Ember Watch Company Rocket

by Tyler Frederick

Beauty in Blue

It’s always interesting when you receive a DHL shipping notification on a random Wednesday afternoon, having 0 clue what’s on the way; both concerning and exciting. I racked my brain trying to figure out who it could be from, and when I couldn’t figure it out, I decided to reach out to Vincent Deschamps (@mainspring.watch) since he’s usually my go-to for new brands and things that might pique my fancy since we have very similar interests and his ear is to the ground often. Vincent had connected me with John from Ember Watch Company regarding their Rocket model, and to my surprise, that’s what showed up, and the excitement only grew.

^{Ember Watch Company Rocket @horologyobsessed}

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Key Features of the Ember Watch Company Rocket

Summer at your wrist

Upon opening the box and seeing the watch, I had a few thoughts: matte stainless steel, rugged case design, bright robin egg blue dial—this is the perfect watch for summer! With warmer weather right around the corner (I hope), many of us, myself included, start browsing, looking for a new watch, specifically for fun in the sun, camping, swimming, and all the enjoyable activities that come with summer when you get some time off from work. Or that first beautiful day when the stars align just right, and you receive that “wanna get a beer?” text from a friend, leading to some patio time with a cold IPA, good company, and as the sun sets, you catch a glimpse of the beautiful watch on your wrist in the sunlight. I know you’re picturing it; we’re almost there.

^{Sky Blue Sandwich Dial @horologyobsessed}

Case and dimensions

The Rocket features a faceted and octagonal case design in matte-finished stainless steel. At first, I thought the case was made from titanium until I felt the familiar and welcome heft that stainless steel brings. I like titanium, but I love the wrist presence of stainless steel. The geometric design of the case is very modern, and due to its sharp angles, it looks different in every lighting scenario; however, it always looks great on the wrist regardless of the lighting. Speaking of wrist presence, the case measures 40mm with a 47mm lug-to-lug and a thickness of 12mm. It’s comfortable and wears well, with the perfect amount of curvature on the lugs to hug the wrist.

Dial and movement

The bright blue sandwich dial that makes me smile; it’s legible, it looks great and the best part, the watch implements the Seiko NH38, which means there’s no date. One of my biggest and most “quibbles” with many watches is the addition of a date window for the sake of having a date window. Having no date on the Rocket allows for symmetry and a “complete” design. I know many will disagree with me, but on a watch like this, I feel a date window would ruin the depth of the dial. From top to bottom, the Rocket is a well constructed watch that looks great and feels even better.

Specs

Case	316L Stainless Steel 40mm Diameter 47mm Lug-to-Lug 12mm Thick 20mm Lug Width 100m Water Resistance
Dial & Crystal	Sapphire Crystal Sandwich Dial Applied Markers Pencil Handset BGW9 Super-LumiNova
Movement	NH38A 24 Jewels 21 600vph 41-Hour Power Reserve
Strap	Matte Stainless Steel

Ember Watch Company Rocket

Quibbles

The Ember Rocket is a beautiful watch, and I love the overall construction, but the blue dial is slightly underwhelming. It definitely brings summer vibes, but when compared to the other colour options available in the lineup, like the Skyline Pink or Midnight Neon, it’s not as bold or exciting. It’s more subtle, and many people will appreciate that, but with the case design giving off a geometric, almost “Cyberpunk” look, I prefer brighter colors that pop, you know? Some Tron, Neon colour vibes. On another note, I feel the stainless steel bracelet is the perfect option for the Rocket, as the available FKM rubber made it feel lackluster and didn’t seem to fit the
watch.

Final Thoughts

The Ember Rocket is a cool watch, and the Sky Blue variant is beautiful. As previously mentioned, I feel more people will gravitate towards the Sky Blue due to its more subtle nature, but I do prefer the more bright and bold colours available. Nonetheless, it’s a fantastic watch in all its variations, and for those looking for something different this summer, or in general, I suggest checking these out.

Pricing & Availability

The Sky Blue is available for preorder on the brand website. It retails for $488 USD ($680 CAD) and is limited to 35 pieces.

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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