****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
The watch looks amazing and has no QC issues. Finishing and build quality are really incredible for this price, rivaling the precision and beauty of much more expensive brands. Everything is done so well. The hands and bezel are amazingly clean and the printing is practically flawless under a loupe at 10x magnification. All of the transitions between polished and brushed surfaces are nearly perfect, and the fine textured brushing is very evenly done.The YT reviewers are definitely right: They machined smooth beveled edges along all of the case and bracelet surfaces that come in contact with the skin so wearing the watch is super comfortable. Plus, the proportions, dimensions, and weight definitely make this watch an all-day (& night) wearer.The relatively large-sized on-the-fly adjustable clasp functions well, is easy to use, comfortable to wear, offers plenty of room for adjustability, and balances nicely with the thickness of the watch case. Unfortunately, however, reminiscent of the clasp on the Seiko SARB, there's a larger than normal open gap between the flat links of the bracelet and the top edge of the clasp which is easily visible when looking under the wrist from the side and this might bother some people. I find this minor aesthetic 'flaw' negligible especially considering it's definitely more than made up for by getting super-convenient on-the-fly adjustability.The lume is very good and evenly applied. I don't care that the printed dial markers fade more quickly because the hands and bezel last a long time and are very legible in the dark.The domed sapphire crystal is awesome and provides nice distortion at the edges of the dial which I really like, especially because I went with the no-date version. However, this amount of distortion might make the date versions annoyingly hard to read at times, so that's worth considering if you need a date complication.Also, I don't mind the transitory blue shimmer caused by the blue-tinted AR coating on the underside of the crystal. There are instances where it practically makes the whole face light up with an electric-blue glow. For me, it's a feature - an extra bit of 'bling' that looks cool - but that's probably because I like blue. I don't find it distracting, and it doesn't get in the way of reading the time with those overpoweringly reflective silver-framed hands. One guy on a social media post joked about how it's kind of like getting two different dial colors in one - and it's kind of true! So, if you don't like glowing blue reflections coming from your dial, you might want to wait for Version 2 because the reviewers are saying they'll probably switch to a clear AR coating.It's also worth bearing in mind that there are a lot of negative comments concerning the relatively large size of the Watchdives logo on the dial, but perhaps that's easily remedied by getting a sterile dial, and maybe they'll reduce the size of the logo on V2? For me, it's not a deal-breaker and I'm definitely not bothered by it when glancing at the watch to read the time - but I can see their point about it being a bit too large.Like many reviewers say, "no watch is perfect" but this one comes close enough! : ) and it offers so many highly desirable qualities that are quickly making it a favorite. From its comfort and wearability, its high quality manufacturing and finish, and its retro-modern vintage aesthetic, it was a no-brainer for me.I'd highly recommend getting it.
