Héron Marinor Dive Watch

Last year, Héron Watches ran a successful Kickstarter campaign for the release of their first dive watch, the Gladiateur. Today, the brand returns to fruitful waters with a new offering in the Marinor. Borrowing a page from the playbook of such classics as the Fifty Fathoms and the Submariner, the Héron Marinor looks and feels very much like a mid-century tool watch.

First impressions reveal a design of balanced proportions and seafaring tropes. The predominantly brushed stainless steel case is a wrist-friendly 39mm in diameter and an easy-wearing 47mm lug to lug. The asymmetrical silhouette features partial crown guards and lugs that taper down to 20mm at the bracelet. The case itself is 11.3mm thick but grows to 12.9mm when considering the addition of the box sapphire crystal which contributes significantly to its old-world charm. The bezel, itself, is also domed sapphire, which is reminiscent of 1950s Bakelite. It is 120-click and unidirectional with coin-edge knurling.

Both the case and bracelet have also been coated in a “hardening treatment” which increases the anti-scratch and anti-corrosive properties to 1200hv on the Vickers Scale. For reference, regular 316L stainless steel is approximately 140hv.

Perhaps the most prominent nautical reference appears in the North Star marker at twelve, which takes the place of a more traditional inverted triangle. The celestial replacement refers to early methods of nautical navigation, where mariners would use the North Star as a guide. The rest of the dial is populated by more classical design cues, such as the applied dot and dash markers with polished surrounds, or the arrow and sword handset. In this iteration, both have been finished in an Old-Radium patina and treated with BGW9 Swiss Super-LumiNova, for a pale blue ghostly glow to match the bezel markings. There is also lume in the tip of the lollipop seconds.

Both the crown and the caseback of the Marinor are screw down and help ensure a water resistance rating of 300m. On the back side, we also find an attractive embossing of a sea captain smoking a clay pipe. Beneath this, ticks the Miyota 9039—a 4Hz, 24 jewel workhorse with a power reserve up to 42 hours.

The flat-link, oyster-style bracelet is a highlight here. Like the case, it is largely brushed, but each link has been gently rounded for comfort and attached with screws. It also has a quick-release system for easy strap changes, and a ratcheting micro-adjustment system that makes it a true dive bracelet.

SPECS

Case	316L Stainless Steel (PVD coating) 39mm Diameter 47mm Lug to Lug 12.9mm Thick 20mm Lug Width 120-click Uni-directional Bezel Screw Back and Crown 300m Water Resistance
Dial & Crystal	Box Sapphire Crystal /w AR Undercoat Applied Indices Arrow & Sword Handset /w Lollipop Seconds BGW9 Super-LumiNova
Movement	Miyota 9039 28 000bph 24 Jewels 42-Hour Power Reserve
Strap	Stainless Steel Flat link Bracelet /w Dive Clasp

Héron Marinor

Of Interest

The Héron Marinor will be a sprawling release with 20 different iterations. Its Core Collection—which includes three models and follows a monochromatic colour scheme—will be made available for retail sales following the end of the brand’s Kickstarter campaign. However, there are four other collections that will only be available during the initial campaign. The Anchor Collection is the largest of these. The seven models follow a duo-tone colour scheme and reference maritime culture. Both the Gilt and Old-Radium Collections have five models a piece, and the Carbon Collection features two DLC coated iterations. The model featured here is the Nautilus from the Old Radium line.

Quibbles

With the Gladiateur, Héron went out on a limb by designing a Roman numeral bezel and it paid off. The one design element here that may prove divisive is the North Star; however, like Roman numerals and the gladiatorial theme, enthusiasts may find the nod to seafaring equally endearing.

Final Thoughts

People (myself included) throw around the term ‘value proposition’ a lot. Value can be found at any price bracket, of course, but often the term is employed in reference to entry-level watches. But if it does not apply here, then it does not apply anywhere. A box sapphire crystal with a lumed and domed sapphire bezel? A stainless steel screw-link micro-adjusting bracelet? Three hundred meters water resistance? Applied indices and Super-LumiNova? Those are some solid specs. When you throw in the well-proportioned dimensions, myriad colourways, and classical design cues, debate becomes moot. Especially when the package comes in under $500.

Early Bird pricing for the Héron Marinor is $435 USD. For more information, please visit the brand website or Kickstarter page.

Check out the Marinor Ghost Edition

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