“Audaz Watches specializes in developing Professional Dive Watches with right technology and best quality components to withstand the high demanding challenges for your underwater adventures.”

Their latest model, the Octomarine, builds on the successes of those previous models. In fact, I’d say it’s their best yet. Let’s check it out.

The specs

• Dimensions: 42mm diameter x 16mm height x 51mm lug to lug
• Weight: 205g
• Water resistance rating: 50ATM / 500m
• Movement: Seiko NH35
• Accuracy: +11.4 sec/day
• Lug width: 22mm
• Warranty: 2 years
• Price: $425, use 30% off code WIAA30 to make it $297.50 / ~£230
• Buy here: https://www.audazwatches.com/collections/octomarine/products/adz-2070-05

The video review

The case

Let’s first consider how it wears. Whilst the diameter of 42mm isn’t that big on its own when you combine that with the relatively long lug to life length of 51mm, and the definite tall height of 16mm, it wears like a chunky beast. There’s no doubt about it, this is a lot of steel, and for many, that’ll make this watch a real winner.

Of course, the 16mm height is mainly due to the rather insane and highly impressive water resistance rating of 500m. This does limit it in terms of wearability; I can’t imagine it’s the most comfortable in a suit (if you can even get it under a shirt). There’s a lovely cheeky little HEV (helium escape valve) on the side of the case; showing that this is the real deal.

The Octomarine has a 120-click uni-directional bezel loaded with a two-tone ceramic insert. The black and blue is reminiscent of the Rolex GMT Master II, which is a solid nod to a classic watch. The notch edging makes it easy to grip, and the action is beautifully smooth providing a lovely click.

The flat sapphire crystal is a great plus thanks to its scratch-resistant properties. I’ve no doubt it’s pretty thick too, due to the water resistance rating. However, I feel it could do with some sort of anti-reflective coating on the underside – as it’s a little bit reflective.

The screw-in crown has a plated steel grip and protrudes out quite far. It makes it very easy to use, but a bit of an eyesore. It also features the Audaz logo neatly engraved on the end.

The caseback is a real treat. It features an insanely detailed deep stamped octopus motif in the centre, and to get this kind of steelwork on a watch costing this much is quite simply absurd. Various specifics and the Audaz logo are deeply engraved surrounding it.

The dial

The dial has a black sunburst backdrop, which means good legibility when the chunky hour markers and hands are involved. It’s a subtle sunburst, just enough to catch the eye at certain angles.

One thing that always impresses me, is deep, chunky hour markers. It shows attention to detail and good build quality. That’s certainly the case here.

In addition to the bold hour markers, we have complimenting highly legible sword hour and minute hands, with an orange border around the minute providing a splash of colour. The seconds hand is a straight white stick with a slight bulge acting as the counterweight.

On to the logo, which is probably my biggest issue. Thinly applied logos like this one always end up looking a bit cheap, and can often cheapen the overall look of a watch. Whilst it’s not quite that drastic with the Octomarine, it’s a real shame to see this thinly applied logo when a simple printed job would have looked so much classier and better.

The date window at 3 is surrounded by a neatly brushed border to match the finishing of the hands and hour markers. Some may complain that the date wheel is not colour matched with the dial, but in the interests of legibility, I feel a white date wheel stands out more and is easier to read.

The dial and bezel insert has been slathered with Swiss SuperLuminova. It’s strong, quick to charge, and lasts a good amount of time. It’s the kind of strength where you see it glowing after coming in from daylight into a darker room – I love that.

The bracelet

The bracelet is as chunky as the case, it’s very well balanced to counteract the weight of the watch head, and gives the impression of solid and dependable build quality.

Each link is made up of 5 individual links, and resizing it wasn’t too bad – there were two small collars within links 2 and 4, so make sure you don’t lose them!

The links are quite short, and when coupled with the 4 minor adjustment points on the clasp, you can get a pretty perfect fit. They’re all very deep and well manufactured, creating a very contoured wear on the wrist.

The double locking clasp is simple, secure and no-nonsense. The Audaz logo is deeply engraved on the main section.

The movement

I’m sure that 90% of the watches I’ve reviewed in recent memory house the Seiko NH35A. It’s everywhere, especially in the affordable microbrand market – but with good reason. It’s cheap, easy to source, and reliable. Specs include a low beat rate of 21.6k bph (6 ticks per second), hacking seconds hand, and hand and automatic winding. It’s pretty industrial to look at, but thankfully it’s behind the solid caseback on the Octomarine.

Final comments

Using discount code WIAA30, this hunk o’ chunk o’ steel is a very reasonable $297.50 / ~£230. Actually, that’s not just “reasonable” – that’s pretty fantastic. The specs alone are excellent – 500m water resistance, dependable movement, ceramic bezel insert, sapphire crystal with good AR coating, all topped off with flawless build quality.

There are only two minors to note: firstly, the height of this thing at 16mm restricts its wearability, and secondly, the applied logo looks a tad cheap. But apart from that, it’s a sensational watch at an unbelievable price.

The post Audaz Octomarine Watch Review appeared first on 12&60.

The specs

• Dimensions: 42mm diameter x 15mm height x 51mm lug to lug
• Weight: 123g
• Water resistance rating: 20ATM / 200m
• Movement: Seiko NH35A
• Accuracy: +7.4 sec/day
• Lug width: 22mm
• Warranty: 2 years
• Price: $575 / ~£450, use code WIAA30 for 30% off: $402.50 / ~£325
• Buy here: https://www.audazwatches.com/collections/new/products/adz-2065-01

The video review

The case

The case is where the Bronzmatic excels. However, it also features its biggest drawback.

Constructed of solid CuSn8 bronze, it’s been gradually developing a beautiful patina over the last few months. The size is a measured 42mm in diameter, but the weight of 123g is significant considering it’s on a silicon / leather strap.

The crown is a thing of beauty. Superb grip, simple yet rugged design, and the logo deeply and accurately engraved. The thread is lovely and smooth to use to boot.

On to the only negative of the watch: the sapphire crystal is insanely domed. I get that domed crystals are more legible underwater, and it is a dive watch. But, the dome is so extreme it even negatively affects legibility – it’s so reflective it’s an absolute pain to photograph. The watch is still readable, but it’s much more reflective than I’d like to see.

Back on to the good stuff: the 120-click unidirectional bezel. The ceramic insert is glossy in an eye-catching manner; the lume filled markers are neat and accurate. The action is smooth, lines up well and firm. There’s good grip too, to match the crown.

Another impressive aspect is the caseback. The Bronzmatic is inspired by the ruggedness and functionality of submarines, hence why one appears on the rear of the watch. It’s rather majestic: deep-stamped and finitely detailed.

The dial

Let’s face it – genuine diver watches are all about legibility. And the dial itself is excellent in that department despite the crystal. Large, bold hour markers and obvious hands make it extremely easy to read, even with the reflective domed crystal above it.

There’s a sneaky sunburst backdrop which is very gentle; only visible at certain angles / lights.

I love seeing thick hour markers and the Bronzmatic features these very well. Deep-set markers always portray good manufacturing, and they’re all also very neatly finished in a bronze colour.

The hands also feature this same bronze colour to match the case and are a prominent feature of the dial. The style may not be for everyone – I think visually the hour hand is a little bit small and unbalanced compared to the minute hand.

The hands and hour markers are all lathered with green Swiss Super Luminova lume, which is of good strength. The date window features a very neat bronze border which demonstrates close attention to detail. The white date wheel fits in well amongst the large hour markers.

The strap

It’s quite an unusual strap to behold – silicon construction with leather stitched on top. Whilst it caught me off-guard the first time I wore it, I’ve grown to like it.

The Bronzmatic wants to be taken as a serious diver, as this is the best of both worlds: the longevity of silicon, but the appearance of genuine leather. It does it subtly and cleverly too: at an initial glance, you would have no idea that it’s primarily a silicon strap.

It’s surprisingly supple and comfortable, and I like the grey stitching rather than plain black.

The strap is endowed with a large, solid pre-V style buckle. The logo is lightly engraved on the top bar – I would have preferred deeper engraving to match the excellent crown.

The movement

It seems that 95% of the watches I review nowadays contain the Seiko NH35A. What more can be said apart from the fact that it’s solid, reliable, cheap, and is highly regarded?

Specs include a low beat rate of 21.6k bph, 24 jewels, ~41h power reserve, and hacking plus hand-wind capabilities. I feel like a broken record.

Final comments

The RRP of $575 / ~£450 is a bit steep if you ask me. However, if you use code WIAA30 for 30% off to make it $402.50 / ~£325, it’s a much more attractive proposition. You’d certainly be getting your monies worth: with a bronze case that’s no doubt of top quality; showcasing a ceramic bezel, lovely crown and impressive caseback. The dial too is admirable, despite sitting behind an overly-reflective domed crystal.

Whilst the reflectiveness of the dial is no doubt a negative, it’s still a worthwhile watch for your consideration.

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It has an RRP of $379 / ~£305 – but you can use the code “WIAA30” specially for WIAA readers to get 30% off – making it $265 / ~£215. That’s actually a really good price for a watch this beefy, and one that has a water resistance of 500m. Let’s take a closer look.

The specs

• Dimensions: 50mm diameter x 17mm height x 57.5mm lug to lug
• Weight: 153g
• Water resistance rating: 50ATM / 500m
• Movement: Seiko NH35A
• Accuracy: 1.4 s/d
• Lug width: 24mm
• Warranty: 2 years
• Price: $379 / ~£305

The dial

The main focus of the dial is the striking black mother of pearl base. Personally, I’m not too keen on it – but it’s nice to see something a bit different and it also provides a nice link to the sea, as this is a serious diver after all.

The logo is applied at 12, but sadly is quite poor quality when compared to the rest of the dial and case – it really needs to be thicker, it looks too thin and cheap.

The applied hour markers are of better construction, being a trapezoid shape with polished edging and a lumed centre.

The date window located at 3 has a nice polished steel border to it. The white date wheel means optimum legibility against the black pearl dial.

The hands have arrow heads as tips, and are well constructed. Is it just me or do they look ever so slightly too small / short though? To me, they should be a little bit larger to match the sheer size of the watch. The seconds hand is cool though, with a red streak running around the dial with a lumed chamber.

The case

The case is the star of the show. 50mm in diameter, and a height of 17mm – it’s certainly not for the fainthearted or tiny-wristed. The weight of 153g is decent too; not too heavy but gives you a sense of quality.

The case support the fact that this wants to be portrayed as serious diving gear. With its 500m water resistance and helium escape valve on the side, it will certainly look after you underwater.

The size of the case also supports the idea that it can sit on top of your wetsuit.

The shape of case is very Oris – it has a “bulbous” feel to it; with a very rounded side profile.

The bezel is smooth and provides a satisfying click at each of its 120 points. The grip is polished and nicely machined and finished. The printed insert isn’t anything outstanding.

The screw-in crown is large, with the Audaz logo engraved on end. It also features a lovely DLC grip which is very good for use and shows a high level of detail.

The Audaz Scuba Master has a mineral crystal, which in my opinion should be sapphire.

The watch features a screw-in exhibition caseback. The exhibition window has a scuba illustration printed on the underside, and shows off the movement. Surrounding this are various watch specifics.

The strap

The Audaz Scuba Master comes fitted on a black silicon strap with tool-like, scuba themed detailing.

It’s very soft and supple, and fits onto the wrist comfortably – it’s a strap you can happily wear for elongated periods of time. The tang buckle is not as well designed as the case, and in fact is quite bland in comparison. It has Audaz engraved along the top bar.

The movement

The movement powering the Audaz Scuba Master is the Seiko NH35A. This can be found in quite a number of affordable / microbrand automatic timepieces, so there’s no surprise it’s been selected here too. It’s a movement that offers great reliability and accuracy straight out of the factory. Talking about accuracy, using my Lepsi Watch Scope, this NH35A was measured at an insane accuracy of 1.4 s/d out. That’s seriously good.

Final comments

First I’d like to comment how accurate the movement is – there must be an extra level of adjustment there to get it that accurate.

The case is excellent: very solid construction with close attention to detail with the helium escape valve, crown and bezel.

I think the dial is the only thing that lets the watch down – the applied logo needs to be better quality, simple as that. Whilst the mother of pearl dial is visually quite interesting, it’s not for me.

That being said, there’s no denying that the Audaz Scuba Master is a lot of watch for less than £215 – with the discount code “WIAA30”. In fact, it’s a hell of a lot of watch.

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Even more so when you can shop on the Audaz website using the code “WATCHITALL20” to get a 20% discount on all their products, making this watch $280 or approx £190. Let’s take a closer look to see if it’s a good deal for that price.

The specs

• Price: RRP $349, $280 / £190 with code WATCHITALL20
• Dimensions: 44mm diameter x 13.5mm height x 54mm lug to lug
• Lug width: 24mm
• Crystal: sapphire
• Movement: Seiko NH38
• Water resistance: 10atm
• Warranty: 2 years

The case

At 44mm in diameter, this is a watch on the larger size. The jet black dial and strap, offset with the polished elements on the dial, mean that the Audaz Gallant has a lot of wrist presence and catches the eye.

The case is a large cushion shape, and is all brushed finished bar the top shoulders of the lugs which are polished. The lugs angle down quite a lot resulting in a comfortable wear – as it wraps around the wrist well. Still, I don’t think it would be suitable for someone with a smaller wrist than 7″ unless the specifically liked larger watches (my wrist is 7.25″ for reference).

The bezel has a decent blasted finish, with all the markings polished at a higher level. The action is a little stiff, but useable. 

The screw-in caseback features an exhibition window with a blue coating and the Audaz logo applied on the underside. The watch specs are deeply engraved and painted surrounding this – which are actually pretty impressively done. 

The push-pull crown has the Audaz logo deeply engraved which looks neatly done. The grip is aggressive to match the watch in general and is great to use. 

The dial

The main feature of the dial is the impressive looking open heart at 3. It’s lined up perfectly with the movement and looks much better in the metal than the pictures portray. They’ve also applied a very smart and well machines polished ring surrounding it, allowing it to really catch the eye when the light hits it right.

The dial has a very subtle wave texture – think Omega Seamaster but flatter. I always like to see a texture, no matter how subtle; so this is more than welcome. 

Located  at 12 is an applied logo – an “A” with wings. A nice idea – although I don’t think it’s quite been executed well enough. The metal used seems a bit on the thin side and thus cheapens the look of the watch a little. 

The applied hour markers have a polished border and are filled with lume. They are shaped as thick trapezoids at 3,6 and 9, with circles in-between. The lume is surprisingly strong and charges very quick. Usually on cheaper watches the lume is one of the things that gets left behind, but I’m glad to say that’s not the case here.

The hands have a polished border, much like the hour markers, and are also filled with lume. I like the shape of them, quite chunky and angular.

The movement

The movement powering the Audaz Gallant is the Seiko NH38. Specs include: a hacking seconds hand, hand winding plus automatic, 24 jewels, 41 hour power reserve, and runs at 21.6k bph (6 ticks per second).

It’s an excellently reliable and robust movement based on the Seiko 7s26 calibre. It’ll last for many many years without the need of a service as is usually the case with everything Seiko makes. But it does look a bit plain and industrial (but we can’t have everything).

The strap

The strap is suitably sized for a 44mm watch at 24mm wide at the lugs (much like a Panerai). This adds to the impressive wrist presence the Gallant has. 

The leather is pretty good quality, probably not quite as supple as I would have liked – it starts off quite stiff – but hopefully it’ll break in after some time. I suppose the thickness of the leather doesn’t help the rigidity, but the strap on the Steinhart Nav B-Uhr Vintage is equally as thick and is simply beautiful. 

The black top is offset pleasantly with good quality, contrasting white stitching which keeps things a bit interesting. The underside is a creamy colour with stamped details – again supplying a bit of contrast. 

The strap only has one keeper loop, but it’s super thick and works just as well as two smaller ones – and I actually quite like the aesthetics of it too. 

The buckle is a tang buckle – and I’m sure they’ve tried to do something unique with the design and shape, but unfortunately it’s not working for me… I think a pre-V buckle would have looked great here. It’s very rounded and I don’t think it matches the watch. It has the Audaz name deeply engraved on the top, and despite the appearance it’s easy to use and does the job you’d expect it to. 

Final comments

Don’t forget to shop using the code “WATCHITALL20” to get 20% discount on the Audaz Gallant making it $280 or approx £190. For this price of under £200, it’s right on point to be a competitively priced automatic with sapphire crystal that’s impressive. The only negative I have of it is that the Audaz logo applied at 12 could be a bit thicker and higher quality. I’m also not too keen on the appearance of the buckle, but that’s just personal preference. 

Apart from that, Audaz have done a good job in creating a well built, unique and affordable timepiece.

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