Canadian micro brand Makara
has a thing for dive watches and octagons, and hey, why the hell not?
Divers are cool tools, the watch buying community seems to have an
insatiable appetite for them, and there is no shortage of round or
cushion case divers out there. Makara introduced their signature shape
with the aptly named Octopus in 2014 and followed up with the Sea Turtle
series in 2015. The
line is comprised of two models, rated for 300 meters, and available in
black, teal, or maroon. The standard watch has round, printed markers
and arrow-shaped hands while the Hawksbill has pencil hands and applied
geometric markers. All other attributes are the same. For this review, I borrowed a Maroon dial Hawksbill model from a happy owner and gave it some quality wrist time.
The Sea Turtle's heart is a Seiko
NH35a. This 24 jewel automating hums along at 21.6k bph. It hacks, hand
winds, and has a power reserve of over 40 hours. This is a well-regarded
unit, known for durability and reliability if not sexiness. Because it
is a derivative of the old 7s26/36 series, servicing should be a breeze
for any competent watchmaker.
By just about any measure, this is a
big watch. The CuSn8 bronze case is 44mm wide, 52mm long, and 13.5mm
thick, but this is only half the story. These would be prodigious
dimensions for a round case, but the Makara has more in play, driven by
three key design elements. First of all, the case has broad, flat sides, longer than its chunky, angular lugs. As a result, the corners of watch stretch
much farther outward than those of a symmetrical shape. The faceted
lugs meet at the second element, a smooth, round bezel, and frame it in a
perfect octagon. That bezel rises upwards and inwards to meet the third
element, a massive, double-domed sapphire crystal towering over the
case, raising the overall thickness to a whopping 17mm. It is an
imposing brute of a case, and one that should look even more imposing as
the metal develops its characteristic mottled brown patina.
An
8x3.5mm bronze crown juts out at 3 o'clock. The fat wheel looks a bit
lonely standing alone against the flat expanse of the case. In a way, it
makes sense given the slabby shape, but I wish it had some crown guards
to provide a transition. That said, in every other respect the crown is
magnificent. It
is easy to grip and screws in smoothly. A stainless steel crown tube
prevents contact between the crown and the case, eliminating the risk of
oxidation fusing the two parts. Best if all, it is a damn beautiful
knob, cast with a heavy dental edge and a detailed spiral decoration.
The stainless steel case back has an engraved illustration of a turtle surrounded by waves. Like the crown decoration, it has a distinctly Polynesian
look and is nicely rendered. Things like decorated case backs and
crowns cannot carry a watch design in and of themselves, but can go far
to enhance it and provide an extra measure of satisfaction for the
owner. The Sea Turtle's decoration decisively achieves these aims.
With so much attention lavished on
the crown and case back, the dial is comparatively plain. The gold,
four-cornered, angled markers are applied, polished, and large enough to
hold their own on this expansive piece. The hands too are properly
sized, and brush their respective markers as does the paddle-tipped
second hand. The index is printed in gold as is the text and frame
around the 6 o'clock date window. All hands and markers are treated with white C1 SuperLuminova, although the hands glow far brighter than the markers. The
color is a very nice burgundy that goes dark red in sunlight, but the
finish is flat, and there is no texture or light catching effect on the
dial to draw you in.
Dial text is limited to the brand
name and water resistance rating, and while I appreciate the lack of
clutter, I found myself longing for some decoration. The font is just a generic sans-serif, looking exactly like any number of other micro brands. Using
a more creative typeface and incorporating the crown or case back
illustrations as a logo could have worked wonders but as it is, the dial
is perfectly nice, represents a lost opportunity to excel.
Makara has put together a rather
nice package for this watch. It arrives in a handy neoprene case with
room for a watch or two (safely separated by a flap), and a couple of
extra straps in a zippered mesh compartment. I was even able to toss a
strap changing tool in there without any fuss. It comes with two 24mm
straps, one maroon rubber, and one black leather, both with heavy bronze
buckles engraved with the Makara name. In an interesting twist, there
are two sets of spring bar seats inside the lugs. I've encountered this
feature on other watches, and I like being able to adjust for different
straps, but the Makara's are very close to each other, which makes it a
bit too easy to hit the wrong perch.
The
flat rubber appears to be soft silicone and is quite comfortable.
Fitted ends sit snugly against the case and flare outward to cover the
ends of the lugs, meeting their outer edges and matching their angle as
the strap tapers back to 24mm. The Makara name in molded into both lengths of the strap, which is overkill given the bold branding on the buckle.
The leather strap is thick and
pliable with a pebbled grain and white stitching. It is perfectly
serviceable, but not terribly impressive. The raw cut sizes expose an
unattractive layer of filler under the thin veneer of top leather, and I
do not think black is the most flattering color for this dial. Still, I
ended up wearing the watch on the leather strap for almost the entire
time I had it, albeit for reasons that had nothing to do with its
appearance.
You
see, I discovered that I am actually allergic to that bronze alloy. I
have been allergic to nickel my whole life, and most forms of gold
plating will eat my skin, so discovering a reaction to another metal was
hardly a shock, but
I have not encountered this problem with any other brass or bronze
watch. I realized the difference here was that the flat rubber strap
allowed the bronze buckle to remain in direct contact with my wrist
while the thick leather strap kept the buckle elevated and away from my
skin. The stainless case back did the same for the bronze case,
minimizing contact. I discovered this was true of my other bronze
watches as well. Go figure. I am quite sure I am in the minority on this
one, but it is something to consider if you are prone to metal
allergies.
Dermatological considerations aside,
the watch fit me rather well as the lug-to-lug was short enough to wear
without any overhang. It is by no means modest – this is a big, bold
sport watch after all – but it is wearable and a heck of a lot of fun. The Sea Turtle sells for $395 direct from MakaraWatches.com. This is a nice price for a 300 meter diver, particularly in bronze. You would normally expect brass at this price. Throw in a quality automatic movement, unique case, and that gloriously crazy dome, I'd say you are getting a good deal for your money.
Pro: Mighty dome, lovely crown.
Con: Conservative face. Poor leather strap.
Sum: A solid value for a bronze diver. The Time Bum approves.
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