Promoting itself as a ‘fun-loving, unashamedly casual sport watch’ the Duneshore Shallows is based on a previous model (the ‘Duneshore’) with water resistance doubled to 200m, thicker case walls, a sold case back, thicker crystal and a screw-down crown. Visually, the addition of a rotating bezel and a switch from a polished to a brushed finish across the majority of the case push it into sports watch territory. That all ticks the ‘sport watch’ boxes, and there’s no denying the fun-loving aspects of the case and the dial.

At 44mm in diameter, the Duneshore Shallows is no shrinking violet. Size aside, the flowing—but also slightly jarring—lines make a bold impact too. What can look like a slightly angled cushion case from directly in front is suddenly much more complex in profile. I really appreciate the varying look and feel that the case can give off. The brushing helps to temper the unusual lines and both the brushing and the polished areas that remain are excellently done. My main reservation relates to the lugs which, while consistent with the rest of the design, are the first thing I notice when feeling that the watch wears slightly too big for my wrist. A 44mm diameter is perhaps only a couple of millimetres larger than I would ideally like, but the lug to lug length of 51mm is pushing my limits, and this isn’t one of those “it wears smaller than the specs suggest” type of things. It is a little large, and it wears a little large.

Another three dial colours are available to choose from in addition to the “Iron Jade” seen here. Teal, Orange and Grey all have their appeal, but I do like the depth of the green dial I have in front of me. The playful dial design includes large lumed areas filled with C3 SuperLuminova and polished frames. It’s not immediately noticeable in normal light, but the lumed minute markers showing through around the perimeter of the sandwich dial are an excellent aid to low-light legibility. The dial lume is also matched by the lumed areas on the bezel. Large and rounded indices like those on the dial need a set of hands that aren’t going to get lost – and that’s exactly what is delivered. I’ve questioned whether I find the hands overly ornate, but once again they suit the overall design well.

Turning the watch over and the extravagance continues. Not only is there a deep engraving of some mythical sea-creature, but the case back is curved which should hopefully aid comfort. There’s more than 2mm difference in depth between the shallowest and thickest parts of the watch. Ticking away beneath the case back is the Miyota 9039 movement, which is part of the same series as the well-known automatic 9015 but without the date complication. That means no date on the dial, and no date position in the crown either. This series of automatic calibres from Miyota is well regarded and offers good power reserve and reasonable accuracy out of the box.

Three strap options are available when purchasing the Visitor Duneshore Shallows, and I’ve had all three available to try out. The Milanese style bracelet is as wild as the watch, as exemplified in the highly decorated butterfly clasp. It may just be me trying to be a little understated, but the combination of watch + bracelet is a little too heavy and a little too loud for my tastes. The other strap options are a rubber strap, or a rubberised textile similar to a sailcloth strap. Both tame the watch pretty well, and I spent most of my time with the black rubber on my wrist.

So, what does $750 get you? An unconventional design? Undoubtedly, yes. A quality product? Again, yes. A ‘fun-loving, unashamedly casual sport watch’? 100% yes. A watch you can wear every day, and suited to every occasion? Maybe. I don’t think I can, but that shouldn’t stop anyone else.

Specs

• 44mm case diameter
• 51mm lug to lug
• 15.6mm case height
• 22mm lug width
• 200m water resistance
• Miyota 9039 movement
• Sapphire crystal with internal AR
• 120 click unidirectional bezel
• Screw down crown
• From $750

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The Linden is a writing inspired watch and which draws its influence and design cues from the art of writing. It’s an interesting concept that I’ve not seen done in this way before, and at first glance, it’s easy to miss some of the subtle details they have incorporated into the design.

In its basic form and function, we have a three-hander with a date complication powered by the Miyota 9015 that sits in a case constructed from 316L stainless steel at 39mm. We have an excellent and convenient lug width of 20mm and a lug to lug of 48.5mm. From a sizing perspective, I think this ticks a lot of boxes and means very few either men or women would struggle with the sizing on the wrist of the Linden. The dial on this midnight version is back, but other colours are available if you so desire. There is also sapphire crystal with underside AR and a very healthy application of BGW9 lume for keeping things legible when the sun sets.

The black or midnight version I had came on a black leather band with matching stainless steel hardware, but other colours and styles do seem to be available if you want a different look. As an overall package from the specification list there really isn’t anything amiss, you even get a nicely decorated rotor with the Visitor logo to look at through the display case-back, and 50m of water resistance should be perfectly adequate for what I consider more of a dress watch than a sports piece.

Specifications as with many things only ever tell half the story. And with the Linden, it’s the design details where it shines. Take the flared lugs and chamfered edges on the case they are very nicely done and give the case a very different and elegant look. The handset is inspired by fountain pen nibs which is something you don’t often see if ever, and are very nicely finished and detailed. The dial-in keeping with the hands and overall writing theme is finished in a black that is meant to remind you of wet ink, and it does this remarkably well. I compared it against other black dials, and this has to be the deepest blackest dial I have seen. It sounds like a small detail, but as a package, it’s quite striking against the large applied lume filled indices. There is also a very subtle crosshair on the dial that catches the light and just adds another dimension. The minute track is another beautiful detail as it’s been constructed with a sandwich technique. Easy to miss but look again and you appreciate the small, subtle details on this watch that make it simple but lovely to see. The buckle on the strap is a match for the case lug design, which is another excellent detail to go with the signed crown and custom rotor. You genuinely get the feeling that this watch has had some careful thought and consideration into its design and aesthetics, which is not always the case unfortunately with some microbrands.

So my time with the Linden is coming to an end, and I can say I’ve enjoyed this piece the more I’ve spent time with it. From a specification and design perspective, I think it’s very well made, finished and thoughtfully designed. Are there things I would change or like to see done differently? Yes, there always is. Although I like the strap hardware, I’m not keen on the strap itself. The leather could do with more texture and feels a little plastic to the touch. For the character of this watch, a more supple possibly aged leather strap would have been very nice. My only other gripe is stylistically the travel case is a cylinder travel case. Ideal in form but it’s in a nylon almost tactical looking style. For me, this is crying out to be done in a more classical style finish like leather to fit with the writing theme. When I think of travel writers and adventure, I think of leather-bound journals, and the tactical look of the case just doesn’t work for me.

The above two points above are far from deal-breakers. I have purchased watches with worse straps and never given a thought to the packaging, so this really does come down to your personal preference and certainly shouldn’t put anyone off the Linden. If stylistically the Linden appeals to you I think you would only enjoy it more in the flesh. With excellent fit and finish thoughtful design, I don’t think you will be disappointed with the Linden.

Specifications

• Diameter 39mm
• Thickness 10.5mm
• Lug-to-lug 48.5
• Lug Width 20mm
• Case Material 316L Stainless Steel
• Crystal flat sapphire with underside AR
• Movement Miyota 9015: hacking, hand & automatic winding, 42 hours power reserve
• Water resistance 50m
• Dial Sandwich with applied markers Lume BGW9
• Price: from $580 / £470 (price changes based on strap selected)
• Available from: https://www.visitorwatchco.com/linden-midnight

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The design definitely is a marmite topic (you either love it or hate it), but there’s certainly no denying that it’s striking – with its diamond-like angles and naturesque curves flowing freely, it truly wows you. The Duneshores I have in for review are not the finished articles, but rather prototypes. So if you notice anything that is different to the official website, don’t fret. 

It’s also worth noting that this is more of a “overview” rather than my usually in-depth review. This is due to only having the watches for around a week before sending them back home. 

The case

First thin everyone notices is the size. It definitely is big. It measures 44mm in diameter, with a 51mm lug to lug length, and a height ranging from 11.75mm to 13.69mm depending on where you measure to on the curved caseback (yes that’s right, a curved caseback). It’s large for sure, but it doesn’t feel too overbearing – this is due to the way it feels on the wrist thanks to the caseback, it curves around the wrist and is a very snug, streamline fit.

Just look at the case in general – it’s so complex, the machining process is quite possibly the most challenging in this price segment. The angles and geometry is what has impressed me most. 

The case is fully mirror polished, excluding the vertically brushed region on the caseback surrounding the exhibition window with the watch specifics within. The finishing is tremendous, it’s spotless and has also held up really well so far – I know these watches have travelled a long way and have been worn by multiple reviewers. So to hold up so well just goes to show the quality of the case and finishing. 

The screw-in crown is also polished, and is completely unsigned. Not a whole lot to report here, apart from it being a suitable size that is a good ratio to the case as a whole.

The lugs are also a unique shape, and are drilled-through (or pierced) for ease of strap changes. I think these are another neat little aspect of the watch that have had a lot of thought put into.

Then there’s the curved exhibition caseback with a flush mounted curved mineral crystal. This is definitely not seen much at all – especially in this price range by a first-time boutique watch brand. It’s really impressively made, fits the wrist snugly, and results in a very comfortable wear.

Sitting on top of the case is a 2.5mm thick sapphire crystal. It has an anti-reflective coating on the underside, which is excellent quality and does a great job at reducing glare and reflections.

The case has a watch resistance of 100m and is made up of 3-pieces screwed together. It’s very impressive to behold – and it’s great to see what Visitor Watch Co have done with their very first piece.

The dial

The dial is available in 3 different colours – Beach, Blue Slate, and Forest Ore. All of these are very organic and natural colours, supporting the design ethos of the Duneshore – and how it’s been inspired by the Indiana Dunes.

It’s a sandwich dial, meaning it has a lower level placed underneath the top level, so the holes drilled in the top appear as a step down. This can be found at every minute marker around the outer edge, and are all neatly drilled.

The logo is located at 2, just above the date window. I really like the placement here as it’s a little different to usual, especially as the rest of the dial is completely empty.

The hands are another uniquely designed aspect of the Duneshore. They’re extremely hard to describe, but are excellently manufactured – being made of polished stainless steel, with unusual lume-filled ends.

The hour markers are all applied and are a pleasant shape, almost like teardrops or monsters teeth.

The lume is BGW9 Super Luminova, and is applied to the hour and minute hand, the indices, the lower dial disk for the minute track, date disk, and the dial signature too. So there’s definitely quite a bit of lume on the dial, more so than you’d usually find – especially having the logo and numbers on the date wheel lumed. That’s a real pleasant surprise.

On the whole, I really like the dial – I think it’s simple, yet offers a distinctive design and is very well assembled and produced.

The movement

Powering the Duneshore is the Miyota 9015, the same movement that powers pretty much every other non-Swiss boutique watch. It offers all the specs as the popular Swiss autos (like ETA and Sellita), but at a fraction of the cost. These are a high beat (28.8k bph / 8 ticks a second), 42 hour power reserve, hacking second hand, and manual and automatic winding capabilities. It’s also proving to be very reliable and accurate to top it all off. 

But, it’s great to see Visitor Watch Co go one step further – with the inclusion of a custom rotor. The Miyota is pretty plain and ugly straight out of the box – it has quite an industrial feel to it. So the custom rotor masks a lot of the plain movement and adds another dimension to the Duneshore. Again, remember that these are prototypes so the custom rotor here may not exactly represent the finished article. 

The strap

There’s a great choice of three straps when it comes to dressing your Duneshore. There’s three types of leather available in their individual colours: black calf, dark brown deerskin or chestnut ostrich. These are all sized at 

22mm at the lugs, reducing to 20mm at the buckle. My personal preference is the ostrich leather, it’s extremely unusual and is of surprising quality. I also like how it has “knots” within it – every one will be different and have unique characteristics. 

Another aspect of the Duneshore that has obviously had a lot of thought go into it is the tang buckle. The buckle is often something that gets overlooked, sometimes it’s even an afterthought. The Duneshore’s buckle, on the other hand, appears to have as much thought and design put into it as the case.

Final comments

I’ve been very impressed with the Duneshore during my short time with it. It’s very hard to create something unique in an industry where everything seems to have been done already. So I really praise Visitor Watch Co for what they’ve done here. It’s a great design (albeit not to everyone’s taste), and extremely well made – there’s not really anything bad that can be said about it in terms of build quality. Whilst it may cost a little more than the majority of what other boutique micro-brands offer, you certainly get a watch that feels worth it. 

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