Author: The Matick Blog

The SEA HAWK by BOREALIS

Introduction

Holden:

To me, Borealis has always been one of those no-nonsense types of watch brands, it has some pretty interesting offerings as well which are guaranteed to be the bang for your buck, and that’s pretty much about it because the company is relatively new in the market and mostly offers functional watches at a competitive price point. So if you are into brands and or watches which will not put too much of a strain on your wallet, and at the same time offers a rugged demeanour and are super functional, then keep on reading..

That being said, we have gotten a lot of inquiries lately particularly the Borealis Sea Hawk, and so we thought we should talk a little bit about this particular model. Anyway, without much fanfare, let’s jump right into it.

So I recently had the opportunity to get some wrist time with the Sea Hawk and whilst putting it through the paces, one thing quickly became apparent to me: I am utterly and unquestionably in love with it! Ever since I first began my venture into the world of horology, I’ve had an undeniable affinity for dive watches (especially those that manage to balance a certain degree of reservation); one thing I can say about the Sea Hawk: it is a piece that manages to be everything a dive watch should be, in my mind, and it does so with a such a combination of bravado and elegance that shouldn’t work, but does and does with seemingly no effort at all.

Aesthetics, case and bracelet

On the wrist, the Sea Hawk is, despite its daunting case specs, comfortable. The mass of the case is balanced with what is quite honestly the best, most substantial, and well made bracelet I’ve ever worn (this being high praise coming from someone who had the chance to test drive a Royal Oak 15202 for a week). I cannot stress enough how well the bracelet wore on this watch; Borealis’ ratcheting dive clasp is phenomenal and quite a convenience for heat­swollen wrists in the torturous sun of Southeast Georgia in the summer.

The ease at which it (the bracelet) can be sized must be noted as well: screw-­in links make getting this thing out of the box and on your wrist a breeze, and the solid end links are a nice bonus. For me, Borealis really hit it out of the park on just this ever-­important­-but-often­-over-looked part of the watch.

I found the finishing to be very reserved and contemporary; the all brushed finished across the top of the case, through the bracelet and clasp, combined with the restrained polishing on the sides of the case and the sides of each link down the bracelet, really pleased my visual palette.

It’s a tool watch with a dressed up “feel”, managing to have a wondrous presence on the wrist and guys, I cannot stress enough that the case feels like a German tank designer had to give the final word before production could start on this piece; and like a German would do… it’s a damn sexy piece to behold.

Case profile

Standing a monstrous 15.9mm tall from the bottom of the caseback to the top of the beautiful AR coated sapphire crystal, 42mm in diameter, a lug to lug distance of 50mm (give or take), with 22mm lugs, I find the watch case to be well proportioned and narrowly missing the mark of a “chunky diver.” While it won’t be sliding under your dress shirt cuff, it will certainly draw the attention of your fellow horology nerds. Besides, why would you want to conceal a watch that was finished to an overwhelming level such as this?

Functionality

I regret that I didn’t have a chance to take it out to the reefs, so I cannot attest to its functionality under real world diving conditions, despite its massive depth rating of 1500 meters. But with a rating like that, do you have any cause to doubt that it’ll survive the occasional dip in the swimming pool or a splash of dishwater?

One quirky little diver’s geekdom I would have loved on this watch and (pay attention, Borealis) future pieces, is a second “crown” style helium release valve. Something about them ticks all the correct boxes for me when it comes to a serious dive piece such as this. Maybe you disagree and I want to know your thoughts, however we must press on!

Movement

I have nothing against the NH36 movement and as a matter of fact, it just so happens to be one of my favorite movements for it’s simplicity and rugged reliability; I’ve said numerous times in the past that there are two “AK” grade movements in value prop horology: the Seiko 7S26 and NH36/4R36.

However, I would prefer to see an ETA movement in a watch of this caliber (movement puns), preferably the 2824-­2. Here is the moral dilemma I feel Borealis faced when creating this watch: do we put an ETA in here and charge what this watch is truly worth? Or do we slap a mid-­grade NH36 in here and allow our customers to have an ultimate steal of a deal? I think I can live with it, don’t you?

Lume on bezel, hands and indexes

The Sea Hawk also features a BGW9 superluminova applied ceramic bezel which was initially available in 3 color options – black, blue, and green. But this particular model so happens to come in blue.

Anyway, all I can say is that the lume on the Sea Hawk do pack a serious punch, a definite solid option for all of you who are very much into the #lumebattle.

Shout out to all you #illumenauts out there!

Drawbacks

I have a complaint or two about the Sea Hawk. First off, I’m not a fan of the date function on this watch; It’s a solid instrument of diving madness and I personally feel that the date function on this timepiece is woefully out of place, to say the least. I can understand the convenience of having the date on this piece, but for the rest of the watch to be so thoughtfully designed, restrained and executed with the precision that is so apparent throughout, the date window seems kind of “slapped on.”

Rating

Build Quality 4.5/5 – Borealis really don’t play around when it comes to build quality and finishing, and they certainly came through with that philosophy on the Sea Hawk.

Movement: 4/5 – While I would have loved to see a higher grade ETA movement in the Sea Hawk, at this price point, I don’t believe I or anyone can truly complain with the venerable NH36 ticking away beneath all this hardcore steel.

Wearability: 3.5/5 – The Sea Hawk is a large watch, make no mistake about that; If you’re planning to wear tuxedos everyday, I’d suggest a watch with a slimmer profile.. But hey, Daniel Craig’s Bond has no problem rocking an XL Planet Ocean with a tux, so what the hell.

Affordability: 5/5 – For the sheer value that comes with the Borealis SeaHawk, it’s certainly my opinion that this is one of the best deep divers you can get at this or any price point, especially from a practical buyer’s point of view. If you just want a pointless extra 2,400 meters of water resistance… cough up another nine grand or so.

Final Thoughts

My concluding thoughts on the Borealis Sea Hawk? If you’re a fan of dive watches, if you’re a fan of well­made watches, and if you can get your hands on one: buy it. Don’t hesitate, don’t think twice about it. I can assure you, you’ll fall in love with it. (Tip: try it on distressed brown leather.)

The Sea Hawk was initially listed as 360USD directly on their website but unfortunately it is now out of stock at the time of this review. That being said, I sure hope this quick review would assist you if you are planning on getting one in used condition OR if you are planning to wait until the next restock! (Not sure when though)

A big thank you to @herecomeslarry1 for the photos!

Holden,

For CHRMTK.

THE M2 BROOKLYN FIELD by CARPENTER WATCHES

Hello again #watchfam! Before I begin, I would first like to extend my deepest gratitude towards the man himself, Neil Carpenter for giving us the opportunity to work with him, and to review the M2 Brooklyn Field. (Hope you’ll love this write up, Neil!)

I am excited to bring you another episode of #LookCloser! Here on Chronomatick, our mission is to bring to light, the inspirational stories of budding watchmakers to share with our viewers. In our free time mostly, we love browsing through the internet or Instagram for watches.

Through our exploration, we’ve stumbled upon Carpenter Watches on Instagram. I fell in love with the clean aesthetics, and the harmonious design of Neil’s watches. I had to approach him! Daunting as it might be, after introducing ourselves, Neil was incredibly supportive to send us a sample of the M2 for a review.

Without further ado, ladies, gents and #watchfam, this is the M2 Brooklyn Field by Carpenter Watches.

Enjoy!  

-Max

Introduction.

Neil Carpenter’s Watches and his story

At a young age of 6, Neil Carpenter was brought into the world of watches. It all began with the discovery of his family’s pocket watch collection, made up of brands like Hamilton, Waltham, Illinois, and Elgin. Although it looked ancient, Neil was fascinated by how beautiful they were. Each watch had a unique story of their own, told by the patina of their age and wear. As a young boy he fell in love with the idea of these watches being passed down from generation to generation, whilst still being able to use them.

To him, these watches were precision tools to get things done. As John Mayer said in an episode of Talking Watches on Hodinkee, “they’re like the iPhone 5’s… and a GMT [on a watch] is like an app”.

It is the design of these pocket watches that formed the basis of Carpenter Watches’ design-DNA. This explains why the M2 Brooklyn Field looks like a pocket watch on your wrist, but more on that later.

Graduating from the prestigious Savannah College of Art and Design, Neil founded Carpenter Watches. His focus on Industrial Design upon graduating was carried on into the design of his watches.

The Brand

Carpenter Watches originated from Brooklyn, New York.

Although Carpenter Watches is a relatively new brand, it has already gained a loyal following among watch enthusiasts and bloggers alike. It has caught the attention of a number of watch reviewers such as The Time Bum (link), and aBlogToWatch(link). Other links if possible.

Kicking it off in November 2015, the brand’s Kickstarter campaign is a successful one, and it has now started shipping its watches around the globe.  You can check out Carpenter Watches’ Kickstarter campaign here. (link).

The Watch, Aesthetics, Design, and Concept.

The Case

The watch comes in three combinations. The M1, which comes with a stainless steel case and a cream dial. The M2, which comes with a stainless steel case as well, but with a black matte dial. Lastly the M3, that comes with a bronze case with a matte black dial.

The cases have that curved, modern, pocket watch-styled look to it. It sits quite tall on the wrist, but it is comfortable. The wire lugs really helped with the stability and positioning on the wrist. It was told that soldiers in World War One (WWI) welded wire lugs to their pocket watches and attach them to their wrist for quicker access to time. In the same era, German pilots use watches to tell time and navigation, hence earning the name of “flieger”.

It can be observed that Neil drew inspiration from watches from that time, and he respectfully demonstrated the marriage of these designs into his watches.

In addition, I really, really dig the patina that will develop on the bronze model (M3). I believe the M1 and M2 will age well too, but I’m just a sucker for the bronze patina. I would put a bun strap on that and wear it any day! Just look at that beauty.

The Movement

Japanese Miyota, with manual winding feature. A relatively good movement, but nothing special.

The Strap

The watch comes with a standard brown leather strap. It has this matte feel on the surface of the strap. The strap also comes with a solid stainless steel buckle with the ‘Carpenter’ branding engraved on it.

My only gripe towards the strap is that it fades upon wear. Perhaps Carpenter Watches wanted to present the ‘beaten out’ look, for that WWI feel of a soldier’s watch. It reminded me how Converse present their beaten up Chucks for that street-grungy look. But hey, that’s not a big deal as the strap can be changed to give the watch a different look.

I’d put a leather Nato strap on it, and I’m sure it’ll look kickass.

The dial

In my humble opinion, I think this is where the M2 steals the spotlight. It is one of the best designed dials on a watch that I have ever seen. It carries within itself a clean, harmonious, well-balanced looking surface. To me, the dial just screams Bauhaus! Learning art in high school, I had to know a thing or two about design. With that, I came to know the existence of Bauhaus and its design concepts.

What’s Bauhaus? Staatliches Bauhaus was an art and design school in Germany. It was famous for its approach to design that it publicised and taught. The Bauhaus design language can be seen in products from home appliances and electronics manufacturer, Braun. Dieter Rams, a prominent and influential German industrial designer, played a key role in the design of Braun’s products.

As for Bauhaus-like design in watches, you can take a look at some pieces from Junghans, Junkers and Nomos, which, guess what? Originated from Germany. These watches were given the clean, minimalist, harmonious look to it, like the M2.

Carpenter Watches’ M2 delivered a balanced proportion of numbers and markers on the dial. The typography is clean, sharp and crisp, making it easy to read from afar. Therefore, legibility is spot on. It drew an equilibrium of not being too striking like the dial of a pilot’s watch, and not too subtle like a minimalist watch’s dial.

Another nice touch to the dial that puts the cherry on top, is the speared seconds hand. I just love seeing it sweep pass the markers on the dial. Thumbs up to Carpenter Watches for that.

Greetings #watchfam! We are back again with another episode of #LookCloser. For the second time we are proud to bring back Mr. Jones Watches (a.k.a. MJW) and their creations. Today, we’re talking about the Motochrono.

MJW is synonymous with creating unique watches, and the Motochrono is no different. The Motochrono belong primarily to MJW’s “Sun and Moon” family. The design DNA is shared with some of their creations such as the Flying Scotsman, the recently released Miyamoto (inspired by Mario), and of course the Sun and Moon itself.

Despite its similarity, there are however, some unique characteristics and peculiarities which the Motochrono do not share with the other watches. This episode delves into the concept of the watch and why it is actually cool to own one.

Without further ado lets talk about the story of MJW’s Motochrono. We hope you’ll enjoy this episode of #LookCloser. Cheers!

-Max, Zack and Meor. 

Introduction

For the benefit of those who have no clue about who and what is Mr. Jones Watches (you ‘re in for a treat), allow me to give you a brief introduction. MJW is a London based watch company that designs and manufacture watches with personality. I highly recommend checking out our previous review of the Last Laugh here (link) and the MJW website here (link).

There is just something about their watches that leaves us yearning for more, and we love doing reviews of their them. MJW is the kind of watch company that makes watches with their own unique touch, and today we are going to talk about the Motochrono. The Motochrono is, to me, a very interesting piece of mechanical charm. I’ve used the watch as my daily driver a little over a week, and this is my personal experience of the Motochrono.

Before bringing MJW’s very own Motochrono into the limelight, let’s take a brief look at the collaborator, the one and only, Untitled Motorcycles.

Untitled Motorcycles (UMC)

Untitled Motorcycles (UMC) was founded in 2010 in London, UK and is a custom motorcycles maker based in London and San Francisco. The company specializes in building custom motorcycles that fit the style and individuality of the buyer.

As Adam Kay (part of the design team at UMC) puts it, “we find bikes that are just lying around, where no one wants them anymore, and make then into something more interesting.” Check them out here on this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPeNJG_xNVU

The Watch and the Movement

The Motochrono is given a brushed stainless steel case, with a black leather strap. The strap sadly, could not fit some smaller wrist sizes due to the amount of holes punched into the strap.  The watch measures at 37mm in width. A relatively small watch I would say, but it sits well on my wrist. The little hand at the center of the watch is the minute hand, and the hour is shown through the yellow headlight for the day and the red taillight for the night (more on that in a second).

It took me some getting used to when it came to reading time, especially on the 30^th minute. The hour marker will be in between two hours and I had some difficulty telling time. It took me about two days to get used to reading time on the Motochrono.

The Motochrono’s movement is powered by a Seagull 1622, 21 jewel automatic movement, which kept good time. I wish it had the ST1721 movement from the Last Laugh we reviewed previously, which also threw in a manual winding feature on top of the automatic. I can see why MJW used an automatic movement for the Motochrono, and I am glad that they did!

Aesthetics, design and concept

As you might guess, collaborating with Untitled Motorcycles bring about design elements of motorcycles and speed, and that is all summed up beautifully in the Motochrono (the name says it all).  The watch uses almost the same design language as the Sun and Moon by MJW. The Flying Scotsman is also a variation of this design.

For starters, the overall layout of the watch is inspired by a Smith’s speedometer, hence the automatic movement! It will look like how the speedometer revs up when you accelerate on a bike. Now that is cool. Also, I believe that the design of the leather strap is inspired by a motorcycle seat. Subtle, a really nice touch MJW, props for that.

The watch had garnered some “curious onlookers” and praise for its design by a few people during my time of wearing it.

The design which really spoke to me is the frieze of the Motochrono.  According to Adam Kay of UMC, the frieze depicts the journey of building a bike, a lifecycle if you will. It shows the construction of the bike and later riding the assembled bike in the night. The process of rebuilding bike (usually in weeks), is compressed into the frieze of the Motochrono. The watch is full of surprises.

This was maybe the only piece of MJW’s Motochrono in Malaysia. Unless…

The “Cool” Factor

Perhaps the coolest part of the Motochrono for me is that, the frieze is pad printed by hand. The whole process according to MJW is done in Camberwell, south London. Each colour is mixed by hand and laid down by a pad printer on the frieze. Therefore, no two watches are exactly alike.  This as a result, adds to the uniqueness of the watch staying true to UMC’s philosophy, that every motorcycle they make has its individuality. That to me, is really cool.

Conclusion

 I have little to complain about the Motochrono. It tells time well, albeit being hard to read at times. The strap requires more holes punched in them to cater to smaller wrists, and you can’t expect it to glow in the dark with its lume.

Like I said before in my previous review of the Last Laugh, MJW does not make watches of that kind. They are playful with their watches, and rightfully should be! I understand the appeal of the Motochrono towards people who love bringing old bikes back to life. MJW’s Motochrono has succeeded in putting the philosophy and story of UMC into a single watch.

MJW has never failed to surprise me with their creations, and I cannot wait to review another one from them.

-by Max, Zack and Meor

Team Matick.

THE AQUA, MASTERS EDITION by UNDONE WATCHES

Introduction

Before we begin, I would like to thank Barry a.k.a @bearwrist for the opportunity, his kindness and his generosity. I really value our friendship albeit it has only been a short while, really. We are very honoured to be able to review a piece from Undone Watches. Without further ado, let’s get this review started!

Most of us can agree that customisable watches are an interesting area of the watch industry, often out of reach of the average watch enthusiast due to the high prices such customisability entails. And thus the concept of Undone Watches was born: to offer highly customisable watches to the general consumer market.

With little doubt, Undone Watches knocked it out of the park in that regard. No doubt, there’s something special going on here. How often do you find an affordable watch, made with high quality materials and components, and yet be able to call it yours?

Customisation process and concept

For starters, you are required to log on to www.undone.watch and get yourself registered for an account. The process itself takes no more than 2 minutes. You will then be directed to the Undone Customiser, and here you can start customising your very own Undone watch.

The customiser tool was a refreshing experience that was comprehensive yet simple to use. There were a variety of customisable components to choose from: casebacks, bezels, dials, hands, straps, case finishing etc.

You also get the option to have your personal initials or logo imprinted onto the dial or the caseback, which is an absolute plus in my book! Once again, the process is simple; all you need to do is submit a request via email / DM on Instagram.

The overall impression of the customisation process revolves around the brand’s desire to emphasise one’s individuality, and I believe many will find the concept intriguing and appealing in different ways and in great volumes.

Aesthetics, case

At the time of this review, Undone has only released the Aqua model in their lineup, which is precisely the subject of this review. The watch itself features a modern 45 mm case diameter, 52 mm lug to lug, and 15 mm in thickness. Although on paper 45 mm appears to be on the large side for most, I personally have relatively small wrists (6.5 inches) and it doesn’t at all appears to wear too big on my wrist. This is probably due to the unorthodox construction of the lugs.

The case uses 316L grade stainless steel, with the option to have a PVD coating, and it is tested to a depth rating of 100m.

Aesthetics wise, the Undone Aqua features a very modern and simple diver look, it is very masculine, but again I do not see why it would not look good on a female wrist, because ultimately I believe it all boils down to the customisation process.

Movement

The Undone Aqua utilises a Seiko NH35A automatic winding movement, and most would have already know that it is an entry level and high quality movement, which is highly serviceable and very reliable at this price point, so no complaints here in the movement department.

The movement also features a date function at the 3 o’clock aperture of the dial, consumers will be able to choose from 2 options: white date disc and black date disc.

The movement also has a power reserve of 40 hours, and a hacking feature for time-setting accuracy.

And to top it off, I was told by the designer that the reason the NH35A was chosen was mainly due to its versatile nature in terms of moddability. In other words, this was a calculated measure to facilitate the introduction of modification kits for its customers in 2016.

Lume

The luminescence on my Aqua is very, very poor, unlike other models but I have to say that this is an aspect on my part in which I overlooked by accident – I picked a non-luminous dial. So please do bear this in mind when selecting your dial. If you are a huge fan of luminescence, you are certainly in for a treat, Undone has recently released a few more additional dial options featuring different presentations of luminescence.

Strap

Consumers will have a variety of straps to choose from, and I do not mean solely by colour, but also the material of the strap. So far there are US Horween oil tanned, Italian Leather, Military Bund, Rubber, Suede and Alligator print.

The straps will come with a Quick-Release feature for strap-changing ease.

From my experience, I am really enjoying the strap that I have been provided with, it is comfortable and the Undone Signature on the buckle is pretty cool. And don’t mind me as I have been using the strap with my Seiko SKX007 as well, because it is THAT comfortable.

Function

I was apparently told that Undone stands strongly behind its value for function qualities, the Aqua itself is tested to a depth rating of 300m, and several pieces were recently made and given to divers for professional use.

Drawbacks

As far as my personalised Aqua is concerned, there is not much drawback really, aside from the fact that the customisation process tends to be a little mind boggling due to the vast selection of customisable options, which is not really an issue and a very desirable problem to have I must say.(laughs) And also, there were very minor issues where I noticed some dust under the caseback of my Aqua, but then again the watch I was provided with was merely a prototype, and I am absolutely sure that there will not be any more issues as such with the actual production models.

Another drawback I came across was the thought of its resale value, but then again, it might not be relevant under such circumstances, because I foresee that customers who purchased an Undone watch would not really consider the resale factor, as it goes without saying due to the highly customisable nature.

Price

The price for the Aqua starts at 430USD, which in my opinion is quite affordable considering the quality and the customisability options you get, along with the top-notch service that was (thanks Barry!) provided and the watch’s vested potential for further modifications.

Conclusion

In my opinion, the philosophy of Undone Watches is definitely an interesting concept. I have been wearing my CHRMTK edition Aqua for a while now, putting it through its paces. Ultimately, it may seem unfair if I were to comment on the look of the watch since every piece is unique to their owners, and the commentary provided in the above is merely fixated on my thoughts on the stock parts, it does not cover custom components. Anyway, here are some pictures taken by the #watchfam for you to enjoy and to also inspire your potential masterpiece:

Final Comments

Once again, we are very, very honoured and grateful to Barry for this opportunity and we wish them nothing but all the best and more success! Check out their Aqua series here, and get started on your very own design! Do let us see your designs by hashtagging #individualitymatters #undonewatches and #chronomatick or #chrmtk on Instagram!

_____________________________________________________

Rating:

Design and fun factor:  Fun, personal design and customisation process -5/5

Built quality: Good quality for the price –4/5

Movement: Solid and reliable Seiko NH35A movement. –4/5

Wearability: Casual, utilitarian, not suitable to be worn with suits.

Affordability: Relatively affordable, priced at $450. –4/5 

Marshall, 

For CHRMTK.