u/edvardomuncho

Tl;dr: Beautiful, nicely done and really affordable 62GS homages with original dials. These guys are now one of my trusted brands that I’ll buy from regularly without thinking twice.

I’ve already reviewed some other brands with similar stone dials with our without GS style case and bracelets. I like them and wear them with pleasure. I’ve seen a short video of the Terra Gaia (the first one) in a sub and wanted to give those guys a try. It was the right decision.

The dials are really well made, exactly like in their videos. Not shelf watches, nothing eccentric or absurd. Perfect dailies. The markers and hands look amazing to the naked eye. At this point I don’t check mirror polished angles under a 20x microscope. The same applies for the generic sweep second VH31 movement. Makes the watch even more affordable and even if I haven’t faced any issues with a pt5000 yet, i still tend to pick vh31 if possible. The case is very similar to the Grand Seiko 62GS design, the most visible difference being the crown position. The bracelet is also nicely made and comfortable. No issues with the clasp at all. There’s not much to share in terms of quality and design as the photos speak for themselves so I want to share my experience with Aethelsohn.

Customer service: I asked a question about an out of stock watch and received an answer within a couple of hours. The responses were quick, professional and friendly.

Shipping: I ordered two watches. They shipped them as separate packages despite me paying for a single shipment. The reason? Customs duties in Europe. With this small, unasked for detail, they saved me around 20%. What a thoughtful gesture. Waiting time was 9 days which was also impressive.

My shopping cart isn’t empty yet. I just wanted to get a first impression before placing a complete order. I’m satisfied and will get the remaining soon. Out of hundreds, these have earned a spot in my current 100+ collection. They will stay for a long time and will be worn regularly.

Tl;dr: Aethelsohn is now one of my trusted brands that I’ll buy from regularly without thinking twice. Costs less than a SW200. The watch squirrel is happy.

I’ve already reviewed some other brands with similar stone dials with our without GS style case and bracelets. I like them and wear them with pleasure. I’ve seen a short video in a sub and wanted to give those two watches a try. Aethelsohn Terra Gaia one Terra Nova.

The dials are really nice, exactly like in their videos. Not shelf watches, nothing eccentric or absurd. Perfect dailies. The markers and hands look amazing to the naked eye. At this point I don’t check mirror polished angles under a 20x microscope. The same applies for the generic sweep second VH31 movement. Makes the watch even more affordable and even if I haven’t faced any issues with a pt5000 yet, i still tend to pick vh31 if possible. The case is very similar to the Grand Seiko 62GS design, the most visible difference being the crown position. The bracelet is also nicely made and comfortable. No issues with the clasp at all. There’s not much to share in terms of quality and design as the photos speak for themselves so I want to share my experience with Aethelsohn.

Customer service: I asked a question about an out of stock watch and received an answer within a couple of hours. The responses were quick, professional and friendly. 5 out of 5 acorns.

Shipping: I ordered two watches. They shipped them as separate packages despite me paying for a single shipment. The reason? Customs duties in Europe. With this small, unasked for detail, they saved me around 20%. What a thoughtful gesture. Waiting time was 9 days which was also impressive. 10 out of 5 acorns.

I’ve already got a couple on my list from Aethelsohn. I just wanted to get a first impression before placing a complete order. I’m satisfied and will order from them again without a second thought. Out of hundreds, these have earned a spot in my current 100+ collection. They will stay for a long time and will be worn regularly.

Tl;dr: Aethelsohn is now one of my trusted brands that I’ll buy from regularly without thinking twice. The watch squirrel is happy.

I’ve already reviewed some other brands with natural stone dials with our without GS style case and bracelets. I like them and wear them with pleasure. After seeing a short video of the Terra Gaia here on Reddit, I ordered one and a Nova.

The dials are really nice, exactly like in the videos. Not shelf watches, nothing eccentric or absurd. Perfect dailies. The markers and hands look amazing to the naked eye. At this point I don’t check mirror polished angles under a 20x microscope. The bracelet is also nicely made and comfortable. No issues with the clasp at all. There’s not much to share in terms of quality and design as the photos speak for themselves and there are already good reviews so I want to share my experience with Aethelsohn.

Customer service: I asked a question about an out of stock watch and received an answer within a couple of hours. The responses were quick, professional and friendly. 5 out of 5 acorns.

Shipping: I ordered two watches. They shipped them as separate packages despite me paying for a single shipment. The reason? Customs duties in Europe. With this small, unasked for detail, they saved me around 20%. What a thoughtful gesture. Waiting time was 9 days which was also impressive. 10 out of 5 acorns.

I’ve already got a couple on my list from Aethelsohn. I just wanted to get a first impression before placing a complete order. I’m satisfied and will order from them again without a second thought. Out of hundreds, these have earned a spot in my current 100+ collection. They will stay for a long time and will be worn regularly.

If you ever wanted your own little galaxy on the go… And cheaper than my kid’s little Celestron 😊

Watchdives WD0003C Ice Crystal Titanium.

From the last batch I’ve ordered, I’m more than happy with what I’ve received. Two natural stone dials, a combination of Atelier Wen Perception (case), Czapek Antarctique Passage de Drake (hands and indices), and Patek 3770 (bracelet). The details are satisfying, the size and bracelet are comfortable for everyday wear. A nice and affordable addition to my collection.

I have a long list of microbrands I’m getting my hands on one by one but these really affordable pieces are not just fun to see, they’re proper candidates for everyday wear. Do you have similar “surprisingly good” favourites?

I got this beauty a couple of weeks ago. My watches usually get fairly equal wrist time, maybe half a week/year but I don’t want to take this one off my wrist. It beats at 4Hz with its mechaquartz but that’s an easy compromise for me. The range of textures, reflections and colours it offers makes up for it.

What do you guys think? Do you have anything different yet still affordable that you really enjoy wearing? Any suggestions, surprisingly beautiful pieces for the price?

I received the new Watchdives stone dial models a few days ago and wanted to share my observations briefly with you guys.

First things first: these watches are a mix of elements from several iconic designs. The case is inspired by the Atelier Wen Perception, the bracelet by the Patek Philippe ref. 3770 “Nautellipse” and the hands and indices by the Czapek Antarctique Passage de Drake.

The finishing, surface transitions and bracelet comfort are all very satisfying for this price range. The dials are definitely the highlight of these models. The only thing I can say is that the photos don’t do them justice. They look much better in person. Because of my obsession, I contacted customer service regarding the pattern on the red agate dial since it’s identical to the one shown on their website. I received a very quick response and was informed that they use the same section of the stone to maintain consistency and quality. That was another pleasant surprise.

The mechaquartz VH60B is more than enough to give the watch an automatic like feel. QC is surprisingly good too. I counted 11 protective stickers on the metal parts on each watch. That’s another detail that makes an obsessive watch guy happy.

The watch squirrel approves the quality&price ratio. Do you guys know any alternatives in the same price range that offer a similar level of quality?

I recently received two of the new stone dial models and have worn them enough to see whether I really enjoy them. Here’s a quick review covering both the experience and the overall quality.

The design isn’t a direct homage to one specific watch but a blend of elements from several iconic pieces. The case resembles the Atelier Wen Perception, the bracelet is clearly from the Patek Philippe ref. 3770 “Nautellipse” which also shares a similar case shape. The hands and indices are derived from Czapek Antarctique Passage de Drake.

Overall execution is surprisingly good. The finishing, polishing details and transitions between surfaces are all satisfying for this price range. The bracelet is comfortable and the included halflink makes sizing much easier.

The dials are what make these models stand out. I ordered the red agate and green jasper versions. The pictures speak for themselves. This is one of those “what you see is what you get” situations, they look that good in person.

One thing that made me suspicious was that the pattern on my red agate dial looked exactly like the product photos on the website. That seemed unlikely considering the nature of stone dials. I contacted customer service and they responded very quickly. The dials are cut from the same section of stone to achieve visual consistency and any imperfect slabs are discarded to maintain quality standards across production.

The watches use the VH60B movement from the VH31 family. That’s a bit amusing because the movement includes a 24h subdial function that isn’t used in this model. The 4 beats per second sweep obviously doesn’t feel quite like a true automatic but it’s still very satisfying and significantly nicer than the basic quartz. They already have the recommended battery inside and the expected battery life is 2–3 years.

They arrived really well protected, came in a beautiful vintage style leather looking box, something even many entry level Swiss watches in the €1k–5k range fail to provide. I peeled off an impressive 11 protective stickers from the metal parts on each watch. My order arrived in Germany within 8 days. Right after placing the order, customer service contacted me regarding the process and I received updates throughout every stage of shipping and delivery.

I’ll say it again: the Watchdives experience keeps getting better. Their price/value ratio remains unmatched and honestly, I don’t have a single thing to complain about considering they cost under 250€. The watch squirrel approves and rates these 8 acorns out of 10.

I recently received two of the new stone dial models and have worn them enough to see whether I really enjoy them. Here’s a quick review covering both the experience and the overall quality.

The design isn’t a direct homage to one specific watch but a blend of elements from several iconic pieces. The case resembles the Atelier Wen Perception, the bracelet is clearly from the Patek Philippe ref. 3770 “Nautellipse” which also shares a similar case shape. The hands and indices are derived from Czapek Antarctique Passage de Drake.

Overall execution is surprisingly good. The finishing, polishing details and transitions between surfaces are all satisfying for this price range. The bracelet is comfortable and the included halflink makes sizing much easier.

The dials are what make these models stand out. I ordered the red agate and green jasper versions. The pictures speak for themselves. This is one of those “what you see is what you get” situations, they look that good in person.

One thing that made me suspicious was that the pattern on my red agate dial looked exactly like the product photos on the website. That seemed unlikely considering the nature of stone dials. I contacted customer service and they responded very quickly. The dials are cut from the same section of stone to achieve visual consistency and any imperfect slabs are discarded to maintain quality standards across production.

The watches use the VH60B movement from the VH31 family. That’s a bit amusing because the movement includes a 24h subdial function that isn’t used in this model. The 4 beats per second sweep obviously doesn’t feel quite like a true automatic but it’s still very satisfying and significantly nicer than the basic quartz. They already have the recommended battery inside and the expected battery life is 2–3 years.

They arrived really well protected, came in a beautiful vintage style leather looking box, something even many entry level Swiss watches in the €1k–5k range fail to provide. I peeled off an impressive 11 protective stickers from the metal parts on each watch. My order arrived in Germany within 8 days. Right after placing the order, customer service contacted me regarding the process and I received updates throughout every stage of shipping and delivery.

I’ll say it again: the Watchdives experience keeps getting better. Their price/value ratio remains unmatched and honestly, I don’t have a single thing to complain about considering they cost under 250€. The watch squirrel approves and rates these 8 acorns out of 10.

In addition to my original post, here’s a video of the “ice crystal titanium” dial in direct and indirect sunlight.

TL; DR: Got the watch, really happy with the piece and overall experience.

I got this one a few days ago together with the new WD0016D stone dial releases. I kept waiting for decent daylight to take some photos but because of nonstop rain I gave up and took it as a rainy day companion. I spent the whole day with it on the wrist. No deep review but I’ll just share some quick impressions after a full day of wear.

The bracelet is one of the most comfortable I’ve tried and the clasp is properly done too. No marks on my wrist which happens frequently with metal bracelets. Beautiful multiple finishes, Czapek style hands and markers, proper transition from the case into the lugs and a near perfect bracelet integration… This comes with a VH31 so even if it doesn’t fully feel like an automatic, 4 beats/sec does a decent job. The dial is obviously the main attraction. Depending on the angle it shifts between different tones and reflections like opal. Even in dark grey weather, it reflects weakest light beams and creates a fantastic color play.

For the money, this piece feels seriously well executed overall. Communication and shipping were also completely smooth from beginning to end. The u/watchdives experience is getting better everyday. I’m happy to see their dedication, hard work, interaction and growth.

I received this one a couple of days ago alongside the recently introduced WD0016D natural stone dials. I wanted to take some daylight shots but it’s been raining nonstop here, so instead of arguing with the weather, I screwed the crown down and went for a walk.

I’m not going to write a full detailed review since the pictures speak for themselves. But after wearing it for a day, here are some quick impressions:

- Properly executed multiple finishes
- Extremely comfortable bracelet and especially the clasp
- Seamless integration between the case and lugs
- Smooth sweeping seconds at 4 beats/second
- And of course, the dial

The opal like titanium dial reflects light in different spectrums depending on the angle even in this relatively gloomy weather. It constantly changes character.

At this price, the performance/value is unmatched. Communication was also flawless from start to finish but that’s something I’ll talk about in my next post about the WD0016D.

I’ve been lucky today. Sunday watch hunt is going well.
P.S.: El Primero isn’t for hiding, it’s for cosmic visibility.

I never thought I‘d find a gem while looking for a Railroad. Well, life is full of surprises… Elite clasp performance, one of the tightest clasps in the game 💪🏻