The watch industry is all over the bronze case trend right now and there’s no reason to think there won’t be more great looking dive, auto, dress, sports models etc all featuring this characterful material appreaing in 2020. Bronze ages beautifully, and it has a tactile appeal that many collectors will enjoy, so why not?
Who are Eza? This is an old watch brand name from Germany, with lots of history and they have launched this latest new project on Kickstarter; the Sealander dive model.
It features an ETA 2824 auto movement, extra thick sapphire crystal, a healthy 300m depth rating, German factory assembly and comes with both textile and leather strap. Funded very rapidly, this new model will be delivered in the Autumn.
There is also an early bird price of £410 on this devilishly handsome green `Hulk’ style watch. Yes, we did just hint that this makes a great alternative to a Rolex Hulk Submariner. Not so much future investment value of course, but it does much the same job at a fraction of the price if you want a Swiss powered dive watch. Fact.
We love the cross-stitching on the strap too, gives it a vintage Elizabethan feel, very Blackadder.
The Sealander hit its funding target within 12 hours, but if the pledge cash keeps rolling in then a blue dial version will also be produced.
Here’s some background info from Eza;
Let’s talk about how a new watch model starts. A concept, several design drawings and then making the prototype are just the beginning. Today we do it from Switzerland, the epicentre of watchmaking, and we manage it all a little differently than most watch brands. Click here for some info! When all the parts are made and received, they are taken to Pforzheim, Germany (back to the roots) where the watches are assembled. That’s why the product bears the Made In Germany label.
See the Sealander video clip here;
Movement:
The movement in the Eza Sealander is the 100% Swiss Made ETA 2824-2. This mechanical movement, with automatic winding, proved itself over the last years in the entire watch industry to be a very robust and reliable power source. To improve the precision of the watch and assure that all functions work perfectly before the watch is shipped to the client, we adjust the movement in six positions (dial-up, dial down, crown up, crown right, crown down and crown left). The movement has an automatic winding function which means that the main spring is charged by movement while you wear the watch.
Bezel:
Around the glass, you see the bezel of the watch which is a uni-directional bezel with 120 clicks. This can be used to measure a certain timespan. Very useful for diving! The bezel clicks only one way (anti-clockwise) to make sure you can only make the time measured shorter and not longer. As a diver, changing the starting time of your dive underwater might be a mistake, so the unidirectional bezel takes care of that potentially fatal problem.
Inside the bezel, you find a ceramic inlay. Ceramic has the advantage to be very scratch-resistant and not change colour due to UV light over the years.
Eza make another cool model called the 1972, which is a retro automatic model capturing the look and feel of Seventies classics. Again, ETA movement, steel case, sapphire crystal and 200m depth rating. Priced at $759 exc VAT that includes a Tropic type strap by the way.