Carpenter Brooklyn Field | Hands On Watch Review

Carpenter Brooklyn Field

Classic. Traditional. Vintage. These words are what comes to mind when I look at the Carpenter Brooklyn Field. It is a field watch that looks like something maybe my grandfather would have worn. At 40mm, it is probably a little larger than a true vintage piece, but 40mm is the new “it” size these days with a lot of brands. The trend seems to be smaller and more classic styling, and I feel there is nothing wrong with that. The Brooklyn Field was designed by Niel Carpenter, and you guessed it, he lives in Brooklyn, NY. The original watches were launched on Kickstarter about 2 years ago, but this model, the M2S, has a pretty nice upgrade; An ETA 2824 automatic movement. Limited to 50 pieces, it will probably sell out quickly, and while that sounds like marketing, check out their website and you can see, their watches just do not hang around long.

Carpenter Brooklyn Field Specifications:

• 40mm Width
• 48mm Lug to Lug
• 13mm Thick (Including Crystal)
• 20mm Lugs
• Domed Sapphire Crystal
• Screw Down Crown
• Exhibition Case Back
• ETA 2824 Automatic Movement
• Padded Leather Strap

Price $825

https://carpenterwatches.com/collections/carpenter-field/products/m2s-brooklyn-field

Carpenter Watches are popular, no doubt about it, but for me, I wish for a few changes. The biggest one would be the crystal. The Carpenter Brooklyn Field has a sapphire crystal front and back but the domed one on the front is my issue. This watch seems to be lacking a good AR coating, or it is just the dome itself. Now, I know MANY people who loved domed crystals, and on certain watches, I do myself. The problem here is the amount of reflection. You can see it in the photos here in this article and also in the video above.  The domed crystal also inhibits from seeing one of the nicest features of this field watch; The dial. The matte dial has a nice subtle texture to it that I love, but the problem is, you rarely see it. You really have to get the right angle to capture it. On the regular when glancing down to either admire or check the time, you’ll see just a black dial, or your reflection, and the reflection of everything else from your surroundings.

For me, a flat crystal with a good AR coating would have gone a long way for me to love this watch. Instead, it is in the like category. I do not dislike it, but it will never be my favorite. That is a shame, as the Carpenter Brooklyn Field Watch does have a great look and a lot to offer in terms of styling and comfort, but the simple truth is, it’s hard for me to get over the crystal. Many of you may think I am crazy, and you love this watch. For those that do, let’s get into some of the other details.

The size of the Brooklyn Field is going to be versatile on a lot of wrists, especially that 48mm lug to lug. This means that if you have small wrists, this watch should not be hanging off the edges like a larger watch would. If you were hoping for a thin watch though, this may not be it. Technically the case is 11mm thick, but when adding in the crystal, you are looking at 13mm, which makes it a little on the chunky side, at least on paper. On the wrist, it is not as noticeable, unless looking at it from an angle. I still think it should probably fit under a shirt cuff if that is your thing. It is summer here and I have not been wearing any long sleeve cuffed shirts lately. Below is a picture on my 7 1/2 inch wrist.

Traditionally, wired lugs may have been solid, and in some cases, like with Panerai, you have to remove screws from the case back to access the two-piece lug system, if you wanted to change the strap. With the Carpenter Brooklyn Field, underneath the strap is regular spring bars, so swapping out the strap will be the same as any other watch that uses spring bars. The padded suede strap looks good and is very comfortable and has a nice thin buckle as well.

The big upgrade here is the Swiss ETA 2824 movement. Past models of the Brooklyn Field used Miyota 8200 series movements, which I have stated many times are not my favorite, so for me, this is a welcome upgrade. A lot of watch enthusiasts love to see the movement, so Carpenter chose an exhibition case back to show off the movement and the engraved rotor.

The lume is nothing to write home about (anyone still writing home these days?), but it was better than I expected. The hands and numbers are thin of course, so it does not leave a lot of room for the lume to be applied, but the hands do glow fairly well. The numbers will fade off quickly though.

There is a lot to like with the Carpenter Brooklyn Field. As usual, I do not sugarcoat anything and I would love to see a future version with a flat crystal, or maybe a choice of either flat or domed- give the customer the option. Beyond the crystal, it is a well-finished watch, that arrives in tremendous packaging and with this version having an ETA 2824, a solid movement. I do not know if other dial colors with this movement will be available or not, but with about 2 years under their belt, I am looking forward a new model from Carpenter. I will have to keep my eye on them to see what the future holds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Sea King SK-1 | Hands On Watch Review

Sea King SK-1

I’ve always said that it must be hard to start a new watch brand, not just on the financial side but also because of design. So many people say they want something different, then they see the price tag and claim that is outrageous. So then we come to the homage side of thing, and we all know how many out there are vocal about not liking homages. I have my own limits on homages but the Sea King SK-1 is a nice blend of inspiration without being a total copy.  Most watch guys will see a slight resemblance to the Omega 2254. And yes, at first glance, it does remind you of the Omega, but when you really look at it and compare to the Omega, there are a lot of differences.

Sea King SK-1 Specifications:

• 44mm Stainless Steel Case
• 49.5mm Lug to Lug
• 22mm Lug Width
• 13mm Thick
• 215 grams
• Sapphire Crystal
• Ceramic Bezel Insert
• Sellita SW-200 Swiss Automatic
• Stainless Steel Bracelet

Price $519 USD

https://www.seakingwatches.com/products/sk-1-black

If ordering outside of the USA-

https://atimetowatch.co/collections/our-exclusives/products/sea-king-sk-1-black

I am not going to do a side by side comparison against the Omega because I do not have an Omega 2254 sitting beside me. As I said, at a quick glance, mostly because of the bezel font and lugs, the Sea King SK-1 resembles the Omega, but really that’s where the similarities end. The hands and markers are different, the bracelet is different, the case size is larger, it does not have crown guards nor does it have a helium release valve on the left side of the case and it has a coin edge bezel rather than the scalloped edges on the Omega. They really are two different looking watches and the Sea King is what I would call a true homage in that it is inspired in look but is not a copy at all. It is not trying to be an Omega in my opinion, but rather a classy dive watch at a good price.

On the Sea King website, it states “We wanted  to create a watch you could wear with a suit and tie, or wear it at the beach and look great doing it!” I would say that is a fair statement. These days, that could really be most watches as we see guys wearing all types of watches with suits, but if you wanted to wear something more traditional without wanting to wear a standard dress watch, this would fit the bill. At only 13mm thick, it should still be able to fit under a shirt cuff and with the black dial and white markers should match most anything. Being a dive watch with a mostly all brushed surface, it will not look out of place with jeans and a t-shirt either, and of course will be right at home at the beach. Here is a look below on my 7 1/2″  wrist.

It looks good on my wrist, especially when I go and look back at in photos, and the relative short lug to lug distance keeps it from being too large, but I still think, for me, I would love this even more at 42mm. Since the lugs are  22mm as is the entire bracelet including the clasp., it does wear a little a little wide. As I stated in the video, had the bracelet been tapered and had a regular flip-lock dive clasp as opposed the ratchet dive clasp, it may have slimmed the watch down a bit. For those wondering about the lume, check out the photo below.

The movement used in the SK-1 is the Sellita SW200, the same movement used in many Oris watches and quite a lot of brands these days. I am not sure if Sea King is doing any regulation on these, but I was seeing about -4 seconds a day, which is not bad at all. Keeping with a true dive watch theme, you can not see the movement as the SK-1 has a solid case back. It is nothing flashy or outlandish, but it gets the job done.

As with many microbrands, the Sea King SK-1 is not reinventing anything or disrupting the industry. The SK-1 is a nice diver in a sea of dive watches available. The first batch is limited to 100 pieces, but they are not a limited edition, rather that was just the first production. If they are successful they will produce more, and I believe there is a blue dial in the works.  This is a very nice offering in my opinion. It has a good movement, a nice case, and bracelet, the finishing is above average and it all just works together. The SK-1 is a darn nice watch and while it may not stand out with all the other offerings available,  if you are a fan of dive watches and like micorobrands, you would probably enjoy having this one on the wrist.

 

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Obris Morgan Nautilus | Hands On Review

Obris Morgan Nautilus

“Man, Obris Morgan watches all look the same!” “I wish Obris Morgan would do something different! ” To the people that posted comments like these or similar, Obris Morgan did something different for sure. Immediately when I saw their latest model, the Nautilus, being posted on social media a few months ago, I said, well, they went against the grain for sure. For the most part, the Obris Morgan Nautilus looks nothing like any of their previous models. The dial may have some similarity to some of its older brothers, but otherwise, this is a very different look for this very popular microbrand. The Nautilus is only 39mm as well, with a 41mm bezel, which I believe is the smallest watch that Obris has ever made. It is also the first time the brand has produced a bronze watch, at least to my recollection.  As always, it is priced very competitively, and I would expect nothing less from the veteran microbrand.

Obris Morgan Nautilius Specifications:

• 41 mm diameter Bezel
• 39 mm diameter Case body
• 11.2mm thickness
• 49.6 mm lug to lug length
• 20mm lug width
• 8 x 4.4mm Crown
• 121g net weight
• Cusn8 Bronze Case and Buckle
• Miyota 9015 Automatic Movement
• Stainless Steel Case Back
• Sapphire Crystal

Price $379 USD

http://www.obrismorgan.com/nautilus.asp

It is funny to me to say veteran microbrand when referencing Obris Morgan, but we are talking about a brand that is about 7-8 years old now, and every year, they seem to get more and more popular. They are still not the biggest microbrand out there;  in fact, they are still quite a small operation, and only release one to models a year, if that. Somehow they always seem to release a model that looks and feels like it should be more expensive. I know that can be said with many different brands, but Obris Morgan always seems to be in a class of their own. Many other brands would charge double for a watch like the Nautilus and no one would bat an eye at it really. This is not just a nice looking watch for the price, but it is made just as well as any $600 micro on the market.

How do they do it? Who knows, but I know the majority of watch collectors out there are happy they do. The other microbrand owners are probably not so happy though. Can’t blame them. As I said in the beginning, I do not remember another bronze watch from this brand before, so the Obris Morgan Nautilus may very well be the first. If it isn’t, I know someone will jump at the chance to correct me in a comment section. As many here may know, I am not the biggest bronze fan out there. I wear silver or black colored watches primarily and wear silver jewelry, so bronze just really doesn’t mesh with me. I also can not wear bronze a few days in a row as it starts to make my skin green, so I just don’t seek out bronze watches. I do love the look of them though. Some go a little too far with the patina in my opinion, but if done right, they can look really great. Speaking of patina, if you are impatient and want to have your Nautilus show up on your doorstep already looking like you have been wearing it for the past few months, you can do that! Obris Morgan allows you to choose standard or patina version on their website. I have seen a few brands do this in the past, but it is definitely a rarity rather than the norm. Here is a picture of one that is full patina from the Obris Morgan Facebook Page.

The heavy patina definitely changes the look for sure. So, onto the Obris Morgan Nautilus itself.  How does it stack up you ask? With the exception of the bezel being hard to grasp and turn due to their being no grip on the edges of the bezel, I can confidently say this is another winner from Obris Morgan. Of course, not everyone is going to like the design. It is a love or hate type of thing. I dig the design. At first, I thought, that crown is going to dig into the back of my hand and annoy the hell of me. I was very wrong. Because it is relatively a small watch, that didn’t happen once. Maybe if you have a much smaller wrist than mine it could be a possibility, but I doubt it.

If you look at all the photos and watch the video above, you can see this watch is very well made. From the brushing to the sunburst dial and applied markers, matching date wheel and even drilled lugs. What may be hard to see is just how nice the leather strap is. Sometimes you can only realize this is a person. I am a leather aficionado if you will and I absolutely love this leather strap. It is thick, yet it is soft and supple, but it does not feel like it will wear out in a month either. The blue backing is a nice touch as well. Another nice touch is what appears to be a custom bronze buckle that the strap kind of lays inside, making it sit very flat when on your wrist.

Obris Morgan Nautilus Lume

The Obris Morgan Nautilus is not going to be for everyone, or appeal to the masses, but not all watches do. For the price, it is a bargain, in my opinion, just based on what else is available out in the market, if nothing else. As you saw in the specs, it is using the Miyota 9015 movement, which has been a go-to movement for many microbrands over the years and is a well-regarded base movement, as many of you reading this know. I personally would love to see this in titanium or an aged steel, as I think the design would suit it, based on what the full patina version shown above looks like. All in all, I think its another great model from Obris Morgan. Should you buy it? I won’t tell you that, that’s not what I do here. This is, of course, my opinion. Should you agree, the links are above and you know what to do. Obris Morgan has told me they will be releasing another 2 watches this year. I do not have any info on them at this time, but when I do, I will be sure to post it through our social media channels and hopefully we will have a hands-on review of them as well here.

 

 

 

 

 

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