Spinnaker Bradner Dual Crown | Hands On Watch Review

Spinnaker Bradner Dual Crown

Spinnaker Bradner Dual Crown Specifications:

• 42mm Stainless Steel Case
• 50mm Lug To Lug
• 14mm Thick
• 22mm Lug Width
• Seiko NH35 Automatic Movement
• 150 Meters Water Resistant
• Leather Strap

Price $285.00 

https://www.spinnaker-watches.com/pages/spinnaker-vintage-bradner-collection-sp-5057

I have reviewed a lot of Spinnaker Watches over the years here on Watchreport, but I can easily say that the Bradner is the best model they have produced to date. Now, I am a fan of super compressor dual crown style watches, to begin with, so they had me right off the bat with the design.  Spinnaker Watches are for the most part budget watches, usually under the $300 mark (especially after some price adjusting a year or so ago), and on many of their watches they use mineral crystal. I believe the Spinnaker Bradner Dual Crown is only the third or fourth watch to actually have sapphire, and this is a nice domed sapphire as well. Yes, it is still an NH35 movement, but really, at these prices, I do not expect much different. This is without a doubt my favorite piece so far from the brand, but then I got to thinking. There are a lot more watches that hit this price or very close to it these days.  Brands such as Obris Morgan or Helm. So would it be better to drop your money on the Bradner or add $15 or so and grab something else?

Obviously, there is no lack of choices these days when it comes to purchasing a watch. Countless option after countless option. That does make it hard for a potential buyer to narrow it down. This is not an attempt at a buying guide or anything like that, as so many have different wants to different reasons for buying.  Simply put, the Spinnaker Bradner Dual Crown is a good option if you are on a budget and want a good automatic dual crown dive watch. The case finish is better than I expected, the Spinnaker manufacturing seems to keep getting better and better. I really like the vertical brushing on the case sides and there are only a few areas with the high polish, mostly the crowns. Speaking of crowns, the main crown at 4 o’clock is screw down, but the inner bezel crown is not. I am ok with this, but my example seems to be a little too easy to turn, and with that, I feel if you were actually going to use this to time anything, it can get easily knocked out of place. I doubt most are buying this to dive or time anything with though, let’s face it, these watches are bought for looks over pure function.

-7 1/2 inch wrist-

My favorite aspect of this model is the dial. While there are other colors available, the sunray blue dial with applied markers is a nice and welcome change from the texture dials that Spinnaker has been doing on their recent dive watches.  What is also a nice touch and something we do not see on watches sometimes 3 times this price, is the date wheel matches the dial. It just makes everything blend in better instead of a distraction on the dial. The dial text has been kept to a minimum as well.

Take a look at the pic above. Notice the second-hand lume circle? It really does not look all that great, or very refined. I don’t know if I would say I was surprised but I was caught off guard by it. It is just a little sloppy. I know I am discussing a $285 Chinese Made watch and of course corners are going to be cut, but this speaks more to bad QC and not cutting corners. As always, this could be just my example. Funny, normally people complain and say that we reviewers probably get the best examples of a watch so the reviewer can give a better review. I at least used to think they would send a great example (in fairness, the best example should always be sent to a reviewer or a customer, period). These days it seems the watches sent to reviewers are not being checked like they should be. Weird marketing strategy.

I had a few people message me on Instagram asking about the Spinnaker Bradner Dual Crown in regards to the lume. I have heard that it lasts for just a few minutes and nothing more. It does light up bright initially but it does not last all night long at all. I personally found it to last about an hour or two, but nothing more. It does look great in photos when fully charged, but it is not everlasting lume at all.

I think the biggest and most obvious comparison for this Spinnaker Bradner Dual Crown would be the Dan Henry 1970 Automatic Diver, which I have reviewed here and many different sites have reviewed over the past year or so. At the time, the DH was a great budget option for a super compressor style case and it was nicely designed and was of decent quality for the price.  I stated in my review I loved the look but it was not without issues, such as horrible lume, a mineral crystal, and a silicone dive strap.  If I had to choose a winner between the two, it would probably be the Spinnaker, but if Dan Henry started using sapphire crystals and came out with a newer version of the diver with upgraded lume, it might be a different outcome. Can you get a Helm Diver (non-dual crown) for $300? Yes, you can. Actually, the Helm Vanuatu is $275, has the same movement as this Spinnaker, a sapphire crystal, a multi-link bracelet and is a great value watch. So, there are a lot of options out there. If you are looking for a dual crown watch such as this, and do not want to break the bank, this is not a bad option and at current time I would pick over the Dan Henry.

 

 

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Crepas Loggerhead | Hands On Review

Crepas Loggerhead

If you are not familiar with Crepas Watches, you have probably not been following microbrands for that long. Crepas hit the scene a few years ago and between Crepas and their sister brand Tactico, they have surely made a name for themselves. Some of their more popular releases have been the El Buzo, the Tektite and the Cayman 3000. That brings me to the one I have in hand today, the Crepas Loggerhead. The Loggerhead is in its last stretch of the preorder as I write this and should be delivered within a few weeks (first or second week of August). The Loggerhead is a collaboration with Divers Watches Facebook Group, a very popular watch facebook group that of course centers around Dive Watches.

Crepas Loggerhead Specifications:

• 44mm Stainless Steel Case
• 52mm Lug to Lug
• 14.5 mm Thick
• 229 Grams in Weight
• 22mm Lug Width
• Sapphire Crystal
• Beads of Rice Bracelet
• ETA 2824 Automatic Movement
• WR to 1000 Meters

Price $619 USD

http://www.crepaswatches.com/styled/styled-2/photos-11/files/page17-1000-full.html

http://www.diverswatchesgroup.com/

Divers Watches Facebook Group has worked with a few companies over the years and produced some really great dive watches. That said, I feel the Crepas Loggerhead is probably my favorite of the bunch, that is at least until they do a DWFG Edition Doxa. The Loggerhead is a watch that I knew I was going to love from the moment I saw it. It is the vintage 70s style that I adore and has a Beads of Rice bracelet. I knew I needed to get one of these in hand and Ana from Crepas was happy to arrange it. The prototype I have in hand for review is the all lume dial, but my favorite of the bunch has to be the ocean blue version. That one is truly calling my name and has been haunting me in my dreams. Fortunately, these watches will be ready soon, so I will not have to wake up in cold sweats much longer.

All kidding aside, the Crepas Loggerhead is a great watch and in many ways almost perfect for me. Notice I said almost. Yes, as usual, I have a few things I can pick on and one of them would be the size. I love this watch but I wish it was 42mm. These days, that is a size I love to wear and not only would it be more wearable in the size department, but it would have reduced the weight as well. I have been wearing this Casio All Metal a lot and I don’t realize how much lighter in weight it is until I put on a heavier piece such as the Loggerhead. Most will not find this watch to be very heavy as they are used to watches over 200 grams. I just prefer something a little lighter on a daily basis.

If I am being really picky, I would love to have drilled lugs. It just makes it so much easier for removing the bracelet and strap changes. Granted, I probably will not want to take the BOR bracelet off too much, but it still would have been a nice added feature. I am still unsure on the end link of the bracelet though. I somewhat wish it continued with the BOR links and not the big slab of metal. Maybe it will grow on me. The other minor issue is the spacing of the water resistance measurements on the dial. They just look a little far apart for me and I wonder why that was done. It is not a huge deal, but it is something I immediately noticed. Other than that, the dial is great; applied markers, easy to read hour and minute and hand the date at 3 o’clock.

If you have not watched the video yet or somehow glanced over it in the specifications, the movement used for the Crepas Loggerhgead is the tried and true ETA 2824. Now, I have talked at length about movements over the years in many different watch reviews and I think it is widely known that the ETA 2824 is a well regarded Swiss movement. It is the workhorse of the bunch and a movement that set many of standards in its time. It is not the best movement out there by far, but it is nice to see it in the Loggerhead at the price of $619. Going back 7-10 years, it was the norm to see this movement at this price or lower, but many factors have changed that over the years and most microbrands cannot afford the ETA or cannot get their hands on them. Just because Crepas chose the ETA movement, does not mean they need to show it off. Instead, they chose a  sea turtle engraving for the case back, and I have to say, I do like it.

Getting back to one of my favorite aspects of the Loggerhead, and that is the bracelet. If you follow Watchreport on Social Media, you might have seen that about 6 months or so ago I had picked up an Irreantum Magellan. They were another great microbrand that is unfortunately no longer producing watches as the people did not have the time to continue to grow the brand and do it properly. Anyways, that watch is very similar to the Loggerhead in that they are both 44mm, both draw inspiration from 70s styled watches and both came with the BOR bracelet. The biggest difference though is that the Magellan had the rachet dive clasp, where the Loggerhead has the more traditonal flip lock clasp with dive extension. These days, I think I prefer the traditonal clasp as it is not as large and bulky and just wears better on the wrist, especially with a bracelet such as this. One sided screws are used to hold the links together, so sizing is a breeze.

-Crepas Loggerhead Lume-

It is quite obvious that I am pretty enamored with the Crepas Loggerhead. It just ticks a lot of boxes for me. The overall design is right up my alley and the finishing is fantastic, which I expected nothing less from Crepas. This can easily be an $8-900 watch these days but being able to grab one for just over $600 is great. As always, I never try and sell you a watch here. Some watches I love more than others, and that comes across in the reviews, and this one falls in the “love a little more” category. It is not perfect, as I do point out a few things I would have done different, but it is a great looking and comfortable watch and I can’t wait to get the blue dial on my wrist. Don’t forget to check out the Crepas Website and if you are on Facebook, go ahead and join the Divers Watches Facebook Group. If you like dive watches, you will definitely enjoy the group.

 

 

 

 

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MTM Special OPS Hypertec-Hands on Review

MTM Special OPS Hypertec

When I think of MTM Special OPS watches, this Hypertec watch is not what really comes to mind. It is not chunky, it is not overly “tactical”, it doesn’t have any special lighting system and is not touted as being a military watch or a professional diving watch.  I am still not sure what genre to list this Hypertec in other than a sports watch, and I think that is okay as some watches don’t have one classification. If I had to give it one, I guess it could be the weekend watch, the day at the beach watch and I guess depending on what you do for a living, a work watch. It is also much more affordable than the regular MTM lineup.

MTM Special OPS Hypertec Specifications:

• MOVEMENT  | Swiss Quartz Ronda 515.24 -24 Hour/ GMT Indicator, Date Window
• CASE  | 316L Solid Stainless Steel
• BAND  | Leather (as shown) 29 other choices
• FINISH  | Brushed Silver
• BEZEL – OUTER  | Unidirectional Ratcheting Bezel
• BEZEL – INNER  | Dual Directional
• CROWN  | Locking, Screw Down
• GLASS  | Sapphire Crystal; Anti Reflective & Scratch Resistant
• DIAL  | Brass – Available in 7 Colors to Choose From
• HANDS  | Super Luminous
• WATER RESISTANCE  | 330 Feet / 100 Meters W / Locking Case Back
• CASE SIZE  | 42 mm (12 mm Thickness )
• WEIGHT   | 4.7 oz.
• BATTERY   | Silver Oxide, Manufacturer Rated 4 Years Maximum
• WARRANTY   | 3 Years
• PACKAGING  | Securely Shipped In Its Own Watertight Tactical Case

Price as shown: $350 USD

https://www.specialopswatch.com/product-category/hypertec-h-61/

I have a love/hate relationship with MTM Watches. I guess the biggest reason would be their pricing. The build quality has always seemed good to me but I usually feel they really try and push the “Special OPS” and military attributes too hard where it comes across as nothing more than marketing and because of that, they have what I consider to be high prices. The MTM Special OPS Hypertec, on the other hand, comes in at $350 for the leather strap model I have in hand. There are of course other dial colors and other strap options, including a bracelet, and the price will depend on which version you choose.

The MTM Special OPS Hypertec is not marketed as a hard use, heavy duty watch like most of the Special OPS watches, rather they call it a lightweight and elegant timepiece. I am not so sure I would call it elegant; as a matter of fact, I definitely would not call it elegant. It still has that manly, rugged look with the blocky case shape and the hexagon pushers and hex screws for the lugs. Taking a look around the case, it has what I call hard lines and hard lines do not usually translate to elegant. Being honest, I don’t know if MTM knows how to describe this watch either. It is a stray from their normal lineup and while it is thinner than most of their models and less in your face tactical, I would not be putting this one with the formal attire-a situation where I would want something elegant.

While the MTM Special OPS Hypertec is not a do-everything watch, it does have a few nice features. The outer bezel does rotate, though it is not very easy to get a purchase on. The same can be said with the crowns. One crown operates the inner bezel, the other the time setting. Both are hard for me to grab and turn because they have no grip on them at all. They make look cool but are not overly functional. I do not find the 24 hour hand to be very functional either, only because it just feels small on the dial, and not easy to read at a glance. Part of that issue is they went with the same color for the 24-hour hand as they did with the second hand. Had they used a different color, the size would probably be moot.

There is only lume on the hour, minute and second hand, not the hour markers. Instead, MTM went with chrome finished applied indices. I am not sure why this watch is not lumed in a traditional matter, but I guess with their normal prices and this one being a budget option from the brand, some corners needed to be cut. That said, the lume that is on the dial is pretty bright.

The case back on the MTM Special OPS Hypertec is the same as we see on many of their watches-engraved with the knife logo.  I feel maybe they could have gone with something different for these models.  For a watch that is not marketed as tactical and definitely does not look tactical, having “Combat Tactical Precision’ on the back is odd, to say the least. That said, it is a nicely finished case back.

Because of the 42mm diameter and the much thinner case, the MTM Special OPS Hypertec is nice to wear. I did find the use of 24mm lugs to be on the large side though and if they had gone with 22mm lugs instead, it would have given the watch an even svelter appearance.

I think it is pretty obvious that the MTM Special OPS Hyptetc is a little confused as what it wants to be, and even though I knock it for a few things in this review, it is a budget option from the MTM brand, which if you have been wanting one of their watches but could not afford it, it would be an option. Overall it is well built and has good finishing for the price and the leather strap is the way to go in my opinion as it is thick and comfortable and has a nice custom buckle.  It is not the in your face tactical look like most of the brand’s watches are and that may be a good or bad thing, depending on what you are looking for in a watch. Something I did not mention here in the written review, though it is pretty obvious in the photos, is the beautiful blue sunray dial. I will give props there, as the dial and color are really nice to look at. While it is cheaper, if you are really wanting an MTM hard use watch, this is not going to be it. You are better off saving your money for one of their other models or trying to find one at a deal of the day site.

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