Unity Black Pearl Diver Launches on Kickstarter

Unity Black Pearl Diver

Unity Watches, who hail from Barcelona, Spain, have launched their third model, the Unity Black Pearl Diver. They chose to launch on Kickstarter this time, for some extra exposure. Some may not be familiar with the Spanish brand, but they have been making their own watches in house since 2010. When I say they have been making their watches in house, they are not only designing the watches but actually machining and assembling the cases in their shop in Barcelona. Even though they have been around for quite a few years now, they have been kind of a sleeper brand, as their first models were a little different in terms of style. Nothing wrong with them, I just do not think they hit the mark for everyone. The Unity Black Pearl Diver is custom made case and dial but it has the cushion case shape so many of us watch enthusiasts are familiar with, and should appeal to a wider audience.

The Unity Black Pearl Dial is a 316 L stainless case that measures in at 43mm in width with a length from lug to lug of 51mm. This is a good size for most, it is not too large and not small either. It is water resistant to 300 Meters and has domed sapphire crystal with AR coating. Dial hands, markers and bezel have all been coated with Super-luminova, as you would expect for a dive watch. Early Bird pricing comes in at $570 USD, and that gives backers the Black Pearl with a stainless bracelet, rubber strap with Pre-V buckle, strap tool and leather travel case. Delivery is scheduled for June 2018.

It is always difficult for me to comment on a watch with never seeing it in person, but from the photos and video I see on their campaign, I like what I am seeing. I have always like the cushion case dive watches and the dimensions are right on target for what I wear these days. The hands are a little different for sure and look to be a little small for the dial, but that could just be the photos. The bezel reminds me a of Clerc watches, but not a complete copy, more inspired if anything. As I said above, I do not think Eduardo, owner of Unity, was trying to reinvent the dive watch with this release, but offer something that hits a larger audience.

The choice of movement for the Unity Black Pearl Diver is not very well known, and that may give people some hesitation. I had a Unity Watch years ago with this movement and do not recall any issues at the time, but it was probably 6 years ago now. I do know Resco used to use the Valanvron V24, which is essentially a copy of the ETA 2824, built by Seagull out of China. The movement, to the best of my knowledge and research, is then sent to Switzerland to be reworked and assembled to get the Swiss Made label. It is a direct replacement for the ETA 2824, with the same dimensions and jewels.

I like what I see, but that is as much as I can comment on. Hopefully when the watches are produced I can get a more hands on look, but until then, if you are interested in the Unity Black Pearl Diver, you can check them out on Kickstarter or their Website below.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1542410278/black-pearl-300-meters-a-piece-of-barcelona-on-you/description

http://unitywatches.com/en/unity-diving-watch/

 

 

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Zelos Mako Diver | Hands On Watch Review

Zelos Mako Diver

Zelos only makes big watches! Why doesn’t Zelos put out a 40mm watch? These are some of the questions I would see on my Zelos reviews, or on Facebook groups and forums. Well, to those out there wanting a smaller Zelos, your praying and wishing is over. The Zelos Mako Diver is your answer and it comes in at 40mm with a lug to lug of 46mm. It is also available to order and will ship immediately, yet it is on pre-order pricing. At the time of this publication (The Mako went on sale March 6, 2018), this variation I have in hand is $399. Other variations are available as well, including a meteorite dial, for $569. One of the reasons it is such a good deal at this price is because it has a Sellita SW200-1 automatic movement. Not the NH35 we are so accustom to seeing, but the same movement Oris has been using for years. Matter of fact, I just reviewed the Oris Divers Sixty-Five recently, which uses this same movement. Now, at $400, you can not expect it to be in the Oris league, but as usual, Zelos puts out a lot of watch, for not a lot of money.

Zelos Mako Diver Specifications:

• 316 L Stainless Steel Case
•  40mm Diameter
• 20mm Lug width
• 46mm Lug to Lug Length
• 13.5mm thickness without crystal
• Water Resistance : 500m
• Crystal : Sapphire, 2.5mm thick vintage style ‘Box’ crystal
• Bezel : 120 Clicks, Ceramic insert with 2000 Vickers hardness
• Movement : Swiss Sellita SW200
• Dial : Textured with C3 and BGW9 lume
• Rubber and Leather Straps

Initial Price $399

https://zeloswatches.com/collections/mako-500m-diver

As you can see in the specs above, Zelos went all out again with the Mako. Two straps, a ceramic bezel insert, the SW200 movement, domed sapphire and more. From looking at their website, this price will be more at some point, so it is weird from a review perspective as far as which price do I review at. $399 or $749, which is what it will eventually be. Well, being honest, because of the movement, the $749 price tag is feasible. At $399, it is definitely a bargain, at the very least because of the movement. That does not mean I find this watch to be perfect, you guys know me better than that. I do have a few issues, so keep reading.

When it comes to build quality, that is never one of my issues with Zelos Watches. The Zelos Mako Diver is no different. The finishing is great as always; all brushed with a thin high polish chamfer to give a nice aesthetic to the case, no rough edges around the bezel or crown, or on the underside of the lugs, which is something I always check for. Zelos is at the top of the game in the microbrand world for a reason-they do not put out a sub par watch, at least not in my opinion. The bezel action is tight on my example, but I can still turn it and even though this is a smaller watch, the bezel itself is thick enough to allow my hands to get a good grip. Unfortunately, the same can not be said for the crown. Between the integrated crown guard and what I consider to be a small crown, it is just hard for me to use. Actually, it is really hard. It aggravated me quite a bit actually. If you have large hands/fingers, be warned.  If you have small to medium sized hands/fingers, you should be fine.

The dial pattern of the Zelos Mako Diver is a nice touch. They could have just went with a sunburst dial, or a matte dial as so many brands do, but they wanted the Mako to stand out a little more. One thing that is a little odd is the use of the shark teeth triangle markers. As you can see, they are in addition to the large applied markers, and there are only 3 of them. I get that what they were going for here, but I wish they just used those shark teeth in place of the round markers. On a more positive note, Zelos matched the date wheel to the dial and they put the date in my favorite spot, the 6 o’clock position.

The Zelos Mako Diver wears very comfortably on the wrist, but I do find it a little small for my 7 1/2 inch wrist. I have embraced smaller watches the past few years and have worn 40mm watches in a rotation as well, but the short lug to lug length keeps me from wanting to wear this one more. For those of you out there that want a smaller watch or have small wrists, this will be perfect. The Tropic style rubber is a great strap, and the second strap, a brown leather that I show in the video, is a nice addition, but does not really go with this color combo. Black, blue and brown just does not go together.

As usual, the lume on a Zelos is fantastic. Two types of lume are used on the Mako Diver, C3 Super-Luminova and BGW9. The lume is bright and will last about 4 hours or so, but I was still able to see the time after a 6 hour slumber, but I had to wait for my eyes to adjust to the dark, but that is par for the course. This is not Seiko or Lum-tec category, but it is above average for sure.

This Zelos Mako Diver is obvioulsy not a home run for me. Not all watches are. I love the fact that Zelos listened to feedback from their customers and made a 40mm dive watch. It shows he pays attention. The type of interaction you can have with a man like Elshan is something you can not get with the bigger brands. It is one of the things that makes microbrands special, that direct contact with the owner and designer. The Mako is just too small for me, but I know many are going to love it. It has a great dial pattern, the domed sapphire, and it is 500 Meters Water resistant and a has a fully indexed bezel for the real divers. Let’s not forget about the Swiss movement for a $399 price tag. Zelos always impresses me for sure. I would love this in a 43mm with a larger crown, but I am only one guy. There are more than enough watches out there to fit the average wrist, this one is for the rest of you out there that want something more manageable. This would probably look great on a woman as well, though my girlfriend said it was a little too big for her. Go figure.

Please be sure to check out the gallery below and leave your comments as well.

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Oris Divers Sixty-Five | Hands On Watch Review

Oris Divers Sixty-Five

I’ve been a fan of Oris Watches for a long time. I’ve owned quite a few over the years as well. The Oris Big Crown Timer, the TT1 Diver and my personal favorite, the Aquis. Within the past few years, Oris has been bringing back some of their vintage designs from the 60’s (as many brands have been doing lately). One of them is the Oris Divers Sixty-Five line. This one that I have in hand is my favorite of the lineup, the blue dial 42mm. This model comes in a few dial colors and there are leather strap versions, (as shown here), metal bracelet, tropic style rubber and a NATO strap. They have all the bases covered! This watch was sent to me from Timeless Luxury Watches, out of Frisco, Texas. They are an authorized dealer for Oris, Omega, IWC, Tudor, Seiko and many more. They also pre-owned watches. I will give the link to their site below, along with a special discount for those of you that may be interested in the Oris Divers Sixty-Five. 

Oris Divers Sixty-Five Specifications:

42mm Stainless Steel Case

11mm Thick

50mm Lug to Lug

21mm Lug Width

Oris 733, base SW 200-1 automatic winding, bi-directional rotating red rotor with a 38-hour power reserve

Box domed Sapphire Crystal

100 Meters Water Resistant

Leather Strap ( As reviewed)

Retail Price $1,990

*Timeless Luxury Watches and Watchreport have come together to offer a special 15% discount, good for one month from the date of this publication. That would bring this leather strap version, as well as the rubber and Nato strap models down to $1,691.50. If you want any versions of the Oris 42mm Sixty Five, you can inquire about ordering it through the Timless Luxury Website and mention Watchreport when they email you back, order over the phone and mention Watchreport or if you are in Texas, walk in and do the same. Again, the 15% off will be good for only one month from the date of this publication.*

https://timelessluxwatches.com/product/oris-divers-sixty-five-01-733-7720-4055-07-5-21-02/

For those not familiar, the Oris Divers Sixty-Five is a tribute to the Oris Star Dive watch from 1965. If you google those words, you will see that this version is pretty close in design to the original, even down to the funky date window. The size of course, has been bumped up, as the original was 37mm, and of course a sapphire crystal is now used, and a few other upgrades as well. This new version has an aluminum bezel insert and is rated at 100 Meters Water Resistant. The original was also a compressor case and because of modern technology, as with most dive watches, the new version has a standard screw down case back and crown.

The case design of the Oris Divers Sixty-Five is similar to its vintage counterpart, though the lugs are definitely longer and not as beveled, at least from what I can see from pictures on the web. Similar to many diver watches like this, the top of the case is brushed steel, with a high polished sides, crown and bezel teeth. The case back is highly polished as well. One aspect I really love is the large crown. Some dive watch enthusiasts may not like the fact that this watch is missing crown guards, but as I have said before, I do not actually dive. So crown guards are not really something I get worked up about. What I do like is how easy it is to use the crown while it is on the wrist. This is due to how large it is and the thin case, along with where the crown is situated. This is a detail many brands overlook, but it is something I find important. I can unscrew, set time or date, and even wind it if I wanted to, all while on my wrist, and with EASE. The 120 click bezel does have some play to it though, a little more than I would like on a watch of this price tag, but this is a sample, and it could be isolated to just my example.

The deep blue dial of the Oris Divers Sixty-Five is just flat out awesome. Not every brand gets blue dials right in my opinion, at least darker blue dials like this. This dial has a nice gloss to it and because of the box style sapphire crystal and how light hits it, will be a nice royal blue or almost a deep sea black. When looking at the original vintage version, one thing that is noticeable, is that while they kept the design of the date cutout very similar, it is smaller in size. The original took up the whole 3 o’clock spot, and there was no room left for any indices. Oris chose to make the date cutout on this modern version smaller, and put a small portion of the marker to the right of it. It is a little off looking, and I feel you notice it even more in the dark when the lume is glowing. As for the rest of the dial, no complaints here. The faux patina lume paint is subtle, and not as yellow or orange as some brands do and the hands and large markers make it easy to read at a glance.

On the wrist, the Oris Divers Sixty-Five is an absolute joy to wear. At 42X50mm, it is a perfect size for me and with the case being only 11mm thick, it is a nice change from the chunky dive watches most of us are used to. Even with the thick crystal, this watch does not look or wear thick at all. I have not seen the rivet bracelet in person, nor the tropic style rubber, so I can only comment on the leather strap that I was sent with the Sixty-Five. I have heard good things about the bracelet and rubber and I can say first hand that the leather is great. It is a distressed brown leather that has that vintage appeal and just works with this watch. I probably would never wear the bracelet on this watch, it would be rubber or leather, but that is just me. Topping off this minimal stitch strap is a signed thumbnail style buckle. For reference, my wrist is 7 1/2 inches.

For the most part, I have been singing the praises of the Sixty-Five, and unfortunately, that ends here. On the example I have in hand, the lume is not what I expected. It is nice and bright on the hour, minute and second hand, and the lume pip as well, but it seems the lume plots on the dial did not get the same treatment. I tried taking many lume shots of this watch, and charged it up with a high powered flashlight to try and get the best shot possible. That is the first picture below.

You can see that the hands almost look nuclear in that shot. That was hit with the flashlight for about 45 seconds. The photo below shows what it looks like after being out in the sunlight and coming inside. This is more what to expect in the lume department, at least in my experience with the Sixty-Five.

Oris has been using the Sellita movements for a long time now, and I have never had an issue with them. They are basically a clone of the ETA movements as most of you know. Oris labels it as their own caliber, but really they are just adding their custom red rotor to it, which unfortunately you can’t see here with this model. Now, I know that sounds odd coming from me, because I am always saying how much I prefer a solid case back on a dive watch. I usually do. But I have always loved the Oris red rotor-it has become iconic for the brand. It does not help that the case back of the Sixty-Five is kind of plain. Nothing wrong with it, I think I was just expecting more.

I like many aspects of the Oris Divers Sixty Five. The size is right where I want it, the blue dial is gorgeous, and the overall aesthetic is a watch that I am just attracted to. This is an every day wearer for me. Now, when it comes to lume, yes, it is a little disappointing to me. Lume, does not make or break a watch for me, and it is not like it is terrible, but if lume is a huge deal for you, I can understand. On paper, it may seem like the Sixty-Five is a little pricey. I wont lie, I thought the same. In person, it really is a beatiful watch and when taking a look at the forums, Instagram and Facebook groups, I can see many others agree. There is an “it” factor here. It may be more expensive  than it should be-yet somehow it is worth it. I put this into the win column. It is a great watch from Oris.

If you agree, please do check out the link and info in the specifications above and give Timeless Luxury Watches a chance. Remember, I never try and “Sell” you a watch here, but if you are in the market, they are a legit authorized dealer, no grey market here.

Please check out the gallery of photos below, and leave your comments as well.

 

 

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