Outsiders Revolution | Hands-On Watch Review

Outsiders Revolution

Today, we are going to veer off the normal review path a little. I am sure many know that Baselworld is almost over at the time of publication and Outsiders Watches apparently made a spectacle at the watch fair, or so they have said. Their first watch, the Outsiders Revolution diver is a $500 Swiss Made Submariner style homage and there is a lot to delve into when it comes to this brand and their marketing tactics. Now, let me get this out of the way. Business, in general, is hard and at this price in the watch world is a very competitive game and you need all the edge you can get. There is nothing wrong with that, but the issue usually is the product does not live up to to the hype. I will comment at the end of this review if I think it does, in fact, live up to the hype or not, but l am going to lay out some of their most recent events and they happened to coincide when I am writing this review.

Outsiders Revolution Specifications:

• 43mm Case Width
• 22mm Bracelet
• 13.5mm thick
• 51mm Lug to Lug
• Stainless Steel Case
• Blue or Black Dial
• Ceramic Bezel Insert
• Screw Down Crown
• Sapphire Crystal
• ETA 2824-2 Automatic Movement
• 300 Meters Water Resistant
• BGW9 Superluminova

Price $499 USD 

https://outsiderswatches.com/#

If you have been buying and collecting microbrand watches for a good few years, have bought off Kickstarter or even just watched a good old fashion infomercial, you have seen the style of marketing that Outsiders Watches employs. It’s over the top, it is usually too good to be true and it is what it is-audacious marketing. That is what I am witnessing with Outsiders. When I first came across the brand on Instagram, I somewhat overlooked the marketing tag lines because I have seen it before, so I decided to hold judgment on the watch until I got it in hand. I always try and stay as objective as possible. The watch itself, nothing really wrong with it and I would not put it in the category of cheap trash either, far from it. Doing research through while getting ready to do the review, it was hard to overlook just how over the top they are going being though. I mean, let’s be perfectly clear here, this is not the first watch to be marked Swiss Made and sold for $500. Hell, Invicta used to do it all the time, and they had very similar marketing lingo to go along with it.

If you read and watch our reviews here at Watchreport frequently (and hopefully are subscribed to our Youtube channel), you know that most of the time the video is recorded before the written article is done. This is done for many reasons, but mostly just how it is organized with the volume of watches that come in for review and how we have set it up. Normally, that really does not matter, but in this case, in the time between the video was done and today, the brand appeared at Baselworld. Posts on their Instagram feed were showing that they were giving out free watches to Baselworld attendees and I even saw a member of one of the Facebook watch groups I frequent post that he was one of the recipients. They legit were giving away their watches. I do not how many they allotted o give way, but I imagine a decent amount of people were game for it if nothing else than just sheer curiosity. I imagine it put some eyes on the Outsider Revolution.

Well, apparently, someone at Baselworld did not like this and called the police to escort the team out of the building and out of Baselworld. Now, I was not at Basel, so I am not sure how much of this is true and how much of this is more over the top marketing. I have not reached out to the brand for clarification and have not really seen anyone else posting about it online, save for the one individual who said he got a free watch. Giving out free watches at a massive fair such as Baselworld when you are a new brand is not such a bad idea at all. You have press there, watch journalists, watch enthusiasts etc. That is not bad marketing at all. How true it is that they were thrown out of the building? I am not sure. Maybe more will come out about this in the following days.

If you haven’t head over to their website yet, let me copy and paste some of what is posted on the Outsiders website about their company and the Outsiders Revolution diver:

” THE TRUTH.

Did you know that the $2,500 “Brand Name” watch you’ve seen in that fancy magazine ad didn’t cost more than $250 to make?

THE TEAM.

We’re a group of Swiss watchmakers and entrepreneurs who are fed up with the way things are.

We’re not paying a cent to all of the greedy middlemen who take their cut before you can get your hands on a Swiss made watch.

We are selling directly to you, and we’re taking all of those savings and passing them right on back to the person that deserves it the most.  “

That was just a snippet of what the Outsiders Website is filled with. Here’s the thing, the majority of us watch enthusiasts will laugh at most of that copy and I believe it is geared to the uninformed. Now again, from a business standpoint, it is a good strategy. Some folks may just find it insulting though. Hows the watch you ask? Well, if you have not watched the video yet, it is a nice watch. It is attractive, has some heft to it, a good movement, decent lume, and functions as it should. I do not like the proprietary bracelet and feel they are shooting themselves in the foot with that as I know many who love to wear and change out watch straps and that, of course, is a no go with the Outsiders Revolution. I imagine they wanted to do something just a little bit different, but I think that was the wrong choice.

So who are the guys behind the Outsiders brand? I am not sure, but I guess some of the attendees at Baselworld found out recently.  Are they starting a revolution? Are they upsetting the watch industry?  No. No, they are not. Are they making a nice watch at an affordable price? Yes. I know that might not be the catchiest slogan, but it is grounded in truth. Checking their website currently, it seems that you can get the Revolution for even cheaper, 20% off, in fact, using the code BaselPolice at checkout. Looks like they will ride that one as long as they can. That would bring the price down much closer to the $400 mark, making it a nice option for someone wanting a solid ETA based dive watch.

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Zelos ZX Chronograph | Hands-on Review

Zelos ZX Chronograph

With so many new microbrands these days, you would think some older brands such as Zelos would get lost in the shuffle. Taking a look at this Zelos ZX Chronograph and how many of them have already sold out, you can see that is not the case. Zelos and its owner Elshan has continued to push forward and he keeps coming out with new designs and believe it or not, this is actually their first chronograph but hopefully not the last. The version I have in hand has the meteorite dial and is the Valjoux 7750 Automatic version, but there are many non-meteorite versions and Mecha-Quartz options as well.

Zelos ZX Chronograph Specifications:

Size: 43mm Diameter. 16mm Height. 49mm Lug to Lug 22MM Lugs

Water Resistance: 100m.

Watch case: CUSN8 Marine Bronze or Titanium Case – Mirror polished edges and Brushed Sides.

Ceramic Bezel (Selected models only): Zirconium Oxide 1500 Vickers hardness.

Movement: Swiss ETA 7750 Elabore Grade or Seiko VK67 Mechaquartz.

Crystal: Domed Sapphire Crystal with inner AR coating. Sapphire crystal case back.

Dial: Multi-Layered filled with BGW9 lume.

Strap: Horween Leather

Warranty: 1 Year.

Price $1,099 USD (Meteorite Automatic as shown)

https://zeloswatches.com/collections/zx-chronograph

Zelos really went all out with their first chronograph-titanium or bronze case, multiple dial options, including a piece of the SR-71 Blackbird (now sold out), meteorite as pictured here and sunray dial options as well. This version has blued hands and applied markers, and very unique crown and pushers. The great thing about Zelos is that most of their watches never really resemble another brand. They are constantly working on new designs and while you can always find similarities between watches, this ZX chronograph is in no way an homage.

When looking around the titanium case you can see just how well finished this watch really is. Not only are there multiple finishes as play here with the high polished and brushed titanium, but you can see and feel how beautiful this is. The grain on the satin finish is thin and tight and all around the entire case, I could not find one sharp edge. The crown operates as it should, it is just a tad hard to grasp due to the shape, but it is large enough that is not a real issue, at least not one to really gripe about. The pushers, on the other hand, are a little spongey. You have to give a hard push on them before they will click and activate or stop/reset the chronograph. That is really my one and only issue with the ZX Chronograph. I just wish the pushers had more of an instant click.

Meteorite dials used to be very rare, these days, I think too many brands are offering them, and it definitely makes them less unique. That said, it does look great on this watch and this example has some great striations and texture to it. Zelos was also smart to keep this dial as clean as possible. Chronographs are already busy and loading up on dial text would just take away from the beauty of the meteorite, so you will not find a date, and only the Zelos logo and brand text on the dial. Keeping with the theme of this watch, the hands are rocket shaped, which is a nice little touch.

The automatic versions of the Zelos ZX Chronograph use an Elabore Valjoux 7750 movement, and you can see this through the exhibition case back. Not only are you getting better than a standard grade movement, but Zelos has gone ahead and added a custom rotor as well, something that is common these days, but unlike so many did not decide to call it a modified movement or give it its own special caliber number. It is what it is, an Elabore 7750. I always feel that is misleading when companies do that, they word it in a way to make it seem like it is a special or in house movement when all they did was put on a different rotor.

Because of the short lug to lug, the ZX Chronograph wears really nice on the wrist, despite being 16mm thick. Two straps are included, one brown horween and one black leather, the latter being more of a traditional pilot style strap, minus the rivets. This watch would probably look great on many different types of straps, and I would love to see how it looks on a dark grey or blue canvas. Check it out below on my 7 1/2 inch wrist.

Zelos has never been one to be weak in the lume category and this model uses BGW9 Superluminova. Unlike some models they have done in the past, this one does not have dual color lume, but it is still nice and bright, though I would like to see the hour and minute hand have a wider track for more lume to be applied to, though that might have really messed with the design. Still, you will not have any issues seeing this watch in the dark.  Don’t worry, the crown is lumed also, something Zelos has become quite known for in recent models and while it does nothing to help read the time in the dark, it does have a “cool” factor about it.

The ZX Chronograph is another winner from Zelos and that does not surprise me. I had no doubt from when I first saw it in photos it would be a killer watch, and getting it in hand has only confirmed that for me. I love how they designed this pilot watch using an actual plane as a reference and also how it is offered in so many different configurations. Not only do all the versions look different, they are at different prices as well, giving the consumer the ability to get the exact same case and dial but at a much lower price if they chose the Mecha-Quartz options. Zelos also continues to strive to offer many different styles of watches, pilot, diver, dress watches and even ones that are a little funky and I am not sure what category to put them into. As usual, I am not here to sell you a watch but I will say if you are interested in one of these models, act fast. Zelos watches tend not to stay on their website very long, much like Halios Watches. They have a rabid following and it is easy to see why.

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Rebel Aquafin Diver | Hands-on Review

Rebel Aquafin

The Rebel Aquafin was a Kickstarter funded that funded back in 2017, though watches did not start to ship really till December of 2018. I am not sure what issues in manufacturing that the brand had, but the watch did finally start reaching the customers who backed early. Kickstarter is usually a place where you can get a really good price on a watch, after all, you are helping to fund the most if not all of the production. It is basically a preorder, or at least this is what most watch brands use the platform for these days. The price on this one though, was pretty low, somewhere around $450 for early bird specials. When you read the specs and look at the watch, that was a pretty good deal. Retail price was said to be $799; I am not sure what happened once the campaign ended and the watches started shipping, but today’s price on the Rebel Time site is $1200.

Rebel Aquafin Specifications:

• 42mm Case Width (46mm with Crowns)
• 48mm Lug to Lug
• 13.5mm Thick
• 20mm Lug Width
• Black DLC Coated Case
• Saphire Crytal
• Sellita SW-200 Automatic Movement
• Steel Bracelet and Rubber Strap

Price $1200

https://rebeltime.com/

Because of that current price tag, that is how I have to look at this watch. It is not a $450 watch, nor an $800 watch, but a $1200 watch. I have to say, the Rebel Aquafin has some good things going for it, but there are a few aspects that I have to bring attention to that make me a question that high price tag. If you have watched the video already, you might know some of them, and the specs are above, so no need to bore you with those again. On paper, this is a very nice watch. In person, there are many nice things about it. Let’s start off with the case. The milling on the sides of the case while not unique is a nice touch and adds some dimension to this diver and I like how the crowns screw down into pockets of the case, it is smooth looking and a good design choice. The writing on the crowns though, that was not a good choice. It makes the watch come off as gimmicky.

The wave dial is attractive and the dial has sort of an oily appearance, it is a deep glossy black, and I like it. The problem is, as you can see in my photos, video and real life, the dial is just hard to see most of the time. The domed sapphire crystal really causes so much glare that it gets infuriating, especially while trying to photograph. Putting photography aside, just looking down at it, you do not see that nice dial, nor do you see that logo. The choice of a metal shield for the logo was not a good one, it gets blocked out by the crystal and glare constantly. I  am not sure if the crystal is solely to blame or it is a combination of everything, but this dial is def, not easy to read at a glance. Because of that domed crystal, maybe it is much clearer when in the water, but I did not get a chance to check that out.

But Don, this is a dive watch, what do you mean you did not go diving with it, or at least in the pool. Listen, If I had the time to go diving or in the pool on a weekly basis, that would be awesome. Unfortunately, I do not. The other factor at hand here is I would bet the majority of the guys that are buying these microbrand divers are not going in the pool or diving with them either. This may be a great diving companion and look great underwater, I will probably never know, but a company should know their market as well. Having to move your wrist around to catch the right angle to see the time, can be frustrating.

Now, the Rebel Aquafin is by no means all bad. Far from it. The crystal glare and crown text are not for me, but when you strap it on the wrist, it looks good and is very comfortable, especially on the rubber strap. The dial, when you get really up close, is well made. The case cutouts are pretty clean, meaning they do not have any rough spots and there are some small things they have done that shows someone had a good eye for detail. Take a look at the cutouts on the bezel for the hex screws. Look at how they match up perfectly with the two crowns. There is a possibility that this was nothing more than a happy coincidence, I don’t know, but I’ll give the benefit of the doubt and say it was done on purpose.

Powering the Aquafin is the SW-200 from Sellita, which as most know by now is a clone of the ETA 2824. My example has been keeping pretty good time, about 5 seconds slow a day over a 6 day period, which is not bad at all. Some people have mentioned issues with winding, or lack of when pulling the crown to the first position. I have not had that issue, so I can not comment on that. I have heard from a few other owners of this Rebel watch that their lume is not very bright or long lasting, and somewhat unevenly coated, again, not on my particular example.

The Rebel Aquafin also comes with a DLC (?) coated stainless steel link bracelet. While no picture of it here in the written review, please make sure to watch the video, where I give a real good look at it. The bracelet just feels cheap, like an afterthought and was coated after it was assembled, which does not coat the bracelet completely, especially in between the links. Of course, you do not need to wear the bracelet and can just wear it on the rubber strap, or even a strap of your own. That is very true. The fact that they are giving you both should be a good thing, right? Well, not one when one of them is sub-par. $1200 is not throw away money for most people and the bracelet should not be a throwaway one either.

I really wanted to like this watch. I followed them back in 2017 and watched the initial renderings, the progress shots etc. I wished them nothing but the best of luck, and fortunately for them, they were successfully funded. For me, the Rebel Aquafin had a lot of promise and it just did not live up to its expectations. No other way to say it. If you got in at under $500, it was a pretty good deal, I will not lie, even with the bracelet issue. At the current pricing, it is a lot to ask. The bottom line here is that I always give my real thoughts and opinions, good or bad, and the Rebel Aqufin leans to the latter, unfortunately.

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