Helm Khuraburi | Hands on Watch Review

Helm Khuraburi

I have always said, value is very subjective. Some may think a $3,000 watch is a value because of what it offers for that price point. The Helm Khuraburi is much less than $3,000, 10 times less actually, at a price of $300. The term “Bang for your buck”, can be used to describe the Khuraburi, which would be an accurate description. I am one man, and this is one man’s opinion, but the Khuraburi is one of the the best budget dive watches out on the market. Some may disagree and say that could go to the Seiko Monster or various other affordable dive watches out there. There are countless choices available these days. For what it is, especially in the microbrand world, this watch does rank very high on that list.

Helm Khuraburi Specifications:

• Brushed 316L Stainless Steel
• Diameter; 42 mm
• Diameter (with crown):  45 mm
• Bezel Diameter:  43 mm
• Lug to Lug:  49 mm
• Lug Width:  22 mm
• Height:  16 mm
• Weight: 225 Grams
• Sapphire Crystal and Bezel Insert
• Stainless Steel Bracelet
• 300 Meters Water Resistance
• Seiko NH38 Automatic Movement
• ISO 6425 Compliant

Price $300 plus $30 Worldwide Shipping

http://helmwatches.com/khuraburi2.html

If you read the specification list above or watched the video review already, you can see how much this watch has packed in to that $300 price point. It has been my experience that when a watch has all these elements for such a low price, corners have been cut. The finishing is not that great, there are rough edges on the bracelet or case back, or the dial work is sloppy, crown wobble, you name it. I can honestly say, not of that exists with the Helm Khuraburi. I have always considered Obris Morgan to be one of the leaders of the budget microbrand dive watches and not taking anything away from that brand, but man, this is a great watch for the price. If this watch were $200 more, I still do not think I would have an issue with it. The dial work is crisp, the machining and finishing is definitely up to par, the bracelet and clasp are solid and aesthetically pleasing; this watch just ticks all the boxes. I think they only thing some might complain about is the thickness.

At 43 X 49mm, the Khuraburi is not what one would consider a large watch. The profile though is a little different. The height is 16mm, which is on the thick side for a watch of these dimensions, but I will say that thickness adds to the look of this model. It is a robust watch at 225 grams with the bracelet and is not going to be that lightweight under the shirt cuff type of watch. It was not meant for that though. This is a dive watch, and is ISO 6425 compliant and water resistant to 300m. So, what if you do not dive? That is okay, I wager many reading this have never dived, yet own 10 dive watches in their collection. Some just like the look of a dive watch, which would make sense seeing as it is probably the most popular style of watch available. Some that own this watch or others like it, may never even get their watch wet. If you do not, it is a just a great looking sporty watch that if you chose to, could take the abuse from the pool, river, ocean, etc.

There are a few versions of the Helm Khuraburi, though all come standard with a stainless bracelet. Different colors are available, as well as two crown choices, the 10 o’clock version I show in this review and a more standard 4 o’clock version. I like both but chose this one just because while Helm is not the first brand to do this, it is definitely not the norm. It is harder to set the time on the wrist, as I wear my watch on the left hand, so that is something to keep in mind, but if you are a lefty, and wear your watch on your right, you would probably really appreciate this version. As shown in the video, the crown and bezel both operate as they should, with no issues I could detect, at least with this example.

One of my favorite aspects of the Khuraburi is the dial. Helm did not try and crowd the dial with a date, which would have interrupted the flow of the large hour markers. This is why they chose the Seiko NH38 movement-the no date version of the NH35. The large markers and hands are easy to read and make the dial stand out from many other dive watches on the market. Not really shark teeth like the Benarus Megalodon but similar in size and shape. These applied markers sit high off the dial and are immediately what grab your attention with the Khuraburi. The logo is not applied but is not flat paint on the dial, it is raised and has a nice gloss to it, making it pop. The dial text is also kept to the bare minimum, something I always appreciate. You do not need to write a novel on the dial of a watch.

The bracelet of Helm Khuraburi is heavy and chunky, which balances out the watch head. Solid steel links as one would expect and solid screw bars are used to hold the links together. It is recommended that any watch that has screws in the bracelet, whether one sided like these or the double sided versions, to use loctite to keep the screws from backing out once you have it sized where you want. Still, I find this to be the easiest method for sizing as all you need is a small jewelers screwdriver and you can size it in a few minutes. If you sized it and it is still a little too loose, there are plenty of micro adjustment holes in the clasp to help with that. One thing I do find odd though is the lack of a divers extension in the clasp.

While I like the bracelet, I have worn it more on the optional blue canvas strap. These straps can be purchased either seperately or when you are ordering a watch, which brings the price down to $20 instead of $28. Seriously, if you like canvas straps, it will be the best $20 you have ever spent. I own a few of the straps and wear them on multiple watches. I removed 3 links from the bracelet to fit on my 7 1/2 inch wrist. The canvas straps are on the short side though, so keep that in mind.

When a watch has really good lume, like the Helm Khuraburi does, I love photographing it. I don’t know why really, but I can take like 20 lume shots and I do so with a smile. I just love how a brightly glowing watch looks in the dark. The Khuraburi is lumed all over, so it not only makes for easy time telling in the dark, but a great photo as well.

There is not a whole lot left for me to say to wrap this review up. This is one of those rare times where I really did do a “glowing” review. If one does not like the look or design of the Helm Khuraburi, I get it, but as far as what it offers for the money, it is just flat out crazy. This is not a good watch because it is $300, it is a just a damn good watch, period. It is built well, finished well, wears comfortable on the wrist, and while I am not the biggest fan of the NH series movements, it makes sense at this price and I love that they went with the no date version. Bottom Line: The Helm Khuraburi delivers.

 

 

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Elliot Brown Bloxworth 2.0 | Hands on Watch Review

Elliot Brown Bloxworth 2.0

A few years ago, Michael Wolfe, a former reviewer here at Watchreport, did a pretty comprehensive review on the Elliot Brown Bloxworth. You can find that review here: https://www.watchreport.com/elliot-brown-bloxworth-watch-review/. 

The version I am reviewing today, which sells for $750 US direct, as Alex from Elliot Brown puts it, is an evolution and not a revolution of the model. Besides the aesthetic differences, which I will discuss in more detail below, a few minor things have been done to elevate the Bloxworth in production. The case back surface is now a little flatter and cleaner, and the chamfer that runs along the outer edge of the watch is sharpened up. Minor details here, but E.B is always looking to improve and make the best watch they know how. This 2.0 version comes in a few different colorways, but I was very struck by this grey/blue dial. It certainly is unique. The specifications have stayed the same, so you can grab that info from Michael’s review, but I will be discussing what I love, like and one thing that I do not like at all.

First and foremost, I love the look of the this Elliot Brown Bloxworth. It still has an elapsed timing bezel, but this time it has a silver aluminum bezel insert as opposed to black or blue. It just gives it an overall cleaner aesthetic and does not scream dive watch (This model is not considered a dive watch anyways). The blue/grey dial is flat out awesome. Elliot Brown lists this as grey dial, but it definitely, to me, is more blue then grey. I would label it a steel blue maybe. Wherever it lands on the color scale, it is striking. EB wanted to create a more relaxed version of the Bloxworth, more of an every day watch, and the dial played an important role in that. While the red accents and large dial markers still evoke that of a sport watch, it is less rugged looking than previous versions.

At 44mm, it is in my comfort zone of what I personally will wear these days, but more importantly, it has a lug to lug of 53mm. That is a tall watch, yet it does not feel like it on the wrist for some reason. I never got to try the original version of the Bloxworth that Michael reviewed, which was on a stainless bracelet. That may wear a little large, but the curved ends of the strap allow it to wear less flat on my wrist than I initially thought it would. The push-pull crown is easy to get at while on the wrist, as are the pushers, and I just find this watch to be comfortable on the wrist, even though it is at the top end of the size spectrum for every day wear for me. If you have not read Michael’s review yet and are not familiar with the specs, even though this does not have a screw down crown, it is still water resistant to 200 meters. Below is a picture on my 7 1/2 inch wrist.

As I mention in the video, I did find one area to be improved on this Elliot Brown Bloxworth 2.0 version. That would be the deployant on the strap. The pebbled leather strap is beautiful and well made and has blue stitching that gives it an ever so subtle pop of color. I can not complain about the strap at all. The buckle though is another story. The deployant just needed to be sanded down more, it is sharp on all almost every edge of it, and you can really feel it on the wrist. I am sure someone handy could sand it down and buff it and in a few minutes it would be fine, but they should not have to. I am hoping this is just my example. On a more positive not, the buckle has a lumed logo, just like on the previous models, which is a cool touch.

Lume shots can always be deceiving. First, any time you go to take a lume shot, you charge it up first with a light source. Then, depending on your aperature and shutter speed, you can really overexpose the lume and make it look like a torch. I always try my best here to give you a look at what the lume really looks like in person. Yes, it is fully charged in the photo below, but this is what it will look like after being charged for about 30 seconds or so. It is a nice cool blue Super-luminova and while the hands and markers glow pretty bright, the little bit of lume on the bezel insert is mostly useless.

With this model getting and extensive review in the past, I keep directing you to Michael’s review linked above, but I want to point out a few key aspects of the Elliot Brown Bloxworth, without rehashing what Michael wrote. At $750, the Bloxworth is on the high side for what many are willing to spend on a quartz watch. Keep in mind, this is not just a regular quartz watch. I think you can see from my photos and video, just how well this watch is put together and Elliot Brown tests their watches to extremes, as I have talked about in the past. Do not let the leather strap on this model fool you, it still has a Swiss Made Ronda 5030D movement, steel and elastomer movement holder for superb shock resistance, triple sealed crown and pushers, bolt down case back with over-sized seals, and a hardened mineral crystal. That last one, yes, I prefer sapphire, but EB chose mineral because while it can scratch easier, it is more impact resistant, and that is what they want with these models. As I always state, I am not here to sell you on the watch. I really like this new version of the Bloxworth, minus the deployant buckle, and I think it offers a nice alternative to the original versions.

If you want to check it out, you can do so in the link below. I have also included a link to a few videos that Elliot Brown sent me, showing some of the tests they have  done to their watches.

https://www.elliotbrownwatches.com/bloxworth/929-015-l16

https://vimeo.com/173901500

Thank you for reading.

 

 

 

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