that impress.

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I’ve now got the opportunity to advance my knowledge of their collection yet again with the Collins. One of their very latest releases; it’s a well-priced and smart offering that rocks all the right boxes as ever. Let’s take a closer look.

The specs

• Dimensions: 38mm diameter x 9.7mm height x 46mm lug to lug
• Weight: 60g
• Water resistance rating: 50m / 5ATM
• Movement: Miyota 9015
• Lug width: 18mm
• Accuracy: +4.0 s/d
• Warranty: 2 years
• Price: $679 AUD / £390
• Available from: https://www.melbournewatch.com.au/collins-cl-38-a-3hd-05/

The dial

The dial of the Melbourne Watch Co Collins is available in 4 variants: silver, black, charcoal and blue. This is the charcoal, and each variant features the same sunburst effect that catches the eye.

Melbourne Watch Co have proved that they are a dab hand at producing smart, classy designs and the Collins is no exception.

The dial features slightly domed polished hour markers, which is a welcome take on the standard flat batons as they work the light really well based on the angle. At the base of these hour markers reside small, unassuming round steel pips. These are a lovely touch as you honestly don’t notice them at a glance, but they’re a subtle minor example of close attention to detail that strikes you once you do.

Bold and striking pitched dauphine hands sit proud in the centre of the dial. The seconds hand has the usual M acting as a counterweight, one of the many little touches that feature on all Melbourne Watch CO’s timepieces. All hands are very well machined and finished.

The dial has minimal printing: really there is just the logo in the centre of the top half, and the model name Collins in the bottom. This keeps the dial uncluttered and classy. The date window has a lovely polished border to it – it displays flawless manufacture even at close range.

Personally I think the font family used on the date wheel isn’t quite matching, but a great positive is the background colour matching the dial.

The case

The fully polished, and is a simple barrel shape. Just like the Sorrento, the quality of finishing is very good and they both demonstrate a massive improvement from all their previous models. I’m not saying that the older models are bad, not at all – but rather that these two new models are a much higher level of quality than expected.

It’s a lovely size for smart wear; 38mm in diameter and a height just shy of 10mm provide an easy wear whilst being able to make a statement.

I like the dumpy lug shape on the case – it makes the watch as a whole more compact.

The flat sapphire crystal is very clear and has a good layer of anti-reflective coating on the underside.

I think the crown is a little on the large side – it looks to me to stick out a bit too much and appears ever so slightly out of ratio. However, this does mean that it’s really easy to use, and it also feels reassuringly sturdy in the hand. It has the Melbourne logo etched in the end.

The exhibition caseback has sapphire crystal too which is good. Various engraved watch details surround the exhibition window.

The strap

The leather strap has a smart matte finish and has a traditional crocodile print pattern.

A soft underside results in a comfortable wear on the wrist. I have found it to be quite stiff even after wearing it for a while, so this is the one aspect I’d like to see improved. It would feel a lot better if the leather was soft and supple.

The tang buckle is the usual affair for Melbourne Watch Co – a style that is on all of their models. It’s an unusual shape, thanks to the bulge to house the round logo. It’s very well finished (fully polished to match the case) and easy to use.

The movement

The Miyota 9015 is such a popular movement now, it’s almost as if every other watch has one in. Of course, the popularity is thanks to the specs and reliability it offers as an affordable price – it provides a similar performance as some Swiss movements if regulated correctly. I find the main drawback is the appearance: it is very industrial, plain, and uninspiring.

The accuracy of this specific movement, using my Lepsi Watch Scope, is coming out as +4.0 sec/day. This is within COSC specs and is proof that with a little bit of tinkering, the 9015 can play with the big boys.

The main specs include 24 jewels, 42 hour power reserve, hacking seconds, hand wind capabilities and the fact that it runs at high beat of 28.8k bph (8 ticks per second).

I have found this 9015 to be a bit on the noisy side; you can hear it free wheel every so often. Melbourne Watch Co have customised the rotor with a print of their logo.

Final comments

Once again, Melbourne Watch Co have produced a lovely timepiece in the Collins. Whilst on the upper end of the price scale for a Miyota 9015 watch at $679 AUD / £390, it’s still a beautifully crafted watch. I said it in my review of the Sorrento – these latest two models have seen a drastic increase of quality in their watches. The fit and finish is on a higher level than all their previous watches (not that they were bad!), which in my eyes supports the price tag.

The Collins is splendid both in looks and construction, and I for one am pleased to see the direction Melbourne Watch Co are headed. I just hope their prices don’t keep on creeping up and they remain well priced.

The post Melbourne Watch Co Collins Watch Review appeared first on 12&60.

Now, we are presented with their latest timepiece – I make it their 9th (which is mightily impressive considering they only started early 2014) – the Sorrento. Just looking at it you an tell what kind of watch this is – a sturdy diver with a delicate and classy dial (ceramic, like the Portsea). A very nice concoction in my mind. The price, however, is their most expensive to date – costing $949 AUD / ~£588. Lets see if it’s still a good buy.

The specs

• Dimensions: 42mm diameter x 14mm height x 50mm lug to lug
• Weight: 198g
• Water resistance rating: 200m
• Movement: Miyota 9015
• Accuracy: 12 s/d
• Lug width: 22mm
• Warranty: 2 years
• Price: $949 AUD / ~£588

The case

The case is a real beast. Chunky in size, appearance and weight; it provides a genuine sense of quality.

The shape is simple enough and the finishing is primarily brushed, to ensure resistance against scuffs and to make it hard wearing.

I always find Melbourne Watch Co have slightly too small crowns in ratio to the case, and I think it’s the same on the Sorrento. It is impeccably machined and finished and has the M logo engraved on the end, as is their custom. The case also has decent crown guards which will provide good protection.

The double-layered engraved bezel is pretty special: the wave pattern is striking and is moulded to a very high level of quality. The hour markings are cut out accurately, but it’s a shame they’re not filled with lume though – they’re screaming out to be! Literally, the only issue with the watch I have been able to spot is the alignment of the pip in the triangular marker at 12. The bezel has great grip around the outer edge and a lovely silky action to boot.

The caseback has deep stamped detailing in the centre; that of a scuba diving headpiece. It’s precise and intricate.

The flat sapphire crystal has great clarity and an anti-reflective coating, allowing the various reflective surfaces of the dial to do all the talking.

The dial

The multi-layered ceramic dial is very intricate and dispenses a number of reflective surfaces and elements.

The base level has a lumpy / linear finish to it, after which there’s a glossy ring around this at higher level. Finally there’s one more higher level with the minute track on. These layers bestow depth and visual diversity.

The printing of the logo and “Sorrento” on the base level are on little platforms to make sure the printwork is on a flat surface.

The hour markers are all applied discs – apart from 3, 6 and 9 – which are delicate adjoining batons that link the glossy ring with the lower level.

The hands are an interesting shape, with a polished channel down the centre and brushed edges. There is a lumed strip along the centre too, towards the top.

The seconds hand is a straight point with an elongated block near the end. The usual M logo has been used as the counterweight.

The lume strength is slightly above average.

The bracelet

The bracelet is of great construction, to match the case. The links are smooth, accurately machined and flawlessly finished. They have a polished centre link, and brushed side links which have polished edges. They are also brushed on the underside to allow for a comfortable wear on the wrist.

The bracelet comes fitted on a double locking deployant buckle. The polished top locking strip has the M logo engraved in the centre, and the rest is brushed.

It’s easy to adjust thanks to the screw pins – the entire thing is also easy to remove thanks to the quick release pins. I’ve not seen these on a bracelet before, so a neat job by Melbourne Watch Co including these in.

The movement

The movement used is the Miyota 9015, one that’s used a lot in microbrands nowadays. And no wonder really, as it boasts the same specs as many Swiss Made autos (40 hours power reserve, hacking seconds, hand winding) and has the potential to be as accurate and reliable too.

The accuracy of this one in particular, measured with my Lepsi Watch Scope is 12 s/d out. Whilst this is fairly reasonable for a non-COSC movement, I have seen 9015’s regulated to within COSC specs.

Final comments

The Melbourne Watch Co Sorrento truly is a delightful watch, there’s no denying that. The quality of this timepiece is easily the best I’ve seen yet from the Australian brand. The quality of finish to the case, bracelet and dial – everything really, is superb. The only thing I can see that needs noting is the pip in the marker at 12 in the bezel insert.

But, unfortunately – and being completely honest, I personally feel the price is a little too high. For $949 AUD / ~£588, we’re talking about the same price as well established Swiss Made watches. That just might be too much for a watch with a Miyota in, but at least the quality is most definitely there.

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It’ll cost you £240 / $495 AUD / $340 USD, and features a Seiko mecha-quartz movement, sapphire crystal and polished rose gold plated case. Let’s see if it’s worth it.

The specs:

Size: 42mm x 52mm x 11mm
Crystal: sapphire
Movement: Seiko VK64
Lug width: 22mm
Weight: 77g
Water resistance: 50m

The case

The case measures in at 42mm in diameter, 52mm lug to lug, and 11mm tall. For a classic / smart watch, this is quite imposing and takes up a lot of wrist space. Thankfully the 1mm height is thin enough to slip under a cuff still.

With a weight of 77g, it’s light enough to counteract the size and maintain a comfortable wear.

The cushion shape is pretty vintage, and is a key aspect of the 1960’s styling. The case main (not the caseback, more on that later) is completely polished and rose gold plated. All of the finishing and machining is splendid.

The flat sapphire crystal is extremely clear, and it has an excellent anti-reflective coating.

The pushers have a large base to push, and provide a decent click upon pressing.

The push-pull crown is small, with the Melbourne Watch Co logo engraved in the end. It’s a little hard to pull out, as it’s quite inset into the case.

The screw-in stainless steel caseback features an engraved relief of Melbourne’s Royal Exhibition Building, located within the Carlton suburb. The engraving is very accurate considering the detail.

The dial

The dial is a smart and classy silver / champagne colour. With concentric circular patterns on the subdials providing a sense of depth, the dial is simplistic and smart. It also has a number of design cues that can be found across all the MWC models which is a really nice touch.

With the accurate and precise printing of the seconds track, logo in the top half and “Carlton” in script in the bottom half, the details are all elegantly done and not overpowering.

The main hands are extremely simple pitched sticks with a point, with a tiny slither of C3 Super-Luminova running through the centre. The second hand is classic Melbourne Watch Co, very thin with the “M” logo acting as the counterweight. The hands are all well made.

The hour markers are also a classic Melbourne Watch Co feature – with applied batons and a “blob” at the base, the exact same as can be found on the Parkville and Flinders.

The subdials provide depth to the dial, and the hands are pitched to reflect the light in a pleasing way.

The strap

The leather strap on the Carlton is a lovely deep brown colour that suits the rose gold case. The strap measures in at 22mm wide at the lugs, tapering down to 20mm wide at the buckle.

The leather is comfortable and decent quality, with a soft underside that has the Melbourne Watch Co logo and “genuine leather” stamped on. It’s not stiff (for a new strap this can often be the case), but rather, it’s supple and has plenty of wiggle.

The top has a crocodile grain print applied to it, which has a nice variety of shades of brown. This couples with the brown stitching well.

The buckle is another key feature of MWC that appears across all their models. It has a distinctive bulge that surrounds and contains the circular logo. The buckle is rose gold plated, to match the case.

The movement

The movement in the Melbourne Watch Co Carlton is one that we’re starting to see more of: the Seiko VK64. It’s a mecha-quartz, meaning that it uses the best of both mechanical and quartz technologies. The main time keeping element of the movement is quartz, using the battery as normal. However, when using the chronograph, it uses a mechanical system that is also powered by the battery. The key difference to note is that when you use the chrono, it has a “sweep” of 5 ticks per second rather than a once-per-second tick as a normal quartz chrono would.

The specs include: 3 year battery life, the usual good quartz accuracy of +/- 20 seconds per month, date indicator (although not used on the Carlton), 24 hour indicator (the subdial at 3), and of course, the chronograph function. The fact that it’s a Seiko movement means that it’s going to be a well-made, reliable movement.

Final comments

Considering what you get, I’d say that £240 / $495 AUD / $340 USD is a pretty reasonable price. The Carlton is a watch that’s been thought-out, is well made, and offers 1960’s styling that can’t be found too often. When you couple that with a cool mecha-quartz movement, sapphire crystal, and all-round decent finishing, the Melbourne Watch Co Carlton is a great proposition. Whilst I personally wouldn’t wear it religiously (I’m more inclined towards divers as my everyday wear), it would definitely have a good part to play in a collection.

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It’ll cost you $799 AUD / $575 USD / £380 GBP, so we’re in solid middle-ground boutique pricing that may seem a little more than alternatives out there. Is it worth it? Let’s find out.

Specs:

• Case – 45mm 316L Stainless Steel with DLC coating, 12mm height, 54mm lug to lug length
• Weight – 101g
• Movement – Miyota Cal. 90S5 Open-Heart Automatic
• Crystal – Anti-Reflective Sapphire
• Dial – Multi-layered with ‘shuriken’ centre texture and Orange C3 Super-Luminova applied indices.
• Hands – Orange C3 Super-Luminova
• Strap – 24mm Leather, 22mm DLC buckle.
• Water Resistance – 50m/5ATM
• Warranty – 24 Months

The case

The DLC coating has a brushed matt texture to it, and feels heavy duty – I’m pretty sure it’ll handle a knock or two.

With a 45mm diameter and 54mm lug to lug length, the Avalon is on the large side. However, the relatively thin height of 12mm counteracts this. The watch is fairly heavy at 101g, letting you know you have a decent timepiece on your wrist.

The sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating is extremely good – the sapphire crystal is superbly clear and the AR coating does a great job at keeping reflections at bay. Certainly one of the best crystals I’ve seen on a watch of this price.

The caseback is not DLC coated, in order to avoid it seizing shut. It has a sapphire crystal as the exhibition window, and all details are reasonably well engraved.

The crown is classic Melbourne Watch Co, with the logo etched in the end – the same as all their other watches.

The dial

The dial is the main thing that struck me as being better than anticipated. I was expecting the little plaque with “Avalon” on and the feature around the open heart to be a bit cheap looking, but they’re far from it. They’re made with high quality materials and are excellently put together and applied. On top of this, the shuriken (ninja throwing stars) texture and concentric circular pattern on the outer index are both very well carved.

The badge with “Avalon” on is an actual piece of metal screwed onto the dial. Quite unexpected.

Same goes for the feature around the open heart. Top finishing.

The logo is on its own plaque, sitting atop the shuriken texture.

The applied hour markers are all made with great precision – filled with orange lume (to match the hands) and with a polished steel surround to provide a nice bit of reflection when the light hits the dial.

The part skeletonised hands are well made, and provide great visibility thanks to the offset of orange against the black dial. The seconds hand, of course, has the Melbourne Watch Co “M” as the counterweight.

The strap

The strap is a wide boy at 24mm wide at the lugs, going down to 22mm at the buckle. The leather is also quite thick, so you definitely know that you’ve got this watch strapped to your wrist.

The leather is completely black with matching stitching to go with the case, creating more of a stealth look than aviation. It’s pretty soft and comfortable.

Like the crown, the buckle is another thing that is the same on all Melbournes. It has the bulge to fit the engraved logo in, and I really like the consistency they’ve got going on here. The DLC coating is a spot on match to the case, and the buckle is well machined.

The movement

I personally haven’t come across the Miyota 90S5 before, probably because it’s a very specific movement that features an Open-Heart. But, it’s pretty much the 9015 – which we’re very well aquainted with. You know what you’re getting with Miyota, a solid, reliable movement – albeit a bit of a plain one. It’s a nice touch of Melbourne Watch Co that they added a custom logo to the rotor.

The Miyota 90S5 runs at 28.8k bph – that’s a nice smooth sweep of 8 ticks a second.

It has 24 jewels, as well as hand winding capabilities and a hacking second hand.

Final Comments

I’m quite happy in admitting that when I originally saw the pictures of the Avalon upon its release, I wasn’t particularly too fussed about it. However, seeing it in the flesh has completely changed my mind on it. Although it’s not as much as an “aviator” style as it would like to be (I would say it looks more of a stealth / tool watch), it’s still a very cool looking timepiece. But it’s the build quality that has struck me; it is so much better than I was expecting and has made the Melbourne Watch Co Avalon a great timepiece in this price bracket. The hard wearing DLC coating, detailed dial, good quality movement, topped off with a great crystal and AR coating means it’s worth the initially quite high £380 price tag.

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What’s not to like about it? It’s a proper sized dress watch at 36mm (surprisingly hard to come by nowadays), and has a solid Seiko automatic movement, sapphire crystal and a beautiful dial. Let’s look at it closer to see if the Parkville is good for the money.

The case

Immediately you’re welcomed by the beautiful polished rose gold plated case, at an elegant size of 36mm in diameter. It has a lug to lug length of 43mm, so it really doesn’t take much space on your wrist at all. It also has a height of a mere 11mm, so fitting it under your shirt cuff is not a problem in the slightest. In this modern era, where watches are getting larger and larger, the more traditional size of dress watch is increasingly hard to come by. This, I feel will cause division. Either you’re more toward the traditional, and therefore approve of the Parkville’s size, or you are a modern watch wearer, in which case the watch it probably too small for your liking. I’ll admit, I thought I was one who much preferred the larger watch. But wearing the Parkville has opened my eyes and I can see that it is a wonderful size for the correct circumstance. So don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.

The case is made of 316L stainless steel, and is polished in its entirety. The main section of the case is rose gold plated, whilst the caseback remains standard stainless steel. Whilst this means that there’s no continuation in colour throughout the entire case, it’s not something that’s visible whilst wearing, so don’t let that put you off at all. In fact, it’s a very nice caseback in its own right.

The stainless steel caseback features an attractive drawing of a W-class tram, which were constructed between 1923-1956, with 38 currently in service in Melbourne itself. They’re known to be a cultural icon, and are actually classified by the National Trust. So they are fitting to be used by Melbourne Watch Co on the Parkville, who like to dedicate a lot to their home city on their watches, which is commendable.

It’s a screw-in caseback, and the engraving is all deep and precise, even through it is quite a complex image. Surrounding the drawing is various watch specifics, such as the jewels, “automatic movement” and “stainless steel”. All this writing is fine and accurately engraved, and makes for an attractive caseback.

Sitting on top of the case is a gorgeous sapphire crystal. It’s flat, and has a stunning layer of anti-reflective coating on the underside. This offers an excellent level of clarity and is also very effective at reducing reflections. It also has a pleasant blue hue to it, which suits the hands and strap well. To me, this really sets off the entire watch well.

The Parkville has a water resistance rating of 30m. This means it’s not really designed to be fully submerged under water, unless it’s a very brief immersion. It will be able to handle getting splashed by the rain, or by water from you washing your face for instance. To be honest, I don’t think this is the kind of watch that you’d submerge anyway, so just be careful with it around bodies of water.

The crown is push-pull, and can sometimes be a little hard to pull out. The only way you can pull it out is by getting your fingernail underneath it. Although this mean that the join with the side of the case is close and neat. It has the usual Melbourne Watch Co logo etched in the end, which looks good and fits pleasingly. The grip is not too harsh, but is perfectly fine for use whilst setting the time.

The lugs are 18mm wide, and have a very elegant shape to them, swinging down from the main case in an attractive smooth sweep. Although the case is small, they work well to keep the Parkville close to your wrist, offering a good fit for all sorts of wrist sizes.

The case is extremely well finished. The polishing is all completely immaculate, and the machining in general is also pristine. Of course, whilst this shouldn’t put men off, the size also means it’s well suited to be a woman’s watch too – a wise choice from Melbourne Watch Co.

The dial

The dial is clearly designed with elegance in mind. The main feature that catches my eye most is its rosetta spiral guilloche pattern, which is remarkably well done. The pattern is stunning to look at, and I also like how it’s not over the top – it’s a subtle texture that doesn’t detract from the dial at a quick glance.

On top of this pattern are the Melbourne logo and “Parkville” on their own platforms, to be able to have a flat level to print on. These are both printed delicately and with precision.

There are three main elements to the dial; firstly, the pattern, which is then surrounded by two more rings. They are all the same luxurious-looking platinum colour.

Outside of the inner spiral pattern is the first outer ring, housing the printed Roman numeral hour markers. The numbers are an apt design cue as they’re tall and thin, stretching the height of the ring itself – imparting an impression of elegance.

Surround this, and on the very outer edge, is another thin ring. This contains the minute track and some rather attractive hour markers. The minute track is printed dots, so fairly simple, not busying up the dial. The hour markers are the same “blobs” as can be found on the Flinders. They’re polished rose gold half spheres to match the case, and are surprisingly well made and applied for something so small and delicate. They provide another detail to the dial that’s elegant, subtle and impressive.

Moving onto the hands, they’re all blued (most definitely chemically or painted than thermally), which can look black in certain angles. Then, all of a sudden, you get a flash of blue which works excellently with the strap. The hour and minute hands are a extremely thin leaf shape, stretching out far and long. Very elegant. The seconds hand is a very thin stick, with another Melbourne Watch Co signature – the M as a counterweight. Some believe that the M is the wrong way around, and that it should read the correct way up when the seconds hand is at 60. But, this doesn’t bother me in the slightest as it’ll only be correct 1/60th of the time anyway, and also I can see why they’ve done it this way due to where they have to make the join (to the base of the middle dip in the M). In any case, the hands are all very graceful and well made.

The dial is extremely well designed, and along with the Portsea, I think MWC have made their best watches yet. It’s clear that Sujain (the owner, who designs every watch) has learnt a lot and continues to improve, which is great to see. It’s all excellently manufactured, and in my eyes this smart, classic watch is made by the elegance of the dial.

The movement

The movement powering the Parkville is the Seiko NH35A, one that’s starting to find its way into a few affordable automatics. There’s no surprise why – it’s well regarded as being an upgrade to the already mighty impressive standard Seiko workhorse movements, with the addition of extra functionality. 

It boasts 24 jewel, a beat rate of 21.6k bph (6 ticks per second), and 41 hours of power reserve on a full wind. It also supports being wound up from the rotor spinning both ways, clockwise and counter-clockwise, so it’s quick to wind whilst wearing it. 

The added features on top of the standard Seiko workhorse movement is the hacking seconds hand, and hand winding ability too. All these things make for a decent, solid, dependable movement that won’t let you down and will do all you need it to do.

The strap

The strap is suitably sized at 18mm wide at the lugs, reducing to 16mm at the buckle. I’ll admit, I haven’t worn many watches at all this small so it took a little getting used to. But now, I realise how well suited and correctly sized it is for smart wear.

The thing that really catches your eye is the blue colour of the strap. Definitely something you don’t come across everyday but it really works. You may think that the colour restricts what you can wear the watch with, but I haven’t found this to be the case. The colour isn’t a harsh or bright blue, but rather a luxurious, dark blue that is subtle. It matches the blues hands to a tee, and creates a lovely contrast next to the rose gold case and buckle.

The leather itself is soft enough to be acceptable at this price range. It’s not mind-blowingly good quality, but it looks the part and is comfortable on the wrist. The stitching is all decent quality and well done, creating a distinction between itself and the leather thanks to its champagne colour. Whilst it’s obviously well put together, the stitching is thin, elegant and delicate which is well suited to the watch as a whole.

The buckle is polished rose gold to match the case, and is the classic Melbourne Watch Co shape – having the distinctive bulge to necessitate the logo in a suitable way. I like it, as it’s a little different and more shapely than a standard flat bar across the front. The logo is deeply engraved with reasonable accuracy, and the buckle is flanked by two indents either side to keep things interesting.

The polished finish is all mirror-like without blemish. I’ve always said that I like the effort that’s been put into Melbourne Watch Co’s buckles, as it’s not easy making something so simple that little bit different.

It’s a decent enough strap, that is suitable quality, and will please you in the looks department thanks to the colour.

The competition

I believe that the most important characteristic of the Parkville is its size at 36mm in diameter. Therefore, the competitors for me are similar sized dress watches. I’ve reviewed a couple that can be classed as alternatives.

Firstly, there’s the Rodina R005 Bauhaus homage. Costing only $120, it’s 38mm in diameter and very classy in design thanks to the Nomos it’s heavily based on. Well made with good specs for the money definitely make it a viable equivalent.

Second, there’s the Christopher Ward C5 Slimline. A little larger at 40mm, it’s super thin at only around 8mm. It’s also very smart, Swiss Made and I think it’s a steal at £400.

Final comments

36mm is quite an unusual place for a small boutique watch brand to go. You’d expect them to go for a size which will sell the most and will appeal to all – around 40mm. But I’m glad Melbourne Watch Co have gone for it. They’re making the most of a niche market here – dare I say it – a unisex watch. Don’t let that put you off at all, I just mean that it’ll look equally as great on a mans wrist than it will on a ladies.

The Parkville is the smallest watch I’ve reviewed yet. I was a little apprehensive at first, but I’ve completely come round to the size – and how it is, indeed, an excellent size for smart dress. I believe the Parkville is wonderfully designed, striking in appearance. But not only that, it’s very well made and has a high level of fit and finish throughout.

Don’t forget it has a two year warrantee, and that you’re also supporting one of the best and nicest newbies in the business (that’s Sujain). I’ve had a decent amount of comments whilst wearing the Parkville, so it’s definitely an eye-catcher. If you’re in the market for a dress watch, then do not fail to consider the Parkville.

The post Melbourne Watch Co Parkville Watch Review appeared first on 12&60.

Now we come to Sujain’s 3rd model, the Portsea, which has also been funded on Kickstarter. Its goal was $35k AUD, and it smashed it by receiving just over $100k AUD. It’s now available at an RRP of $775 AUD, or £405.

The Portsea is named after a seaside locale on the Mornington Peninsula southeast of Melbourne, and is Sujain’s own version of a traditional ‘marine chronometer’, which he describes as usually referring to the combination of a simple a white dial (traditionally enamel) and either black Arabic or Roman numerals.

One things for sure, you can’t deny that it’s a striking and classy watch. Let’s take an in-depth look at it to see if it’s worth the £405 price tag. 

The case

First off, the size. It’s bang on point at a sensible 40mm in diameter. This is large enough to provide wrist presence, especially as it’s pretty much all dial. 

The Portsea has a height of 12.5mm, which isn’t really that tall, but does actually look quite impressive when looking at it side on. I think this may be by the pleasant lines breaking up the case; one where the bezel meets the main case, and one between the case and caseback. It’s also quite a square shape to it, thanks to the angular bezel edge. It’s not sharp by any means, but has a slightly curved squared edge which provides a definite rim. 

The Portsea has a 48mm lug to lug length. This means the lugs only protrude 4mm at either end of the case, which isn’t a lot. The outcome of this is a comfy seating on the wrist, and a watch that can easily fit wrist sizes of 7″ and above. Interestingly, whilst the lugs are angled down, they don’t actually go farther than the caseback. So they don’t actually hug the wrist as much as they could. They do have a gentle angle out towards the edge of the case, merging with the sides by means of a join which looks like a crease/fold.

The watch in total only weighs 91g, which is heavy enough to feel like a quality watch, but not crazy heavy to make it hard to wear. I can easily wear this watch all day. 

The case is made of 316L stainless steel, and is fully polished. The polished finish is completely unblemished, and really suits the watch. There’s no sign of sharp edges or poor machining anywhere, but rather the case is made with accuracy and precision.

As you’d expect, the Portsea boasts a sapphire crystal. It also has an anti-reflective coating on the underside, which was one of the stretch goals of the Kickstarter campaign. Boy am I glad it was reached, as it’s brilliant. White dialled watches always look great anyway, but this crystal has super clarity and you’d barely notice it’s there. This is just another area where the Portsea punches above its weight. 

The water resistance rating is 100m / 10atm. This apparently means that you can swim in it. But I’ll be honest, I wouldn’t do that. Yes it’s a marine watch, so you should definitely wear it whilst on your yacht. But I personally wouldn’t trust watches with a standard push-pull crown to be fully submerged for a period of time. 

Moving into the push pull crown, it has a flat end, with the Melbourne “M” logo etched in. The grip is reasonable; the teeth are not unnecessarily large – but rather subtle, matching the watch well, and good enough to use. Just like the case, the crown is completely polished and excellently manufactured. 

Located at 2 on the side of the case is the month pusher. Not a great deal to report here, apart from it being pleasantly understated. The actual pusher itself is concave, and is surrounded by an outer ring. Although you don’t get a little tool to use, I find my strap removal tool to work perfectly.

Finally, we move onto the exquisite caseback. This is a gem reserved mainly for the owner, as the bast majority of people looking at the watch won’t even know it’s there. It’s stamped with a nautically themed scene rather than the traditional engraving or embossing. This creates an excellent 3D feel and look and is much more impressive. In fact, it has such deep engraving it almost reminds me of casebacks you’d find on watches such as the Omega Planet Ocean.

The entire caseback is polished bar the stamped scene, and is fixed into place by 4 screws. Surrounding the scene are various details for the watch, such as details about the movement, and that it’s rated at 100m water resistance. 

The one tiny niggle I have with it is in the centre – Melbourne Watch Co’s logo is lightly etched onto it. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem, but it just doesn’t do the rest of the caseback justice. It looks a little lost which is a shame. 

All in all, the case is spotless and intricate, with the caseback being the standout star.

The dial

The dial is quite possibly the key factor behind the Portsea’s success. Just look at it. It’s simple, clear, classy and elegant, and I haven’t found a single person who doesn’t love it.

It’s triple layered, providing a delightful sense of depth to it. It lets off a sense of luxurious aura that makes the whole watch appear much more than it’s worth. 

The outstanding design, coupled with the beautifully clear crystal makes it an affordable masterpiece. The crystal makes a difference as you can see the intricacies clearly. 

The top level is a small ring encircling the outer edge of the entire dial. This accommodates a rail-road style minute track beautifully designed and precisely printed. 

The next level is the ceramic main plate with the main hour indexes and subdials on. This is below the minute track, but surrounds the bottom centre level. The subdials are shaped like a disc with the centre cut out, giving them the appearance of a pair of glasses. This is all very nicely shaped, and of course, perfectly made. 

The base layer of the dial contains a 3D striated pattern to further enhance the depth effect. There is the logo located in the top half and Portsea in the bottom half of this base section, both on their own raised platform to print on a flat surface. 

The printing on the whole dial is extremely fine and precise. From the arabic numerals acting as the hour indices, to the day and month subdial markers, everything is sure and definite. I especially like how jet black the ink is, creating a brilliantly high contrast between the print and the dial.

The date window is cut out of the base plate of the dial, and also penetrates into the ceramic plate. The text of the date wheel is an appealing light weight serif font, suiting the air of the watch and promoting the sharp design.

The alpha styled ion-plated hands are the epitome of class, being delightfully thin and elegant – the minute hand reaching out to the edge of the dial, and the hour hand stretching to the rim of the ceramic plate. The second hand features the Melbourne “M” as a counter weight as can be found on all of their watches. The subdial hands are of “modern” style, as in thin points with a small disc serving as a counterweight. All the hands are of impeccable taste and craftmanship.

The dial as a whole is beautifully designed and executed.

The movement

The movement in the Portsea is a Miyota 9120. It’s one that is lesser used, mainly due it’s unique functions – it’s a triple-calendar automatic. Triple calendar means it measures 3 stages of date – the day, date, and month. The date is located in a date window at 6 (which I love), the day is in the left subdial, and the month is in the right subdial. 

It’s fairly easy to set, too. Pull out the crown to the first position, and you can set the date the normal way by twisting it clockwise. Turn it anti-clockwise, and you can set the day. 

Pull out the crown to the second position, and as usual, you’ll be able to set the time. That’s all fairly standard for watches with a day/date indicator. 

The obvious addition on the Portsea is the month  indicator. This is extremely easy to adjust, thanks to the tiny button located at 2. Simply press it with a small metal tip (I use the end of one of my strap tools) and it’ll advance the month. 

The Miyota 9120 is a high beat movement, running at the standard 28.8k bph (8 ticks a second), providing a high quality smooth sweep for the central running seconds hand. The movement also boast 26 jewels, not that you can see them to count them. 

The automatic rotor winds the moment uni-directionally, which means just one way. The winding direction is clockwise (looking at it from the caseback). As long as you wear the watch enough, this shouldn’t really affect you – just keep in mind that it won’t wind as quickly as a movement that winds bi-directionally. 

The 9120 also has hand winding capabilities (when the crown is fully pushed in) is , and a hacking second hand – pretty standard things you expect in a watch costing this much. 

The accuracy straight from the factory is -10~30 secs/day, but the Portsea is proving to be much better than that – being no more than 10 seconds out a day. It also has a standard 40 hour power reserve. 

Miyota are fast becoming a favourite for small boutique brands. They offer excellent, yet affordable movement that are readily available. There doesn’t seem to be any difference in quality with the 9120 – although you can see it, it performs perfectly well, and feels good in the hand when adjusting it. 

The strap

The strap is made of German leather, and is obviously higher quality when compared with the straps on the other Melbourne watches. Rightly so too, as the Portsea is their flagship model.

The brown leather is a beautiful deep chestnut colour, matching the watch aesthetics perfectly. 

It’s a little stiff to begin with, but that’s something that I’ve become accustomed to as it more or less happens with every brand new strap. Within a week or so it’s softened right up, and fits a lot better on the wrist. 

The strap is 21mm wide at the lugs, reducing to 18mm at the buckle. This is the correct size to match the watch, and balances the head perfectly resulting in a comfortable wear – it doesn’t have the tendency to spin around on the wrist. But – if you want to replace it, 21mm is a little bit of a strange width and you may find it difficult to find your favoured strap in that exact size. This is probably one of the only minor gripes I have with the watch.

On the underside of the shorter end of the strap is the Melbourne Watch Co’s logo, which is impressively large. The underside is very velvety, and is soft on the skin – again resulting in it being super comfortable whilst wearing the Portsea. 

The buckle is fully polished, and is just like all the other Melbourne buckles; a pleasantly unusual shape and perfectly made. 

It is of interesting design, characterised by a large bulge to contain the logo. It also has a welcoming detail of two lower edges running down both sides. Just a little thing, but it breaks up the buckle nicely.

It’s all very well made and is very easy to use – sometimes it can be hard or awkward to get a strap on just the right hole. But it’s quick and easy with the Portsea – and it’s probably mainly due to the quality of the leather strap too.

The strap or bracelet of a watch does carry a lot of weight when it comes down to overall presence on the wrist. The strap on the Portsea definitely reinforces the high quality aura of the whole watch. 

The competition

Doing a quick search, it’s actually pretty hard finding an alternative watch if you’re looking into ceramic dials. Obviously ceramic is more traditionally used for the bezel. So in this regard the Portsea is actually fairly unique. 

When it comes to the styling, though, there’s quite a few nice choices in the Marine style. 

The two I think are my favourites are both German. The Stowa Marine retails at €570 / £425. It’s well rebounded as being a lovely watch. But unfortunately they’re pretty hard to get hold of, you’ll end up waiting a good couple of months.

The Steinhart Marine 38 retails at €400 / £300 and is very good value for money in my opinion. It’s very clean and crisp, but a little simple when compared to the Portsea.

Final comments

Yes £405 is a lot, there’s no denying that. But what you get is a watch that oozes class and has a wonderfully high level of build quality – that of a watch much higher priced. And don’t forget too that you get a 2 year warrantee.

The fact that it’s completely custom designed by Sujain, and that it’s all built to his specification is remarkable on his part. He’s done a great job creating such a beautiful watch. 

Would I wear it? Hell yes. Would I buy it? Of course. Many other owners have shared their positive impressions too, so it’s proving to be a real hit.

The post Melbourne Watch Co Portsea Watch Review appeared first on 12&60.

The case

The case is 42mm in diameter, with a 49mm lug to lug length and a height of 12mm. I find this to be a size that gives the watch a lot of presence without being overbearing. For me, it’s ideal, as I like slightly larger watches. But it still maintains an impressive level of comfort despite this.

The lugs have a very soft design, with attractive and well machined cornering and edging. They’re quite short and angled too, which is why the Hawthorn fits so well on the wrist.

The screw-in crown has the Melbourne logo engraved in the end. Just like the Flinders, I think it’s ever so slightly out of proportion, being only just slightly too small. But it’s not a big deal, that’s just my personal thought.

There are no crown guards present, so you’ll have to be careful not to knock or damage the crown. This adds to the very simple, no-nonsense case design and build.

The Hawthorn has an exhibition screw-in caseback, where you can see the movement through the sapphire crystal. This is a very impressive feature for the price, as usually a watch manufacturer would use a mineral crystal there, as it’s not likely to get knocked or damaged. As Sujain mentioned in his interview with us, he does this to make sure all Melbourne watches are timepieces you’d be proud to wear, and one that would last a long time. Good for him. The caseback has a brushed centre around the crystal, followed by a polished outer edging. This, and the crown, are the only bit of polished finishing on the whole of the watch so it’s nice to see a bit of variety. All the writing (the logo, watch details and serial number) is engraved nice and deep, and done in a very clean and crisp way. It looks very tidy and feels good quality.

The case is all very well machined and finished, and feels impressive for the price. I really like the tool-like appearance it gives by the way that it is all brushed finishing. I think this is a watch that will prove to be an excellent addition to any watch box, especially for those looking for a casual tool or even a beater watch (although it will happily be a beater watch, I think it’s a bit too nice to be used as one).

Sitting in top of the case is a sapphire crystal with excellent clarity and a very effective anti-reflective coating on the underside. It does a great job of reducing glare and reflections, as it should, but also delivers the nice slight blue hue when you get the light just right. I find that a decent layer of AR always makes a watch look expensive, even if it isn’t. And this is the case with the Hawthorn, it definitely makes it look more expensive than it really is.

The Melbourne Hawthorn has a 10atm / 100m depth rating, thanks to its screw-in caseback and crown.

To finalise, whilst the case is very clean and simple, it is very well made and feels high quality. The design works well for the tool / casual / sporty type of watch the Hawthorn is.

The dial

For me, I feel that the dial is very well designed. It’s simple and bold resulting in an extremely easy read, yet has high attention to detail and neat little features which make it really attractive.

The main feature is the carbon fibre pattern in the centre. It’s not overbearing or looks tacky, as some carbon fibre patterns can be, but rather it appears to be well made and matches the sporty feel of the watch perfectly.

The logo and model name are positioned within the carbon fibre area, in the top and bottom halves. They are situated on their own little raised plaques, so they have a flat back to print on. A very nice feature, which keeps the dial looking clean and crisp. The printing would have looked terrible if it was done straight on top of the carbon fibre pattern.

The dial also feature a large rehaut with a bold minute track. This is a great feature as it makes the dial look very large, especially when coupled by the reasonably thin bezel. One thing I have noticed with this is that the minute markers can be ever so slightly out of position around the dial when lining up with the applied hour markers. But this can only really be seen when you look very closely and only happens on a couple of them. Let’s not forget the price we’re paying for this watch. I still think it’s great value for money.

The applied hour markers are the same all around, and are simple enough, but match the overall appearance of the watch so well. They’re polished stainless steel, so they reflect and catch the light well. They are a 3-dimensional rectangular shape, with the inside bottom edge angled downwards, slanting in towards the dial. There is also a channel running down the centre, where the lume resides. I’m a big fan of the design and build quality of the hour markers, I think they’re a great feature of the dial.

Another feature is the day / date window. You don’t see these too often, as a plain date window is usually preferred, but it looks really well balanced on the Hawthorn. Sometimes they can be a bit overbearing, or make the dial look lob-sided. On the Hawthorn, it’s done in a really subtle and elegant way. It has a very well executed and applied polished border surrounding it, which is a nice touch – it looks great when you look closely at it, very good attention to detail here.

The day and date wheels are no doubt the stock wheels that come with the movement, as the second language looks to be either Chinese or Japanese. Still, they fit the window and line up well.

All the printing on the dial is exceptionally clean, crisp and accurate. It seems to be much better than the Flinders.

The hands are all extremely simple, yet there’s something so elegant to them that I love. The hour and minute hands are straight, with a small point on the end. They have a rectangular lumed centre, which matches the design of the hour markers. The second hand is also very simple, being a thin red point, but with the added design cue on all Melbourne watches, that being the “M” used as a counter-weight. As I mentioned in the Flinders review, some people think that the M is upside-down and should be the other way around. But it doesn’t really make much difference to be honest, as it still shows up the correct way, just when the hand is pointing downwards rather than upwards. The second hand is a sporty red colour, and has just the right amount of lacquer on it. Some red painted hands can look really shiny and tacky, but I’m pleased to say that this is not the case here. All of the hands have no signs of bad machining or any tool marks, they all hold up very well when inspected under a macro lens.

The lume used on the hands and hour markers is C3 Super-Luminova. It works very well, charging quickly, glowing brightly and lasting a good amount of time. To use this type of lume is impressive on a watch of this price.

So the dial, although being simple, offers a sporty look which is well designed and made with great features.

The strap

The strap I have is the tan coloured strap, and boy is it awesome. It measures 22mm wide at the lugs, reducing to 20mm at the buckle.

The quality of leather is brilliant, it’s lovely and thick, and the colour is fantastic too – being a sandy colour. This does mean that with time it starts to get some darker patches here and there after wearing it for some time, but decent quality leather gets better with age and that’s what I’ve noticed with the strap on the Hawthorn. For instance, I wear my watches on my left wrist, and slightly down the very outer edge and corner of the strap some minor discolouration has appeared (it’s gone a bit darker). I believe this is due to when I walk, my wrist sometimes rubs against the side of my trousers. But, I think it looks pretty cool having a strap with some character. It certainly doesn’t detract from it.

The strap has thick white stitching running along both sides, reassuring you that it’s well made and not going to fall apart anytime soon.

The feel of the strap is extremely soft – it’s very supple and malleable too. This results in a very comfortable wear. So comfortable in fact, that I wore the Hawthorn almost everyday during my recent holiday to Italy. It was boiling hot, which usually means that the watch I wear comes straight off for being uncomfortable. But I found that it was ok with the Hawthorn.

The strap loops are a similar story, being very thick, high quality and sturdy. They do a fine job at what they’re supposed to do – keep the strap in place!

The buckle is a similar design to the Flinders, being a slightly unusual shape, which I like. It has a bulbous centre on the top side, which houses the round Melbourne Watch Co’s logo, which is deeply etched.

The whole buckle is polished stainless steel. Personally, I probably would have preferred it brushed – not only to match the case but also to increase it’s resilience to scratches. It’s picked up quite a few, and being that the Hawthorn is portrayed as a sporty / casual / tool watch, I think it would have made more sense. But nevermind.

Size-wise, the strap is pretty well balanced. I’ve got an average 7.5″ wrist, and I wear it on the 4th out of 8 holes. So there’s plenty of room for those with larger or smaller wrists.

In many instances, the strap can make or break how a watch looks and the overall quality it conveys. Fickle really, as the strap can be changed so easily. But with the Melbourne Hawthorn, the strap is most definitely a key feature and just compliments the whole package. It really does the watch justice and I can honestly say it’s one of the best straps I’ve seen on a watch in this price range. You won’t be needing to change it when you take delivery of your lovely new Hawthorn.

The movement

The movement used in the Melbourne Hawthorn is the Miyota 8205. Miyota are owned by Citizen, and the 8100/8200 range of movements are know as their sturdy workhorse offerings, and are widely used in watches priced up to $500.

It runs at 21.6k bph, which equates to 6 ticks per second. Obviously not quite as smooth as 28.8k bph, so if you’re used to a high beat mechanical you’ll notice it being slightly more jerky, with a little more wobble. However, as far as this beat rate is concerned, the 8205 is fairly smooth.

The movement also features hand wind ability, but has a non-hacking second hand. This can put some off as the second hand doesn’t stop when you pull the crown out to set the time, so you can’t set an accurate time easily. Personally this doesn’t bother me, but for some it does – so I thought it was worth mentioning.

The time keeping has been slightly fast, as in around 10-15 seconds a day. This is perfectly acceptable for an affordable automatic.

You’re pretty much guaranteed a reliable movement which will go for a long time with the Miyota 8205. It’s not the highest spec, or the most beautiful, but it’ll do just as you ask of it.

Final comments

I love the Melbourne Watch Co Hawthorn, no exaggeration. As usual, personal preference means a lot when it comes to watches. Personally, I like a good no-nonsense tool watch, and this what I’ve got. For the price, you are getting a steal – great strap, sapphire crystal on the front and back, good AR coating, sturdy automatic movement, all put together immaculately. It looks and feels like it should be much more than it actually is (and we all love it when that happens). And let’s not forget the company, Melbourne Watch Co and Sujain are great. So if you like the design, I would highly recommend the Hawthorn without a shadow of a doubt. An awesome watch at an awesome price.

The post Melbourne Watch Company Hawthorn Watch Review appeared first on 12&60.

One of the brands who have utilised this modern wave is Melbourne Watch Company. If you want to learn a bit more about them, check out our interview with Sujain, the owner.

Their introductory model, the Flinders, is named after the iconic train station in Melbourne and will set you back £285. What it offers is right up our street – a small manufacturer offering high specs, high quality build and great customer service at a reasonable price. Let’s take a look to see if this is the case.

The case

The case is a very comfortable size, measuring in with a diameter of 40mm and a lug to lug length of 47mm. This is a sensible choice as it offers good wrist presence for a dress watch, and is a size that will suit the vast majority of watch wearers. It is also 10.5mm tall, which means it’s pretty slimline for an automatic watch, and will slip under a cuff nicely.

The general finishing and machining on the Flinders is remarkable, you can just tell it’s a good quality watch by the way it looks and feels.

The case constriction is a little different to the usual way of doing things – usually you’d have the top bezel, mid case and lugs, and caseback. The Flinders, however mixes this up a bit by having the lugs attached to the caseback and completely separate from the mid section. Why go to all that bother? Having the case constructed this way means that there is a definite separation between the main case section and the lugs, so having different finishes on these parts is easy and definite. For instance, if you look at the watch side on, you’ll see that the side of the main case is brushed steel, and the lugs are polished. Usually you wouldn’t be able to have these two finishes on the same side of the watch. But this way it is possible, and boy does it make a difference.

In addition to the lugs, the bezel and caseback is also polished. The finishing across the watch is perfect, as mentioned before.

The push-pull crown, in my opinion, is a little out of proportion with the rest of the case. I think it’s slightly too much on the small side. This also makes it difficult to pull out sometimes. However, like the rest if the case, it is very well machined. The grip is thick and deep, and the Melbourne Watch Co’s logo is deeply etched into the end. It is completely polished, which looks good and sets it apart from the brushed edge of the case.

The caseback is secured into place by 6 small screws. This is very well finished like the rest of the case. I particularly like the way that the main back is brushed, and the outside edges are polished. It’s not too easy getting two different finishes to meet perfectly side by side, but it’s done well on the Flinders. The crystal used for the exhibition window is sapphire, which is impressive as this is usually where manufacturers would cheap our and just put a mineral crystal there instead. Sujain said that he wanted the watch to be as high quality as possible, so for him this was the only option. Good for him, that’s a great move. The details of the watch are deeply etched surrounding the exhibition window, which again feels high quality.

Sitting atop the case is a flat sapphire crystal with a layer of AR coating on the underside. The sapphire crystal looks pretty flawless, and well cut and fitted. The anti-reflective coating seems to do a reasonable job at reducing reflections and glare, and provides a nice hue when you catch the light right.

To conclude, the case is very simple but effective. It is clearly made with a lot of care, and gives the whole watch a high quality feel.

The dial

The dial is a deep matt black, with its main feature being the vertical lined pattern running in the central circle.

The ridges are deep and well executed. Within the central circle is two raised platforms for the Melbourne Watch Co’s logo in the top half and Flinders in the bottom half.

The logo design is good, a classic professional font is used and a clever M icon with watch hands within.

The printing on these two platforms, in my opinion, could be a little bit shaper, I think the font weight is a bit too heavy. My personal thoughts of course, but I think it would have made the dial look a little more refined if the printing was crisper.

The date window has a thin edges border / frame to it, which again shows the high attention to detail on the Flinders. It’s well executed and makes the date seem more interesting instead of having a window plainly cut out of the dial.

The date wheel used is white with black text. I’m sure some would have preferred it the other way around, but this doesn’t bother me and I understand why Sujain kept it the way it is, so both watches are the same and to keep costs down.

The outer ring housing the hour markers sits on a higher level to the central patterned area. This gives the dial some depth, which I love. In addition to this is a minute track around the very outer edge on a lower level. This is very subtle, and contributes to the overall pleasant design of the dial.

Another neat touch are the hour markers. They are polished steel batons but with the added feature of tiny balls located on the outer end. I didn’t notice them at first! These are nicely machined and reflect the light well when it hits the watch right.

The main hour and minute hands are simple and elegant, again being polished steel, so they also reflect the light well. The second hand is a feature of the watch with an “M” as counterweight. Some think this is upside down and get annoyed, saying it should be the correct way round when the hand is at 12. I’m not bothered but I thought it was worth mentioning.

The Flinders does a great job of concealing small details until you start looking for them. I like that in a watch. At first glance, the dial looks simple and elegant, perfect for a dress watch. But as you pay closer attention you start to notice the features which make it more interesting, which in my mind, makes it easier to wear as an everyday casual watch. Because of this – the way it adapts to casual and dress so easily – I think the Flinders is a very versatile watch.

The movement

The movement in the Melbourne Watch Co’s Flinders is a Miyota 9015. This is becoming a very popular choice for the small boutique watch manufacturer as it acts as a direct competitor to the standard Swiss automatic movements such as the ETA 2824.

It offers the same things – smooth hight beat at 28.8k bph, hacking, hand winding, and approx 38-42 hours of power reserve at a much lower price. It has proved to be very accurate, keeping time to within +10 seconds a day. Whilst it only winds in the clockwise direction, you can be assured that it winds quickly as the motion of the rotor is very smooth.

It’s also a very cool looking movement. Simple and industrial, I feel it matches the Flinders perfectly, and the exhibition caseback demonstrates it well.

The strap

The strap is 20mm wide, and is the right size for the case. It is made of reasonable quality leather, I say “reasonable” because I think this is one of the only places the Flinders could have improved on. Yes it is reasonable thickness, and smells of leather (very important!) but it just doesn’t feel quite as high quality as similarly priced watches, which is a shame.

But, that’s not saying it’s a complete loser in the strap department. It’s still a good enough strap to wear, offering high levels of comfort and pleasing aesthetics which match the dial well.

The feel is quite soft on both sides. The black topside of the strap matches the dial well creating a very classic look for the whole of the watch. The stitching on the top is also black so is well disguised. The underside is a tan colour with white stitching, and is comfortable on the wrist.

The buckle is of quite unusual design, shaped in a very unique way. The top edge protrudes out to house the round logo deeply etched. The finishing is of very high quality, and is completely polished. It is really well made and it’s unique design has impressed me.

Final comments

The Flinders has grown on me a massive amount. At first, I thought it was maybe a bit too plain. But the more I wore it the more I appreciated it’s simple elegance. I started to discover the little details and all of a sudden I realised the intelligence in its design. There’s actually a lot going on, yet they all work together to give the wearer a clear view of the time. When you look closer, the extra bits are there to see.

I also appreciate the quality of the case. It’s machined to perfection which is also a joy to wear.

So ultimately, I feel that Melbourne Watch Company’s introductory model, the Flinders is a success. As usual, much of it depends on personal taste and what you want in a watch. But if you’re looking for a well made, high specced casual dress watch then I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this one.

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