Watch Review: Trigalux TA-100

Grab and go! That is basically the story of my life right now and it has been for quite some time now. My morning routine is simple shower, dress and out the door. The less that I have to think about in the morning the better. The commute to work is about 30 or so minutes where I enjoy listening to my favorite playlist and enjoying my hot cup of black coffee. My solitude before the busy, manageable chaos of my day begins. There are a few things that I grab before I am out the door which involves no second thoughts, my cup of coffee, my car keys, my food, my European men’s carryall, and my watch. That is how the grab and go lifestyle is. No second thoughts. No stressing. A simplistic routine that gets shit done quickly without unnecessary complications. This is what I believe in mind when they designed the TA-100.

When it comes down to it I certainly don’t want to complicate my watch wearing joy. I don’t want to worry about the watch on my wrist when I bang it on a doorknob at work, hit it on a rock swimming, grind it on the pavement skateboarding or crash it on a tree hiking. This is the kind of watch that Trigalux has designed here. A no second thoughts, no worries, grab and go watch. The 44 mm x 49mm x 14 mm brushed stainless steel case is about as no nonsense as they come.  An unsigned screw down crown can be found located at the 4 o’clock position. The crown has nice, deep gear/cog style edges that have perfect spacing which allows for ideal functionality that works flawlessly in both indoors and outdoors settings. This style of edges on a crown are so easy to grip and operate. The TA-100 has no crown guards but is subset into the case. As I have found on other watches with this crown set up, it can make for difficult crown functioning. But Trigalux got it right in terms of crown size and edges.

I have the “stripped” down version of the TA-100 or the basic version. This is my complaint when it comea to the TA-100. Trigalux is marketing the TA-100 as a military tactical watch. Why would you put out a cheaper basic model? From my perspective it doesn’t make sense especially from a marketing standpoint. It is very misleading to customers expecting a military tactical watch that can handle tactical situations. So a word of advice my friends, if you are looking into purchasing this watch because of the military tactical hoopla, make sure you order the correct version or you will end up disappointed.

 

While I am on the disappointment train, my other disappointment is the cheap Nato style strap that is included with the basic version. It feels cheap and the colors are not very appealing in my opinion. One of the first things that I did was swap out the strap for a custom Peter Gunny leather strap. The TA-100 looks so much better on the leather strap. The dial on the TA-100 is definitely not a disappointment and is probably my favorite part of this watch. The military stencil numerals on this dial are just awesome and were what initially drew me to this watch. One of my most beloved watches of all time has military stenciled numerals. The TA-100 markers have a slightly green tint to them that match the triangle marker on the unidirectional rotating bezel. It would have looked more aesthetically pleasing if the markers on the bezel matched too.

 

I love the hands on this watch because they are the ideal size in terms of length and width and the white color allows for good legibility. The arrow head second hand is the perfect length and size in my opinion. Something with the way second hands move with quartz movement is just so not horologically romantic. Especially when it has that backwards sway after it initially ticks forward. Inline with the crown, at the 4 o’clock position the white bordered date window can be found, which features a white date wheel with black printed numerals. Trigalux used minimal text for the dial of the TA-100, text all printed in white, with Trigalux located under the 12 o’clock position and water resistance info located above the 6 o’clock position. The dial is very easily read from all angles and all lighting situations. Looking through the sapphire crystal at the dial is a joy.

The TA-100 is an extremely comfortable watch on the wrist and it also offers a stress free wrist experience as well. Like I mentioned earlier, it’s a watch that you grab and go with no matter what activities you are going to do. It’s a good daily beater. It’s the watch that I would grab and go to yard work wearing, or playing catch with the kids, or hiking. There’s no stress worthy abuse involved with this watch. What I mean is it’s inexpensive coming in at just over $160 USD, so when you scratch it up you don’t have to worry about it. The dial is definitely the highlight of this piece. If you are looking for a tactical watch, definitely go with the other version of the TA-100. If you go with the basic version, you are getting a decent watch that case can take some abuse, but I definitely wouldn’t advise going to the extremes with this version.

Food for thought: Have I expected too much from a $160 watch? Perhaps, but there are some notable watches priced not too higher.

As always thank you for reading and your questions and comments are welcome below.

Thank you to the Trigalux team.

Specifications

• Individually numbered
• 100m
• Swiss Made R715 Quartz movement
• 316L Steel
• 49 mm x 44 mm x 14 mm
• Unidirectional bezel with luminescent triangle and 90 clicks
• Sapphire crystal  (thickness 2,5mm) with AR
• Nato Strap
• Trigalux®  T3 lume

Watch Review: Trieste Deepsea

 

The past and present always find a way to merge forces, whether it’s in the form a history repeating itself in a negative way or positive way. It would be an amazing if we as a human race can take lessons from the past, learn from them and make the necessary changes for the betterment of everyone. Until we can figure out how to truly do that, I will scale it down quite a bit, and apply this to a watch. There is a reason why we see the classics come back in different forms. Some companies take the lazy route and basically make a clone of the classic design while other companies take that vintage inspiration and infuse it with their modern DNA. Sometimes even the most subtle infusion of DNA can make a huge impact, even when the inspiration also comes from a source other than a watch. That is where the inspiration sources came from with today’s review. 

 

 

The Trieste inspiration came from Italian sources, but the main inspiration isn’t what you think. The Deep Sea watch main inspiration came from “In January 1960, man achieved an incredible feat when the deep-sea submersible, the bathyscaphe Trieste, reached the bottom of ithe Challenger Deep, in the Pacific Ocean’s Mariana Trench. An underwater vehicle designed in Switzerland and built in Italy, the bathyscaphe Trieste is, to this day, the only manned submersible to have ever reached 10,916 metres below sea level.” The two pictures above are of the TRIESTE sub itself from its 1960 adventure. Hence where the TRIESTE name came from and where the white printed 1960 printed on the dial came from. What I find appealing about the Deep Sea’s dial is the combination of vintage charm influences from those early dive watches that started it all. I like the curvature of the word automatic illustating how TRIESTE gave a nod of respect to those early Tudor dive watches, but infused it with their TRIESTE touch. (Tudor Self Winding Rotor) The white printing on the dial is extremely legible thanks to the beautiful backdrop in the form of the matte black dial. 

Now the other influences that I found appealing on the Deepsea is a combination of early Rolex and Panerai watches. But since Panerai was producer of diving equipment for the Italian Navy but not actual watches, the early Radiomir movements, cases, crowns where produced by Rolex;therefore, I can technically say that the influences here are from Rolex. 😉 But I want to break it down this way in my own observations and interpretation. Most would agree that the case on the Deep Sea is reminiscent of those early Panerai Radiomir cases, but the signed screw down crown reminds me of the crown on the Rolex Mil-Sub 6538. These are those respectful nods that Trieste has done on the Deepsea that makes me appreciate the history represented here with their watch. I briefly mentioned earlier about the engraved case back, the Deep Sea has an engraving of the bathyscape TRIESTE descending into the Mariana Trench. A beautiful touch of detail on this watch that I absolutely love. It takes this case a step further into awesome in my opinion. 

Looking at this dial through the sapphire crystal is legible at all angles which is a must in my opinion especially when using this watch out in the field while your hands are occupied. With a nice hint of green, the applied markers and the gloss bordered hands are extremely easy to view at all angles and lighting situations. The orange arrowhead tip on the seconds hand easily reaches out to the white printed track allowing for down to seconds timing precision. The 44mm case definitely hits one of my sweet spots in size and it’s definitely comfortable on my 7 1/4” wrist. I swapped out the OEM strap with a Straps Co distressed rubber strap that I believe creates a killer and comfortable combo. The short, curved lugs allow this watch to hug the wrist nicely without wrist overhang. I love that the lugs are drilled and TRIESTE used screw bars to hold the strap in place.

This watch is full of dive watch combinations that work very well together without looking like a mixed match hodgepodge. I like how the Trieste Deep Sea brings together elements from some iconic dive watches of the past, paying tribute to the roots of dive watches, while maintaining Trieste personality. Being designed in Italy, it’s Italian inspiration is clearly apparent here. This watch is a good value in my opinion when I access the details and the quality of those details. These details include the signed screw down crown, the bezel/bezel insert, the lume, and the egraved case back. I am very fortunate to experience a lot of watches, from a wide variety of price ranges, seeing these type of details on a watch that is slightly over $500 USD is nice to see. Some might argue over the price and the NH-35A movement, unfortunately trying to stay to a price point you can’t possibly please everyone. The Deep Sea definitely help up fantastic during my review process, especially in the water and sand. The bezel and crown rose to the occasion with flawless function in the wet, gritty environment.

Thank you all for reading and as always your questions and comments are welcome below.

Thank you to the TRIESTE team.

Specifications 

•Movement: Automatic Seiko movement NH-35A

•Case: 316L surgical Stainless Steel, AR Sapphire Crystal, Screw-in Crown

•Case dimensions: 53 mm x 44 mm

•Dial: C3 Super Luminova Hands and Dials, Ceramic Bezel

•Crown: screw down crown

•Case Back: Stainless steel secured by six screws. Engraving of the Mariana Trench with the Trieste Bathyscaphe descending into the Challenger Deep.

•Functions: Automatic winding with ball bearing, clockwise and anti-clockwise winding with one-way clutch, hacking seconds hand; and shock resistance shock-absorber device for balance staff

•Number of Jewels: 24

•Frequency: 21,600 bph (3 Hz)

•Water resistance: 300 metres/30 bar

•Power Reserve: 40 hours

•Bracelet width: 24 mm

•Accompanying Watch Band Kit

•Designed in Italy

Watch Review: Obris Morgan Nautilus

I have to admit that I was late to the bronze game a few years ago. It wasn’t that long ago that I had horse blinders on when it came to certain designs and materials used. Thankfully I expanded my horizons and don’t limit myself whatsoever now. Experiencing all that diverse watch world has to offer is truly rewarding and inspiring. From the classics to the unique and everything in between, all have a place somewhere in my opinion. Allow me to get back to the bronze game here, which I absolutely love now and has become my second favorite material for a watch case. What’s not to like? You have an ever changing case, scratches and dents build character and with very little work you have the option to restore the case to it’s original patina free look.Today I have the opportunity to explore a watch from a company that I have been after for awhile now having missed out on their previous models.

As it seems to me, Obris Morgan channeled the 20,000 leagues under the sea mystique well with their Nautilus watch here. The bronze beauty arrived safely thanks in part to the orange, waterproof case it was shipped in. Made of extremely durable plastic, the case is also lined with soft foam which is a combo that allows ultimate protection during the shipping process. I quickly popped the two latches to get to the watch as a kid handles a birthday present. There was the Nautilus sitting oh so pretty, just begging to be handled. What did I notice first with this bronze beauty? The bezel. Why the bezel? That answer is easy, because of it’s unique cogwheel shape. It looks like it was removed from the Nautilus ship itself. The shape allows extremely easy grip when operating the unidirectional rotating bezel. It has very precise action and there is  no extra play. Exactly how I prefer my bezel to be on a watch. Painted lumed triangle at the 12 o’clock position, with black filled numerals circling the bezel itself.

The 41mm Cusn8 bronze case has some key features that complement this watch brilliantly and features that I definitely wouldn’t change at all. Let me start with the Nautilus’ curved lugs which are beautifully brushed and tappered. I like Obris Morgan’s choice to drill the lugs for the strap pins. This not only allows for an easier strap change, but it adds detail to the profile of the watch. The screw down stainless steel is simple yet beautiful in its simplicity, reminds me of those vintage case backs of the divers of yesteryear. Hands down this crown is my favorite part on the Nautilus case. Oversized, signed, easy to grip edges, what’s not to love?!? I really like the vintage design of no crown guards and how the crown sits away from the case. It truly is one of the easiest operating crowns that I have experienced, both in grip and functional. The Nautilus wears with absolute comfort and retains some great wrist presence despite it’s 41mm case.

I was so happy with how my dial choices came out in the flesh when I received the Nautilus. I opted for the black sunburst dial, with the orange minute hand, and with the matte finish hands. All those choices come together in beautiful horological harmony in my personal opinion. (Yes slightly biased since those were my choices). The details that were not my choices also work extremely well in terms of aesthetics and in terms of function. Despite the smaller case size and dial circumference, to my delight the Nautilus dial is very legible. I like the sharp triangular applied markers which add a nice level of depth to the dial. The uniformity that is created by the white hour, minute, second crisp white markers that are set against the black dial allow for optimal legibility in all lighting situations and in all angle situations. Don’t worry about dark situations because Obris Morgan has you covered thanks to the generous serving of SuperLumiNova that can also be found on the hands. If you have to include a date window then do it how OM did it here on the Nautilus, match the dial color to the date window and match the printed numerals to the markers on the dial.

This is definitely a great option for someone looking to get in on the bronze game, that is size conscious and budget concerned. I really enjoy tnis this watch. It is a great value for what you get. The straps are great, especially the canvas strap. I love that the Miyota 9015 movement is secured with a stainless steel movement holder and that it is anti-magnetic. I absolutely despise cheap plastic movement holders. Horological blasphemy in my opinion. The triple seal screw down crown gives you that added security for water resistant peace of mind. The slightly raised anti-reflective sapphire crystal gives you the perfect view of the dial at all angles.  So yes, at $379 USD you get a watch packed with details and quality features that aren’t found on a lot of watches that have a much higher asking price. Obris Morgan absolutely nailed it with the Nautilus in my opinion. Is there anything that I would change or improve upon? Nope. If I have to go extremely nit picky to find something, then I would suggest a no date dial option. I own a lot of bronze watches, but the Nautilus without a doubt has a place among my other bronze watches.

Thank you so much for reading and as always your questions and comments are welcome below.

Thank you so much to the Obris Morgan team and Justin.

 

Specification – Marine Grade Cusn8 Bronze (Red Tone) – Miyota 9015 Movement 28,800 BPH High Frequence Movement – Cusn8 Bronze Buckle – 120 clicks Unidirectional Bezel – Swiss SuperLumiNova® BGW9 (Blue Glow) – Sunburst Dial – Swiss SuperLumiNova® BGW9 Handsets – Stainless Steel Movement Holder – Anti-Reflective Coated Sapphire – Triple Seals Screw-in Crown

– 41 mm diameter Bezel – 39 mm diameter Casebody – 11.2mm thickness – 49.6 mm lug to lug length – 20mm lug width – 8 x 4.4mm Crown – 121g net weight Manual Photos

 

Sapphire Crystal Price $379 USD

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

Watch Review: Marc & Sons Professional Diver II

Some designs are definitely classic, especially when the original design that inspired other companies to produce their own interpretation. I am not talking companies that just do a blatant copy, I am talking companies that are truly inspired by a classic design and infuse their own DNA into that design while paying homage with respect to the original design. Homage watches do stir up debate within the watch community. My view on homages is that it gives people on a budget a chance to experience classic designs. Today I have the opportunity to experience of watch that pays homage to a classic design but infused with German DNA.

I have to admit something, I am a real sucker for that black and white color combo. Typically that combo is in the form of a black dial with white markers, but in this case, it is in the form of a white dial with black markers. At first glance of this dial I was impressed with how crisp the white dial looks. That crispy white dial makes the black accents hard to ignore and they make for the perfect complementary color. What I what M & S did with this dial is they took two classic designs and combined them into a simple and beautiful dial. The sandwich style dial combined with simple circular markers really works well together. Keeping the black printed text to a minimum helps keep the dial simple and crisp. I am happy with the choice of the sword style hands here as opposed to the overused “ Mercedes” style hands. The hands are bordered in gloss black with crisp white interior that is coated with lume. Even the lollipop style second hand received this same treatment. 

One thing that I would have done differently here is excluded the date window. Now the date window itself looks great, but in terms of keeping this dial more balanced it would look better with 4 applied markers. Now the other suggestion I have is to eliminate the redundancy on this watch. We all know that I don’t like the new trend of engraving/printed text on the rehaut, and at first I was ok with M&S choice of what was on the rehaut. It is definitely something different than the typical ‘helium escape valve’ gibberish. My only issue is that the same info is printed on the dial as well which would have gave the dial a more clean look. Don’t get me wrong this dial is a real beauty, but it could have been even more of a stunner. It’s definitely stunning in the dark in terms of lume as you can see in the pic below. 

There are quite a bit of details on the case of this watch that I really like and that really work in favor of overall execution/presence.  I will start with my favorite detail of this case and that would be the flat, glossy ceramic bezel. I like the generous width of the bezel which creates a very nice border for the white dial. The bezel functions perfectly, with nice tight precision. It’s a bit difficult to rotate with wet hands, but I rather have that tighter movement as opposed to extra play. The screw down crown is also a bit different to grip with wet hands as well. A bigger crown with different edges would solve that problem. I like how Marc & Sons designed the helium escape valve which matches the crown guards in how it’s incorporated into the side of the case. This adds a nice touch of detail to the non crown side of this case. 

Personally I am not a huge fan of metal bracelets on a watch. From a functional perspective they definitely hold their own. The bracelet on this piece is definitely made with quality and precision finishing. The magic with any watch is you can change it up to give a piece a whole new look. I like that the bracelet here has an easy to use micro adjustment to keep it comfortable when your wrist swells or shrinks with temperature variations. The solid case back is awesome. In my opinion a true dive watch needs a solid case back. There is something about an exhibition case back on a diver that just doesn’t make sense, it’s like a Ferrari with speedometer that only goes to 60mph. The screwdown case back on this piece features a beautiful raised engraved swordfish which in my opinion carries over the personality of this refined watch throughout all design aspects. It would be awesome to see this engraving carried over to the clasp on the bracelet.

I am quite impressed with this diver from Marc & Sons. It is a well made piece that has some features that are quite stunning. There are some areas for refinement to make this piece even more ideal for diving conditions. Considering the price and the quality these areas can certainly be overlooked, especially because they aren’t deal breakers in my opinion. Coming in at just over $600 USD, this piece definitely gives you a lot of watch for your dollar. An included rubber strap and nylon strap would sweeten this deal even more and I personally expect some extra straps at this price point. That being said, you are getting a quality watch, with a quality ETA movement that has precision finishing. This watch certainly held up during my review process, even when being knocked around by waves against rocks and in the sand. The 44mm brushed stainless steel case is proven tough in terms of material and in the 50 ATM capability.

If you are looking for a refinded diver that doesn’t break the bank and isn’t a soulless, uninspired exact copy of other well known divers, then this piece definitely deserves consideration. The dial and case completely complement each other nicely.

Thank you all for reading and as always your questions and comments are welcome below.

Thank you to Marco and the M&S team.

 

Case

• Stainless Steel 316 L, brushed
• Sapphire crystal, antireflective
• Bezel: black ceramic glossy with Swiss Superluminova BGW9
• Screwed stainless steel back with engraved logo
• Pressure tested up to 50 ATM

Movement

ETA 2824-2

•  Automatic
•  25 Jewels
•  28.800 A/h
•  Hacking: yes
•  Power Reserve: 40 hours

Functions

• Hour, minute, central second, date
• Screw down crown
• Helium valve

Dial & Hands

• Dial: white sandwich dial
• Superluminova BGW9 Luminous indexes
• Superluminova BGW9 Luminous hands
• Central second hand
• Date

Bracelet & Clasp

• Bracelet: stainless steel 22 mm to 20 mm, screwed
• Buckle : Folding clasp with fine adjustment / diver extension
• Fine adjustment by means of lateral pushers on the buckle
• Band length: 22 cm

Dimensions

• Case: 44,5 x 50 mm
• Diameter:  44,5 mm (include crown guard)
• Diameter bezel: 42,5 mm
• Height: 13,0 mm
• Width of bracelet 22 mm
• Total weight: 218g

Watch Review: Zoid Dual Face

I went to an all boy private high school, which was a school that really focused on sports. I had a great high school experience but it was always a bit funny to me. Here I was, a kid obsessed with skateboarding, music, art, girls, at an all male private sports high school. In other words, I have always marched to the beat of my own drum. This applies to my taste/appreciation for watches. Yes I appreciate the classics, but the unique and the obscure capture my heart. When a company goes against the majority, against current trends, this is something that I can truly respect, especially considering the risks involved. This explains why my excitement was ramped up high for the watch I am reviewing today.

When the watch was delivered into my hands I was initially intrigued by the size of the shipping box. It was larger than most watches that I have received in the past; therefore, I needed into this cardboard box like right now. Of course I was also impressed by the size and the quality of the storage box. As impressed as I was, it didn’t slow me down with getting to the watch itself. The Zoid Dual face definitely didn’t disappoint me at the first impressions game. The large 54x52x14 bronze case was extremely impressive to see in person. The case definitely is wider than it is long. The first thing that popped into my mind when I saw this watch was the cockpit of a Gundam robot. There is no denying the badass wrist presence that this watch has. Those who will complain about the size/style of this piece, just move on. I was really surprised on how good this watch felt on my wrist. It’s definitely unlike any watch that I have worn before and I mean that in a positive way.

As the name implies, there are two faces/dials on this watch. I like to define one side as a more dress style and the other as a more casual dial. Both sides have some details that I really like and that I think really work in favor of this piece. I really like the small detail that the hexagon head screws that can be found throughout the case

The highlight of both dials are the exposed rotors of the automatic movements. The dress side of the Zoid DF is your standard style rotor as opposed to the unique rotor featured on the casual side. The turbine style of the rotor adds to the Gundam feel that this dial has. My only complaint about the exposed movement is the plastic movement holder. From a function standpoint becomes brittle over time and from an aesthetic standpoint it cheapens the look of a pricey watch. Of course the orange stenciled nurmerals that are printed on the carbon dial also adds to that mecha-robot style. I really like how small the date window is on this piece and I also like the orange crosshairs that border it. A small detail that adds a nice touch/completed look. Both sides have unique style hands that complement the unique dials.

Though the style of the “dress” side of the watch is clean with a 1950’s classicfeel, it reminds me of a watch that Roger Smith would own. For those who don’t know who Roger Smith is, he is the Pilot of the Mecha-Robot Big O. If you want add a touch of funkadelicness to the dress side then you can reverso the strap via the hinge system. Simply pull down on the strap and flip it to either the orange or black side. Don’t fret, as the bucklke has the same hinge system. Zoid’s thoughtfullness to design is apparent, which you can see in the above pic, the rubber gasket that protects the case from getting scratched by the metal on the strap.

I really like the case design on this piece, but there are some areas that could be improved upon in terms of finishing. Under the two crown locks, specifically the areas of the case that surround the crown are areas that look roughly finished. These areas are only viewable when the crown locks are in the open position, but nevertheless these areas are in need of some smoothing out. The signed crown locks add a nice touch of thoughtfulness detail though. As for functionality, the crown and crown locks work without any problems whatsoever. This can be said for all physical functions on this watch, all work well, without problems of any kind.

The Zoid Dual Face is a extremely unique piece that was made for those admirers of the out of the box experience for their wrists. Despite the size of this piece, it wears comfortably. These pieces are very limited, only 10 of each style were produced. The odds of you coming across another Zoid Dual Face is highly unlikely, but you will definitely get attention from people with this watch on your wrist. I am a huge fan of unique watches that break free from the monotonous retentiveness that bores down the watch industry and the watch community.

Thank you all for reading and as always your questions and comments are welcome below.

Thank you to the Zoid team. 🙏😊🤝

Specifications:
• Case: 316L Stainless steel case and brush finish with brown ion-plating.
• Movement: Japanese Miyota Automatic self winding mechanism and up to 42 hours power reserve.
• Water Resistance: Up to 50m/ 5ATM
• Winding cown: Pull out crown with custom embossed ZOID logo.
• Dial: Compressed carbon fibre.
• Hands: Custom hands applied with super luminova.
• Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating.
• Strap: Genuine calf leather with embossed croco pattern with twisting mechanism.
• Buckle: 316L Stainless steel with Brown ion-plating and Special cast buckle with laser engraved logo and twisting mechanism.
• Case size: 54 x 52mm
• Case thickness: 14mm.
• Fits wrist up to: Diameter of 75mm.
• Limited edition of 10 pieces.