Selten Salvage Bronze Blue Cave

by Tyler Frederick

Bold and Bronze

Watches bring people together. For the last year or so, I’ve enjoyed working with Selten and reviewing their stunning Series 00 and M1 Moonphase collections. During the week of the Toronto Timepiece Show, Selten and Atelier Wen held an event at the Walrus Pub & Beer Hall, where I could finally meet Leo, the founder of Selten, and Kristine, the founder of HasNoBounds Straps. I just want to say that HasNoBounds makes incredible straps, and you should check them out, too. It was such a pleasure to meet them both, and during a conversation with Leo, he informed me that the Salvage Bronze Blue Cave was coming to me and should show up soon; the watch was in my hands a few days later.

Selten Salvage Bronze Watch Review — ^{Selten Salvage Bronze @horologyobsessed}

Key Features of the Selten Salvage Bronze

The Salvage Bronze caught my eye immediately upon discovering Selten, so having one on my wrist for the last couple of weeks has been a treat. The first thing I thought of when I pulled the watch out of the Selten travel pouch was, “This looks like something you’d find in Rapture.” For those who don’t know, Rapture is the underwater city from one of my favourite game franchises, Bioshock. The game is based in the 1940s and implements a lot of brown and green/blue shades, as well as oxidized bronze and steel throughout the world and various levels, giving it an industrial/steampunk vibe, just like the Salvage Bronze. It was also fitting that I received the Blue Cave to go with the theme

While staring at every detail is cool, how does it feel on the wrist? To put it bluntly, great. To put it in a long, drawn-out way, it’s a watch that I’ve had a great time experiencing; it’s comfortable, and the proportions are fantastic with its 39mm bronze case, 47mm lug-to-lug and 12.25mm case thickness. Having the chance to check it out in the metal has been a treat. While I love the watches Selten produces, the Salvage Bronze speaks to me in both a watch enthusiast and gaming nerd sorta’ way. Not only am I a fan of the design, wearability and overall construction of the Salvage Bronze, but it also sent me to rediscover a game I loved and play through it again for the 12th time.

The dial is the best part of the watch, and I found myself getting lost in the mixture of black and blue with the flakes of bronze. While I know its patina, it also looks reminiscent of blue waters with rock formations throughout–a very fitting aesthetic for a dive watch. Each dial is hand-finished to get a unique pattern of patina, so no two are alike, and I’m lucky to have one that has so much depth and colour; it’s beautiful. The construction of the dial is also unique. Selten implements a 3-layer “sandwich” dial: the bottom layer contains the indices/lume, the middle layer is the hand-finished patina dial with cutouts for the indices, and the top layer is a sapphire crystal with AR coating and printed indices to bring it all together, allowing for even greater depth when looking at the hour and minute markers. That’s right, there are two sapphire crystals: one on the dial and one covering it.

Patina refers to the thin layer that appears on the surface of copper/bronze to protect it from harm. Time and temperature can change the color of this protective layer; controlled or forced patination can create patina colors like blue, green, and gold. We also use many different materials to alter the appearance of the metals. This includes natural products, chemicals, salt, rain, wood, soil, or fire.”

–Selten

Specs

Case	CuSn Bronze 39mm Diameter 47mm Lug to Lug 12.25mm Thick 20mm Lug Width Screw Down Crown & Case Back Unidirectional Bezel 100m Water Resistance
Dial & Crystal	Domed Sapphire Crystal Blue/Black Patina Dial Sandwich Markers Dauphine Handset Super-LumiNova
Movement	Miyota 9039 24 Jewels 28 00bph 40-Hour Power Reserve
Strap	Rubber Strap

Selten Salvage Bronze Blue Cave

Quibbles

Short and sweet, I wish there was a Salvage Stainless Steel variation with a bracelet. I’m not knocking the bronze; it’s a great-looking watch that’s comfortable and looks fantastic, but a stainless steel version with the patina dial and a stainless steel bracelet? That would be phenomenal, appeal to a broader audience of collectors, and look fantastic. That blue patina with stainless steel? Yes, please.

Final Thoughts

My thoughts? It’s always great to see a brand try something new, and the Salvage Bronze–hell, the Patina Series as a whole–is stunning. Selten has taken a dive watch and added so much detail from an aesthetic perspective and in the construction of the watch. The dial, literally, has layer upon layer of detail. With a beautiful aesthetic paired with comfort and significant presence on the wrist, the Salvage Bronze could put a smile on the faces of many, not to mention it’ll naturally age the longer you wear it. You’d be wearing a time capsule and the story of your adventures. I’ve always been passionate about heavily worn and “relic’d” things: cars, guitars, watches, etc. Over time, as the metal oxidizes and goes through any trial I send its way, the Salvage Bronze will become a beautiful and colourful piece of wearable art. I know sentimentality hooks me, so I thought I’d cast the line.

Pricing & Availability

The Salvage Bronze retails for $659 ($937 CAD) and is available through Selten.

About the author

Born into a family obsessed with motorsport, Tyler Frederick became enamoured with speed and beautiful cars at a young age. His love of Formula 1–and all things mechanical–eventually lead him to horology. You can follow him on Instagram.

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