I will preface this with, I was set this watch. for photographic purposes not to review. this review is completely mine, and not compensated for in any manner. the photographs were.
The Spinnaker Hull Diver in Deep Grey.
This watch wouldn't have been my first choice. I am not a huge fan of dive watches. while I do love a good dive watch, it's not my preferred niche of collecting. I also tend to find more of an affinity for vintage-style skin divers. This watch got sent to me so I could photograph it and grab some videos, which I did, and they turned out fantastic.
I like Big watches and I can not lie
The Hull Diver arrived in time for me to take it on a trip to Mexico and a few days on an island outside of Cancun. I knew this would be a great option for testing out the watch and getting some amazing shots. It came well packaged in a handsome box and presented well. when I removed it the first things I noticed were size, this was a thick one and weight, it sure was hefty. while weight is no sign of quality. It does lend to how comfortable it will be to wear. This watch weighs in at a hefty 6.67oz(188.6g). By comparison, The Invicta ProDiver weighs in at 5.180z(147.0g) and the Seiko turtle on a nato strap weighs in at 3.78oz(106.7g). It's heavy enough that you notice it, it's not a watch you put on and forget about. That's not saying it's uncomfortable, the pillow case and shorter lugs make it very wearable. The other thing I did notice was its 14mm thickness. While that doesn't sound bad the turtle is the same and many Rolex Submariners are in that size range. There is something about how the coin edge bezel sits on the case that makes it seem to stand very tall on the wrist. even on my larger wrists, this watch feels big, borderline chunky. I did get the Hull Diver on the bracelet, and it's a great bracelet. It matches the hefty feel of the watch but in a good way, it compliments it more than it adds to it. The bracelet has solid end links and the divers adjustment is a great addition. It takes well to a rubber strap and looks handsome on a grey nato. But the bracelet is where this watch lives, it's well done and not a drawback at all.
When traveling to Mexico I took 3 watches with me. The Spinnaker Hull Diver, Seiko Turtle Save the Ocean, and Pagani Design Explorer 2 homage. I wore the Pagani Design on flying days for the GMT function. I brought the turtle to get it in another body of water and maybe a shot with an actual turtle, that never happened. I ended up wearing the Spinnaker the whole time. the Seiko never left my bag. It turned out to be an excellent vacation watch. I'm not going to say you can dress this up and wear it from the boardroom to the beach. It's not that kind of watch. It's not gonna fit under a shirt cuff well and it's too sporty and chunky to wear with a suit. that doesn't mean it isn't a beautiful watch with some versatility to it. The case finishing is great. I love the coin edge bezel despite the height that it adds. and the little logo on the crown is always fun all be it common touch. The lume is great, not Seiko great but not disappointing. The bezel markers and numeral are also lumed making this watch very readable in low light. it also adds a sort of vintage color to the numerals and markers on the bezel and dial. the dial is well laid out and very clean. An applied "Spinnaker" below the 12 o'clock marker. Above the six o'clock marker in white "Automatic" then in red "1000FT/300M". The dial is grey with a subtle texture that makes it interesting. The color-matched date at the three o'clock is a great touch that keeps the dial clean and readable. At first look, I felt that the crown guards looked like an afterthought that got tacked on last minute. As I used the watch and examine it more, the crown guards are fine, they work and don't feel so much like an afterthought. It has a great classic dive watch feel with the right amount of style and class added in. It lets you go from lounging on the beach in a swimsuit to a nice pair of pants and a polo for a nicer dinner at your resort.
The Part you could skip to
I know I have mentioned the girth and heft of this watch. By no means is this to turn you off from this watch. I do think it's a great watch for what it is. I don't want you to go into it without knowing that the size and weight are something to consider. For those of us with larger wrists and who enjoy larger watches, this is no issue. But it is worth mentioning. if you have tiny brittle wrists and no arm strength, this watch and almost any other one over 38mm isn't for you. Like I said from the onset, this isn't a watch I would have picked out on my own. It is a watch that I like. I love the look, the subtle dial texture, and the minimal text. I like the lumed bezel and the brightness of the lume. I love the hint of vintage it has. There is a lot of watch here, and in this instance, it's more to love. It ended up being my watch of choice while beaching it up in Mexico, and it earned a spot in my collection for how well it did it. I may not have bought this watch, it may not have been my first choice, but I am keeping it. I also find myself grabbing this watch more often than I thought I would. It has turned out to be a great-looking watch that I don't have to think too much about. It offers the right balance of utility and style and does both very well. If I did buy this watch, I wouldn't be disappointed, and I would and have already recommended this watch to people.
In a market saturated with dive watches and endless variations, does this one stand out? I'll let you make that call. For me, it may not stand out, but it definitely holds its own against the competition.
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