#Seiko NH38 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

pkansa · 6 years

Text

What comes to mind when you hear the words, Helm Khuraburi? If you’re like me, probably very little. However, if you’re an avid diver who travels the globe looking for the best dive spots on the planet, you may immediately think of a small coastal town in Southern Thailand called, you guessed it, Khuraburi. A quick boat ride from Khuraburi are the Surin Islands – an archipelago of five small islands offering some of the best diving in the Andaman Sea.

In keeping with the tradition of naming their offerings after diving-inspired locales, Helm released the Khuraburi in July of 2017, following on from their first release in October of 2015, the Vanuatu. While the Vanuatu was more traditional in terms of the dive watch aesthetic, the Khuraburi takes Helm’s design in a bolder direction.

Before I dive into the watch (no pun intended), I wanted to give the reader some context around Helm as a brand. After fifteen years spent in product development and sourcing in the bicycle industry, Helm Founder Matt Cross was looking for a change. He packed his bags in North Carolina and moved himself to China in search of new opportunities. Several months (and many interviews) into his new life, but with nothing peaking his interest, it suddenly dawned on him that he was now living in the heart of the largest watchmaking industry on the planet. As a long-time watch enthusiast and collector with a preference for affordable divers, his new opportunity was found. Enter Helm Watches. Taking a watch design that had been floating around in his head for some time, he started reaching out to various manufacturers until he found one willing to bring his vision to life. Matt’s idea of a cool, affordable, high quality diver was about to become a reality, and the Vanuatu was born.

The first suppliers that Helm contracted with weren’t up to delivering on the quality that Matt was looking for in his pieces, so he went in search of new suppliers, and landed on a manufacturer who shared his own passion for quality. The second run of the Vanuatu was at a quality level that Matt was proud to stake his reputation on. With each subsequent run of product, the QC process is tweaked and modified to ensure his standards of excellence are continually met. In addition to developing the QC process in close partnership with his suppliers, Matt was also insistent on ISO 6425 certification for his watches from Day One. That testing is performed in-house by Helm, ensuring that each piece they sell meets the rigorous standard. Believing in the traditional route to product development, Matt has avoided the various crowd-funding methods, preferring to take on the risk himself in developing a product worthy of building its own loyal customer base.

And that brings us to the topic at hand, the Helm Khuraburi. Let’s get this out of the way right now: This is a big, burly, rugged dive watch. It’s certainly not in the gigantic class, but if your tastes gravitate towards sub-40mm watches, or if you just won’t wear anything larger than that, this may not be the watch for you. However, if you understand and embrace the modern dive watch aesthetic, read on.

At 42mm wide (43mm including the bezel) and 16mm thick, this is a sizeable watch that offers significant wrist presence. But, with a lug-to-lug measurement of 49mm, and stubby, steeply curved lugs, the case hugs the wrist nicely, especially on the metal bracelet (more on that later). The brushed center case has a slight bulge to it, and tapers to a smaller diameter at the base, which also helps the watch to wear smaller than it actually is. My 7 1/2” wrists have no trouble pulling off the Helm Khuraburi, and even those with smaller wrists will find that the lugs do not extend past the edges of their arm, as evidenced by the fit on my wife’s six-and-a-half inchers.

The solid, screw-on case back concealing the Seiko NH38 movement, which averaged -6 seconds per day with normal wear, has a deeply engraved Helm logo, and at 22mm, the common lug measurement makes fitting alternative straps a breeze. The lugs themselves have a matching brushed finish on all surfaces (this ain’t no shiny party queen), and are drilled to assist with quick and easy strap swaps. The aggressively knurled 8mm screw-down crown with engraved Helm logo is easy to grip, and can be had at the buyer’s choice of either the 4 o’clock or 10 o’clock position.

The uni-directional bezel, with the same knurled pattern as the crown, operates at 120 clicks with little to no back play, and is…wait for it…sapphire! Sapphire is not exactly a common bezel insert at this price point. One look at the lume shots clearly demonstrates why it was chosen over steel, or even ceramic. The Helm is a veritable light show at night, and the glossy sapphire bezel insert just adds to the spectacle. This particular version sports two lume colors. The first is a nice aqua-hued BGW9 that covers the dial’s indices, as well as the bezel numbers, hour hand, and arrowhead shaped pip about halfway up the seconds hand. The second is a bright orange lume that lights up the first 16 1/2 minutes on the bezel, as well as the minute hand, the stick extension on the seconds hand, and the minute markers on the chapter ring. Topping everything off is a double-domed sapphire crystal with an internal anti-reflective coating. It really is a spectacular display at night, and owners will undoubtedly find themselves frequently charging the lume with an artificial light source just to admire the show. The second version of the Khuraburi is a bit more subdued, with a standard green C3 Super-Luminova covering everything.

On the matte black dial we find pentagon-shaped applied indices, with double markers at 3, 6, 9, and 12. The raised chapter ring contains the aforementioned minute markers in orange, with small square pips every five minutes above the main indices. Other dial markings are minimal. Below the 12 o’clock index is a slightly raised, dark grey-colored Helm logo, while at six, “Diver’s 300m Automatic”, again in a dark grey color, is found in a simple and easy-to-read font. Per the aforementioned ISO 6425 certification, the use of the word “Diver” is permitted on the dial. The entire effect is very nicely understated given the propensity for many manufacturers to “over brand” their dials these days. Completing the cohesive look are thick, sword hour and minute hands that perfectly complement the big burly indices.

The Helm Khuraburi ships with a robust, 22mm brushed three-link bracelet, tapering to 20mm at the clasp. The clasp itself has six micro-adjustment holes and a safety fold-over containing an engraved “HELM”. The links have nicely beveled edges, and the end-links are solid and perfectly contoured to the lugs. The adjustable links are held by solid tubular pin screws, just as you’d find on a Rolex bracelet costing more than this entire watch! No cheap split pins or collar-and-pin style links here folks. If I had to find a negative in this package, for such a robust tool watch I’d like to see a diver extension on the bracelet, but that’s a minor gripe considering the overall quality of the bracelet.

Included in the quite affordable price is a choice of one of five 3-ring Zulu-style nylon straps, including solid black, solid orange, solid black extra long (17 vs. 11 inches), black with orange center stripe, and a five-stripe Bond-style grey and black. I also popped for the five-link jubilee-style bracelet that comes standard on the Vanuatu. The end-links are different between the two watches, so make sure and order the Khuraburi-specific end-links. The jubilee bracelet is of the same quality as the three-link, with identical solid screw-in adjustment pins and beveled links.

The Helm Khuraburi is available for $300 in the two varieties mentioned above, including the three-link bracelet and your choice of Nylon strap. Both variants are currently out of stock, but Helm expects to replenish inventory by mid-February of 2018. And for all you blue dial lovers (we’re looking at you, Patrick), this next run will include stunning blue and blue/orange models in addition to the two original variants. Overall, you get a tremendous amount of value in Helm’s pieces. Elements like the high quality bracelets and sapphire bezel inserts just aren’t seen at this price point. These guys clearly sweat the details and it shows. If you’re a serious diver, or just go for the occasional desk dive, I highly recommend giving Helm a look before they start charging what these pieces are really worth! As Matt subscribes to, “Buy what you like, keep what you love.” This one’s certainly a keeper in my book. helmwatches.com

Late breaking news:

With the Vanuatu and the Khuraburi under his belt, Matt is setting his sights on a third model release for the summer of 2018. The Komodo will be a 200m diver with a slightly smaller case diameter for those that prefer a more vintage-sized watch. Following on from that release, he’s targeting a dress diver that can hit the reef in the morning, and then slip under the cuff of a dinner jacket for a night on the town. At their current rate of design and production, Helm is targeting a new model release every year. Personally, I’m looking forward to seeing what Helm has in store for dive watch aficionados in the years to come.

Reader Review submitted by Eric Boucher

Watch Overview

Brand & Model: Helm Khuraburi

Price: $300 (as tested, plus $30 shipping worldwide)

Who we think it might be for: Serious divers, or anyone who appreciates a big, bold diver aesthetic

Would I buy one for myself based on what I’ve seen? I already have!

If I could make one design suggestion, it would be: The addition of a diver extension on the two steel bracelets

What spoke to me the most about this watch: The crazy lume light show, subtle dial markings, overall quality and fit and finish

Technical Specifications from Helm

CASE

Material: Brushed 316L stainless steel

Size: 42mm x 16mm (43mm w/bezel)

Weight: 225 grams w/bracelet (at full length), 125 grams with nylon strap

Crystal: Sapphire, double-domed, anti-reflective coating inside

Case Back: Stainless steel, screwed, special engravings

Water Resistance: 30 atm/300 m/990 ft (Tested in accordance with ISO 6425:1996)

Interlug Width: 22mm

MOVEMENT: Seiko NH38 Automatic Mechanical, 24 jewels

Functions: Hacking and Manual Winding

Accuracy: -20/+40 sec/day

Beats Per Hour: 21,600

Power Reserve: 40 Hours

DIAL

Color: Matte black

Luminous Material: BGW9 + Orange or Super-Luminova C3

BEZEL

Material: 316L Stainless steel

Insert: Flat sapphire with luminous markings

Diameter: 43mm

Removable/Replaceable: Yes

Rotation: Diver compliant Unidirectional, 120-Click

Reader Review: the Helm Khuraburi #diver #divewatch #affordable #under$500 What comes to mind when you hear the words, Helm Khuraburi? If you’re like me, probably very little.

#dive watch #diver #Helm #Khuraburi #Seiko NH38

0 notes

isotopewatches · 3 years

Photo

Reposting Matt Ebden’s Goutte d’Eau images whilst in isolation for the #australianopen2021 • @matt_ebden while in iso, @isotope.watches ⌚ has had me covered so far 🙌🙏 - this was a late Christmas present that brought me so much pure joy (all watch lovers will know how this feels 😀🎅) This is the Goutte D'Eau Compressor Diver 200m - brushed cushion case in 316L stainless steel at 40mm & 13mm thickness - exhibition screw down caseback - Super-Luminova lume & crystal sapphire glass - rotating inner bezel - brilliant ratcheting divers clasp & custom bracelet - Swiss made SW200 Sellita automatic movement or Seiko NH38 automatic - comes with multiple strap options and multiple dial colour options Its a beauty and wears great. Also checkout @isotope.watches for their newly released GMT 0° beauties which is the first watch to use 2 unique complications together 😍🙌 well done and thankyou @jose.m.miranda . . #watches #watchoftheday #isotope #watch #timeandtide #watchesofinstagram #wis #wus #melbourne #australia #uk #swissmade #swiss #japan #automatic #diver #divewatch #GouttedEau #isotopewatches @miguelseabra https://www.instagram.com/p/CM9lLfyLwy1/?igshid=d572630iihvy

0 notes

artificehoro · 7 years

Photo

Mohawk #Seiko #SRP585 "Inquisitor," one of the original prototype laser engraved dials with SI NH38 with exposed/open heart balance wheel, partially blasted in stage 3S. #seikomod #watchmod #watchaddict #watchfam #watchcollector #watchesdaily #watches #watchesofinstagram #wus #wis #watchuseek #instawatches #wornandwound #wotd #artificehoroworks #customwatch #bespoke #divewatch #seikodiver

0 notes

isotopewatches · 3 years

Photo

Reposting Matt Ebden’s Goutte d’Eau images whilst in isolation for the #australianopen2021 Stay strong! • @matt_ebden while in iso, @isotope.watches ⌚ has had me covered so far 🙌🙏 - this was a late Christmas present that brought me so much pure joy (all watch lovers will know how this feels 😀🎅) This is the Goutte D'Eau Compressor Diver 200m - brushed cushion case in 316L stainless steel at 40mm & 13mm thickness - exhibition screw down caseback - Super-Luminova lume & crystal sapphire glass - rotating inner bezel - brilliant ratcheting divers clasp & custom bracelet - Swiss made SW200 Sellita automatic movement or Seiko NH38 automatic - comes with multiple strap options and multiple dial colour options Its a beauty and wears great. Also checkout @isotope.watches for their newly released GMT 0° beauties which is the first watch to use 2 unique complications together 😍🙌 well done and thankyou @jose.m.miranda . . #watches #watchoftheday #isotope #watch #timeandtide #watchesofinstagram #wis #wus #melbourne #australia #uk #swissmade #swiss #japan #automatic #diver #divewatch #GouttedEau #isotopewatches @miguelseabra (at Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CKU1j7GrFeO/?igshid=qk993mmsi6yz

0 notes

isotopewatches · 3 years

Photo

Repost • @mrwatch93 Today I want to present you a really Coll Diver from isotope watches, The Goutte d'Eau! This watch has a nice concept history and really interesting timeless approach. Infact, The Goutte d’Eau Shapes take Inspiration from the design of the 1937 Talbot-Lago T150-C SS Coupé, widely regarded as one of the most beautiful cars ever built. This watch has also another interesting feature, a bespoke and exclusive stainless steel bracelet with a discreet extension clasp mechanism that allows you to quickly change the bracelet size to wear over a diving suit! You can also choose the movement of your watch: the Japan made Seiko NH38 or Swiss-made Sellita SW200 offering the reliability that every Isotope watch demands. Both movements are shockproof and have a power reserve of 38 to 42 hours. The Gautte d'Eau has also a diameter of 40 mm so is really versatile for every wrist size. There are different colors of this watch (red, blue, orange, yellow, green) and i like the connection of the colors with the seconds hand and the rotating bezel inside the dial. Another interesting features is the LUME, an absolutely incredible blue light that makes this timepiece ever more special! This is watch is comfortable to wear and i was very impressed by the clasp, original and easy to extend also to let a bigger wrist try the watch very easly. I think that if you are looking for a good diver and you don't want a too much bigger watch and also you have an affordable budget, The Gautte d'Eau is the timepiece for you! 🚨 Remember that you can have a 10% discount on this watch with my promocode mrwatch10 check out the link in bio 🚨 . . . . . #watches #orologi #watchcollector #watchlover #menstyle #watchcollect #followme #instagood #instawatch #wristporn #horology #horologerie #wristwatch #wristaddict #passioneorologi #watchesofinstagram #watchoftheday #dailywatch #watchlife #mrwatch93 #watchfam #watchgeek #watchnerd #diver #diverwatches #menswatches #timelesswatch https://www.instagram.com/p/CIa9l0oL4Hj/?igshid=1atjn6ns9oxli

0 notes

pkansa · 5 years

Text

CuSn8 is the correct notation for the particular Bronze allow that Borealis is using on the Adraga, a new, limited edition explorer’s watch. There are four variations, limited to 25 pieces each. It’s an excellent interpretation of the field watch, and we hope you manage to pre-order one.

Bronze is an interesting choice, and one that’s become more popular in recent years. It takes on a patina unique to its environment – no two will turn dark or verdigris in the same way. Due to the copper in the alloy, it can even take on an almost red or rose color, something I think is particularly nice.

The dial is a classic explorer’s style watch, with triangle at the 12 position, and 3-6-9 at the other cardinal directions. You’ve seen dials like this before on famous Swiss watches. The indices and hands are finished in Rose Gold, which is lovely. The variations come down to what color lume you like: white, c3 green luminova, and whether you want a matte black dial or a gray sunray dial. That adds up to the four combinations. Honestly, I don’t think there’s a bad combination in the bunch. Every one of these is tasteful.

The movement driving the hands around the dial is the Seiko NH38, a 3 hand automatic with no date function. It’s frequently seen in watches with an open window in the dial to view the balance wheel, but here, it sits with the balance obscured behind the 9 indice, ticking away.

The case is 40.5mm wide, 14.3mm tall including the sapphire crystal, and should wear comfortably on the hand-stitched leather strap. If you can manage to get one, you should be very happy with it. It looks like a good modern interpretation of a classic. Unfortunately, they all sold out on the first day. There’s some hint that Borealis will introduce a model in stainless steel. Check out all their offerings over at BorealisWatch.com

[amazon_link asins=’B01EM0P7LU,B076H15JJ6,B078W1DN2H,B073F9W4NQ’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’wristwatchrev-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’4160a5d8-3012-402c-82d2-b05bc2628f8f’]

Limited edition: The bronze Borealis Adraga watch – big, bold, bronze CuSn8 is the correct notation for the particular Bronze allow that Borealis is using on the Adraga, a new, limited edition explorer's watch.

0 notes

pkansa · 6 years

Text

Alright, watch friends and family – pull up your chairs. I’m going to tell you a story. This is one about a new watch brand starting up (heard it), they’re going through Kickstarter (heard it), and they are offering some tremendous value (heard it). So, yeah, this is a story we’ve heard before, right? Well, after spending some time with a prototype Traska Freediver, I think you’ll find that this story does not end like all of the other ones you’ve heard.

In fact, that’s why I went with the lume shot for the leading images, just to show how this is familiar, but still a bit different. When I opened up the watch I immediately started seeing some other references. For instance, that set of indices at 12 o’clock? Felt a lot like my Orange Monster. Twisted lugs? Feels kind of like an Omega. And so on and so forth. I’m not saying the brand claims these influences, it’s just what I’m seeing in it – and they’re all good associations.

Now, back on those indices on the Traska Freediver. These are chunky, and sit high up above the matte black dial. On this prototype, the color was a bit off, but production models will be fully BGW9 bright white, and match up with the painted bits and the handset exactly. And since this is a prototype, there were a few things that I noticed (there’s a copper color you can notice on the underside of the bezel, and there’s a touch of gap between the bracelet and the lugs), but they’re minor, and one is confident they could be addressed in the production versions (there’s also a stainless finish and teal dial that is quite striking).

And make no mistake, this is a striking watch. The Traska Freediver is fun to look at, and for being a dive watch, it’s not drawing attention due to it’s size. No, the spec has it at 40mm, but I’d call it a “small” 40. In other words, this is a fairly compact diver, which means it should fit onto a wide variety of wrists.

Tucked underneath that lovely, contrasty dial is a reliable Seiko NH38 movement. This may not be as well known or used in the watches we’ve seen as of late, but I didn’t notice any problems (smooth winding and setting, and accurate), and should prove to be rather reliable. Also reliable? That 120-click bezel. There is virtually no play in in at all, with a solid (but not overly resistant) clicky feel as you move it around. Also fun is the sapphire insert (to match that sapphire crystal) that is fully lumed. This may be a bit controversial for some (as it does make for a very shiny top surface), but for those, there’s also going to be a stainless steel insert.

In the time I had with the Traska Freediver, I found a lot to like. It fits to my wrist well, it feels solidly built, and there’s just a lot of nicely done details here, including all of those influences I mentioned up at the start. Mix in that the early-bird pricing is going to start at $375 for the sapphire insert, and $350 for the stainless insert, well, you’ve got a pretty massive value going on here. In my book, this makes for a very solid everyday sort of watch (though I might opt for the stainless/teal combo if I were picking one up, personally), and all the steel and 100m WR rating should be the watch is ready for what you throw at it.

Since the Traska Freediver has not actually launched yet, I can’t point you at a Kickstarter page. If you want to stay in the loop, you’ve got a few different options:

Head on over to the brand’s “Contact Us” page, and drop them an email with the subject of “Newsletter”

Get on over to their Instagram page and follow them for updates

If you’re interested, you’ll want to mark this on the calendar. Admittedly, I am a sample size of one, but I have a feeling that this is going to be one that goes quickly. There’s a lot done right here – now all that is left is for Traska to deliver on the promise they’ve laid out here with the Traska Freediver. traskawatch.com

Review Summary

Brand & Model: Traska Freediver

Price: Earlybird pricing starts at $350

Who’s it for? You want a diver that won’t overwhelm your wrist

Would I wear it? Indeed – but in steel and teal (I’m just not one for fully blacked-out watches)

What I’d change: I’d love a date complication, but I wouldn’t trade off the dial symmetry for it

The best thing about it: Aside from the compactness, those tall applied indices as great

Tech Specs from Traska

Automatic NH38 Movement

316L Stainless Steel Case w/ Polished Chamfers & Drilled Lugs

Double-Domed Anti-Reflective Sapphire Crystal

120 Click Unidirectional Rotating Bezel w/ Sapphire or Stainless Insert

316L Bracelet w/ Solid End Links

Super Luminova BGW9 Lume

Waterproof to 100 Meters/330 Feet

Proprietary Scratch-Resistant Coating

Height: 48mm / Width: 40mm / Thickness: 12.5mm / Lug Width: 20mm / Buckle Width: 18mm

Pricing

Stainless Bezel: $375

Sapphire Bezel: $400

The Traska Freediver, rising soon from the deeps #diving #divewatch #affordable #kickstarter #review Alright, watch friends and family - pull up your chairs. I'm going to tell you a story.

#dive watch #diver #Kickstarter #Seiko NH35 #Traska

0 notes