Nth are the sister brand to Lew & Huey; another brain child of Chris Vail – whom is quite well known in the affordable and micro brand watch circles. I’ve reviewed a few Lew & Huey’s before, but I never really got on with the slightly playful branding. Nth, however, are much more serious and thus more appealing. I’ve not had too much time with the Azores before I had to hand to over to the Facebook Divers Group GTG, but here are my thoughts on the watch.
The specs
- Dimensions: 40mm diameter x 12mm height x 48mm lug to lug
- Weight: 150g
- Water resistance rating: 30ATM / 300m
- Movement: STP 1-11
- Accuracy: +60 s/d
- Lug width: 20mm
- Warranty: 2 years
- Price: $700 / £530
- Available from: http://www.janistrading.com/azores-mint-no-date/
The case
The case is a straightforward barrel shape which is brushed for the majority, although it does feature some interesting touches – such as the polished lug shoulders and bezel and box sapphire crystal which sits tall above the bezel. Chris admits that the Azores is a modern take on the classic compressor-type case, which is certainly obvious to see.
The general fit and finish is very, very good.
The dual crown is a cool touch which I’m always happy to see – the top crown controls the inner rotating bezel, whilst the bottom crown is the regular movement control. They’re both screw-in, which can be a bit tricky with the top crown if you want a quick adjustment to the inner bezel, and they both have great grip and a nice, solid thread. The bottom crown features the Nth logo deeply engraved and filled with lume, which is an awesome attribute that surely impresses.
The caseback has a pretty splendid deep-stamped motif of a classic diver’s helmet, with details engraved surrounding it.
The dial
The Azores is available in two pastel hues – vanilla and mint; both of which offer a gentle vintage appeal. This version is obviously the mint version – which I find to be a pleasant, soft alternative to the usual green you see regularly.
There is a textured central disc to the dial. It has lots of strong lume – with a large arrow containing the hour at each corner.
Surrounding the dial proper is an internal rotating bezel. This is at a higher level than the base, yet is still flat with a chamfered edge. This creates depth to the dial and all markings are lumed.
The hands are pitched, are bold and easy to read and filled with just as strong lume as the rest of the dial.
The bracelet
The bracelet is a mixture of brushed and polished finishing – with 2 wide brushed outer links flanking 5 polished and rounded central links. It’s a very well machined and constructed bracelet, however on a visual perspective it doesn’t quite do it for me. It’s very smooth and comfortable.
The buckle is quite interesting, with a very pleasant to use divers extension which just glides out at the bottom
The movement
The movement powering the Azores is the STP 1-11 – a relatively new incomer providing an affordable Swiss Made automatic alternative to the big boys such as the ETA 2824-2. This one is obviously not regulated at all, as it’s running at +60 sec/day which is crazy. Remember, this is a press sample so I’m hopeful this is the case.
Final comments
I’ll be honest and say that visually, the Nth Azores isn’t really my style. But of course, that doesn’t stop it from being the watch that it is. $700 / £530 is certainly on the high side for a microbrand, but the statement “you get what you pay for” couldn’t be more true. The fit and finish is excellent and everything is constructed in a very high quality manner. Whilst I didn’t get a long amount of time with it, it was long enough for the Nth Azores to make an impression.
