u/kaktusgt

TLDR: a decent addition to a moderately sized collection, but too opinionated as a first/second watch.

It’s been almost two months of owning this piece, I was super hyped to get it once it was announced since I was eyeing ES models for a while (maybe even a couple of years already). I really wanted a Type 20-esque chronograph given how distant its traits are from more popular/hyped watches ie Daytona and Speedy. Also, the fact that some models come with flyback movements was adding fuel to my desire, this is a really quirky detail in my opinion given how it is mixed with anachronistic features such as friction fit coin bezel in one package. Also 39mm is a nice fit for my 17 cm wrist, which is rarely a feature of a modern chronograph - the closest we can get among mainstream offerings are recent glassbox Carreras in 39mm (no flyback tho and retarded lug witdth).
Before my subjective review, a few facts about the place of this watch in my collection: this is the first chronograph I own; this is the first manual wind watch I acquired not through inheriting my grand dad’s 60s-70s dress watches; this is the second titanium (first in Grade 5 - does anyone care about the difference if we’re not talking heavy duty machinery?) watch; this is the first watch with see-through caseback; this is the first “strap-only” watch, although I instantly put my Pelagos 39 on an aftermarket strap. So it sounds like a really diverse addition.
In fact I got almost exactly what I expected. Few neutral things: dimensions are about right for my wrist; the chronograph is well … timing things; it is fun to observe how the watch functions through a caseback (for the first 10 times), although I would trade it for a solid caseback with reduced overall height.
Few positive things: color scheme and overall tone are really nice for my subjective view; so far I’ve bought two straps and they fit the head very well; flyback function could be a cool party trick but I don’t party with watch geeks; however, I won’t be worried handing it over to someone who doesn’t know that “a regular” chronograph should be stopped before reset; winding is super smooth, some ASMR tactile levels.
Few negative things: the watch is not regulated according to my expectation, on a timegrapher it shows +6 to +11 depending on position, which is a good enough variance for a chronometer so it is a shame that the watch was not factory regulated to actually sit within chronometer range; there is a small almost negligible play in pushers, which I guess is fine for any chronograph but still gives me unease; OEM strap is ok but the keepers are ass and barely hold the loose end of the strap; lume is triple ass, they announced it on the website, which is fair, and I don’t actually need it, but at that point why bother applying lume at all?
Overall verdict: I usually keep two watches in rotation for a month or so and I’m wearing this one right now after the honeymoon has ended, so no ragrets - especially since I want to add more chronographs to my collection at some point. But for anyone chasing this particular edition, I would suggest settling on regular issues such as “Moby Dick” or “Reverse Panda” since it will give the same flyback functionality, the option of a closed caseback, and bracelet versatility on top of strap options.