Modern vintage divers and other oxymorons...
I am currently obsessed with vintage style divers. I have been looking at many, and am pretty certain I will be buying something in the next month. But this post isn't about seeking advice. This post is about seeing how much nitpicking one group of people can tolerate. So let me propose a debate...here are the rules:
Four watches, same color - you know them well (or you should), just look at the title pic.
Forget the specs! - this is not about what watch is 'better' on paper. They all have + and - points; comparing movements would be like comparing apples to oranges. So just try to ignore it all for once.
Aesthetics ONLY - that's right, this is a looks competition. Be as OCD and petty as you want. You're not here to be popular, you're here to show how difficult a customer you can be.
So I'll start...
The Lorier Neptune is the handsomest watch of this bunch. It has a balanced dial, perfect dimensions, unique bracelet, not too much text, classy all around. Sure it has a hesalite crystal, but I don't care about practicality! I can polish my watch, heck, I do it every night already. I will never dive or do any real work with it. I will wear it to the office or fancy events and dinners where I can safely stare at it and hope one person notices it so I can tell them all about it until they politely walk away.
But the biggest reason the Neptune is the nicest modern vintage diver? Because it has a gilt finish and no fauxtina lume. Why would I pay hundreds or thousands of dollars for artificially aged lume? Why?! Sure, Tudor and Baltic have other models and colors, sure this is a "look", but I'm an insufferable, non-compromising client. Even though I just built a vintage Sub homage with yellow lume and sterile dial, I am not ready to buy it from someone else. The Yema is tolerable with its lume color, but who puts crown guards on a vintage dive watch???
You might be asking me: "Didn't you know Tudor won the vintage dive watch wars long ago?". To which I would reply: "Give me a pointy hour hand, or give me no hour hand at all".
Your move WC. Let's see how picky you can get.
Well rounded nerd, into music, guitar pedals, all things DIY, and watches!
Another insufferable here.
I'll... agree! The Lorier (isn't that a womens shampoo brand?) has the best balance and simple classic look of this group. Yema has a weird hour hand and bezel clamp thingy. Baltic looks good at first .. but it looks like the triangles are cut out, the dots are on top, and the "12" doesn't go with either of those.
the Tudor... nothing too negative to say here. Maybe slight symmetry loss with minutes on bezel for only the first 15? A textbook of writing on the dial? Mainly though, not the best in terms of a 60s diver vibe, for me. And why is a square on it's side a 'snowflake' hand 🤔
I like how you casually ignore that gigantic crown hanging off the side of the Lorier. The dial may be balanced, but the watch itself? Not so much.
The Baltic has all the good stuff you mentioned without that tumor of a crown.
Love a good old fashion bit of carping about unimportant things.
From least to most favored aesthetically.
Tudor - sorry Tudor friends. The Snowflake hands are an abomination. I get wanting to be able to distinguish between the 3-6-9-12, but you can't have circles, bars, AND triangles. Just choose two! Also, that paragraph at the bottom of the dial....
Yema - handset is better than the Tudor and I even like the seconds hand but they still.made a mess of the dial shapes and added crown guards to a vintage diver
Baltic - did better on the dia but the 12 is a mismatch and the handset is very microbrand anonymous.
Lorier - best dial, best handset, best logo (the triple chevron feels like it has heritage without overselling it). Still added an unneeded incremental line of text below the brand name for some reasons but overall they did a killer job with this one. I even like the big crown....grippier with dive gloves or whatever.
Another insufferable here.
I'll... agree! The Lorier (isn't that a womens shampoo brand?) has the best balance and simple classic look of this group. Yema has a weird hour hand and bezel clamp thingy. Baltic looks good at first .. but it looks like the triangles are cut out, the dots are on top, and the "12" doesn't go with either of those.
the Tudor... nothing too negative to say here. Maybe slight symmetry loss with minutes on bezel for only the first 15? A textbook of writing on the dial? Mainly though, not the best in terms of a 60s diver vibe, for me. And why is a square on it's side a 'snowflake' hand 🤔
I mean when I look at my chronometer watches I always ask myself: "But how can I be sure??". Luckily Tudor gives us the piece of mind we'll know they're officially certified.
My next watch build will have this dial (which is 100% real and can be bought on AE):
I like how you casually ignore that gigantic crown hanging off the side of the Lorier. The dial may be balanced, but the watch itself? Not so much.
The Baltic has all the good stuff you mentioned without that tumor of a crown.
And exactly how will I pretend to be going on a commando scuba mission with that tiny Baltic crown made for people who carry needlenose pliers in their pockets? The crown on the Neptune says "I'm a crown and I'm not afraid to show it."
I personally would still pick the Baltic …. Easy re sell once you realise that you need to scratch that itch with a Tudor , when you join our Tudor religion. You do know we are like Scientologists don’t you ??
I know it's sacrilegious to say right now, and with apologies to @AndrewMorgan , I just find Tudors sort of clunky and busy (and I sold mine in pretty short order). And the snowflake hands have--what is the opposite of grown on me?--oh, yeah. Don't like them.
I do like the Lorier, but I find the hour hand's short-tapered stem ending in a large arrow, um, displeasingly provocative.
I like the Baltic and the Yema, and don't have the same objections that others above do. I have the Yema Navygraf MN, and it makes me pretty happy, although it's not the vintage homage that these are.
My own pick is the Seiko Mas, but you'd miss out on your pointy hands.
I personally would still pick the Baltic …. Easy re sell once you realise that you need to scratch that itch with a Tudor , when you join our Tudor religion. You do know we are like Scientologists don’t you ??
I had a Tudor printed catalogue my coworker lent me (he owns the GMT). I liked a few of the watches, but something always pulled me back. I may still get one, one day, as soon as I'm done buying the other 3 and thoroughly complaining about them...
I know it's sacrilegious to say right now, and with apologies to @AndrewMorgan , I just find Tudors sort of clunky and busy (and I sold mine in pretty short order). And the snowflake hands have--what is the opposite of grown on me?--oh, yeah. Don't like them.
I do like the Lorier, but I find the hour hand's short-tapered stem ending in a large arrow, um, displeasingly provocative.
I like the Baltic and the Yema, and don't have the same objections that others above do. I have the Yema Navygraf MN, and it makes me pretty happy, although it's not the vintage homage that these are.
My own pick is the Seiko Mas, but you'd miss out on your pointy hands.
The clear winner for most phallic handset is the Yema. It's even called the Superman...
Oddly enough, I have a hot / cold relationship with the SPB143. Thank goodness they added a slight tip to those hands. If the discount is right that is another possible 2023 NWA.
Do you think Tudor will ever list this model with the pointy hand? That would be on my radar for sure.
I absolutely despise fauxtina. Personally, if I buy something new I want it to look new, even if it's "vintage inspired". If I bought a watch new in 1959, I highly doubt the indices would be earwax yellow or coffee-stain brown!
I understand some may prefer fauxtina for their hands/indices, so I wish there was an option for customers to choose. That way, folks like me could get white indices, while others who prefer yellow/browner indices could get their preference.
Unfortunately, that would be a manufacturing nightmare, so I doubt my dream will come to fruition soon.
I mean when I look at my chronometer watches I always ask myself: "But how can I be sure??". Luckily Tudor gives us the piece of mind we'll know they're officially certified.
My next watch build will have this dial (which is 100% real and can be bought on AE):
Great minds think alike or fools seldom differ!
I already have this dial on it's way to me from China. 🤣
Do you think Tudor will ever list this model with the pointy hand? That would be on my radar for sure.
I think if Tudor released a milsub with the sword hands they would sell like hotcakes. Myself included. I think this is plausible since the chances of Rolex reissuing that design are near zero. But they will likely ride the Black Bay gravy train for a long time still...
I think the Baltic is the best true vintage looking option, and the Lorier is the best new-vintage looking option (but the dial and hands a little too pointy/sharp for me).
For me, the Tudor is the best looking option of the bunch here for just a hint of vintage inspiration but still modern aethetics - although that seems like an unpopular opinion so far.
I absolutely despise fauxtina. Personally, if I buy something new I want it to look new, even if it's "vintage inspired". If I bought a watch new in 1959, I highly doubt the indices would be earwax yellow or coffee-stain brown!
I understand some may prefer fauxtina for their hands/indices, so I wish there was an option for customers to choose. That way, folks like me could get white indices, while others who prefer yellow/browner indices could get their preference.
Unfortunately, that would be a manufacturing nightmare, so I doubt my dream will come to fruition soon.
I built a vintage diver with fauxtina to test my ability to tolerate it or if it would grow on me. So far, I'm still meh on the whole thing. Still prefer the normal white lume. Although I can be convinced on the blue lume on some of the really modern dive watches (e.g. Helm Komodo).
You say about the Yema “who puts crown guards on a vintage dive watch?”. Isn’t the Yema very much like the 1969 superman which had crown guards? Surely it makes sense that Yema would make a heritage diver that looks like their actual vintage diver?
Indeed, @complication pointed this out above and I've conceded this is accurate vintage not vintage inspired. But too late to edit the post, it still works for the insufferable and unreasonable persona I created.
The Yema is also the most utilitarian of the bunch so it didn't stand a chance against the other dressy divers. Next time I will nitpick more accurately.
Indeed, @complication pointed this out above and I've conceded this is accurate vintage not vintage inspired. But too late to edit the post, it still works for the insufferable and unreasonable persona I created.
The Yema is also the most utilitarian of the bunch so it didn't stand a chance against the other dressy divers. Next time I will nitpick more accurately.
In terms of 'dressy', I wear the bronze Superman with the bordeaux sapphire bezel.
It looks the business, especially in real life.
In terms of 'dressy', I wear the bronze Superman with the bordeaux sapphire bezel.
It looks the business, especially in real life.
I saw this one over Christmas, I think it went on sale and it's not available anymore?
If I had done a bronze vintage diver faceoff I think this one would have taken the prize in my books despite the divisive bezel lock and crown guards. I really do not like the BB bronze.
I saw this one over Christmas, I think it went on sale and it's not available anymore?
If I had done a bronze vintage diver faceoff I think this one would have taken the prize in my books despite the divisive bezel lock and crown guards. I really do not like the BB bronze.
Originally went up in Black Friday sales, continued into Xmas and by New Year it was gone from the site.
Omega Seamaster 300 would be my choice of I were in the market for one.
Baltic has the best dial indicies to negative space. Except I cant handle that rice bracelet.
Tudor looks like it just filled the dial space because it was there. The haiku does not help. Almost all rolex/tudor sub dials are guilty of this. The bracelet rivets.... why....
The Yema dial is okay except they did that on the bezel and dial with the doubling of minute markers. Also I cannot handle the logo, looks like my grade 8 girl crush made it. Also what is going on with the crown guard and reticale setup?
Lorier wins with a dial that breathes, logo that matches the hands, bracelet that doesn't confuse, the triangle angles match on the bezel and the dial. Cleanest design.
The Oris Diver’s 65 is also a great watch that could be a good fit for you!
The BB58 is the Ringo Starr of watches. i.e. misunderstood, brilliant, understated, simple, epic and deadly. There are flashier watches out there, but this one is solid, relentless, uncompromising, genuine and has elements of sparkle that catch you unaware and fill your heart with delight. It's familiar and comfortable, yet it's also quirky and slightly weird. It rocks.
The BB58 is the Ringo Starr of watches. i.e. misunderstood, brilliant, understated, simple, epic and deadly. There are flashier watches out there, but this one is solid, relentless, uncompromising, genuine and has elements of sparkle that catch you unaware and fill your heart with delight. It's familiar and comfortable, yet it's also quirky and slightly weird. It rocks.
I dunno, I think the BB58 is more like the Jimmy Page of watches: wildly popular, heavily borrowing from others than came before. Not all that original, but just different enough it appeals to the masses with the guise of going against the current. Is it a handsome watch? 100% But sometimes people want a little bit of Jeff Beck ya know.
All analogies are flawed. We use them to BS one another (or ourselves). But well played!
Baltic all the time. Looks good and can hold it’s own
Baltic all the time. Looks good and can hold it’s own
Didnt even know they made a blackout version. But that makes it look more military less dress I'll say.
Didnt even know they made a blackout version. But that makes it look more military less dress I'll say.
It’s the bronze just with going on 3 years of patina. Natural blackout over time if you want to think of it like that Lol🤙🏼. https://open.substack.com/pub/analogexplorer/p/baltic-aquascaphe-bronze?utm_source=direct&r=8z6az&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Another insufferable here.
I'll... agree! The Lorier (isn't that a womens shampoo brand?) has the best balance and simple classic look of this group. Yema has a weird hour hand and bezel clamp thingy. Baltic looks good at first .. but it looks like the triangles are cut out, the dots are on top, and the "12" doesn't go with either of those.
the Tudor... nothing too negative to say here. Maybe slight symmetry loss with minutes on bezel for only the first 15? A textbook of writing on the dial? Mainly though, not the best in terms of a 60s diver vibe, for me. And why is a square on it's side a 'snowflake' hand 🤔
I own the Baltic and the Lorier.
I actually like the “12”. Kind of. The triangles add depth to the dial on the left, right, and bottom. The 12 lacks depth, which feels unbalanced. I think it might be better if the triangles were not recessed.
It should also be mentioned that the beads-of-rice bracelet is fantastic and also features quick release. Consequently, I often put it on a two-piece, quick-release NATO.
I also like the Lorier, but it’s daintier than the Baltic. If you include the bezels, the Lorier is a millimeter smaller (38.5 vs. 30.5) and the bracelet tapers to pretty small on the inside of the wrist. It’s not bad, but the smaller size took some getting used to.
I also find the bracelet hard to get off, so I never take it off. The Lorier should be a strap monster, but it unfortunately lives on the bracelet.
And exactly how will I pretend to be going on a commando scuba mission with that tiny Baltic crown made for people who carry needlenose pliers in their pockets? The crown on the Neptune says "I'm a crown and I'm not afraid to show it."
I do like the Lorien, but the thing that wins it for the BB is it’s chunkiness. This is a tool (or at least pretending to be one), and the Lorien looks a little…elegant? That’s a weird complaint, but in this type of watch I think it’s right. The BB looks like it’s here for business in a way the others don’t.