Microbrand Review: Aquatico Oyster

The Watch: Aquatico Oyster

The Why: After my experience with the Aquatico Bronze Sea Star, I was intrigued by the brand. They seemed to be excellent quality for the price, and I was looking for a pool watch this summer, so I ended up with the new Oyster model.

Stat Sheet:

Seiko NH35 Movement

316 L Stainless Steel Case

Diameter 44 mm

Lug to Lug 49mm

Height 13.50 mm

Weight 135 g

Lug width 22 mm 

Unidirectional Stainless Steel Dive Bezel

Highly Polished Ceramic Bezel Insert

Sapphire Flat Face Crystal w/ Double Interior AR Coating

Dial Sunray, Indexes Applied Superluminova C3

Dial Ring Applied Superluminova BG W9

Handsets applied Superluminova C3

Waterproof to 50 ATM

High Quality Carbon Fiber Strap

Price: $349

Customer Service: Aquatico’s customer service was great when I bought the Bronze Sea Star, and it’s only gotten better since. They’ve added icons to their website to start chats through Facebook with a representative, and they are very responsive. Their current discount code is “SUMMER2020” which is good for free shipping.

Packaging: The mailing packaging was the same as last time: robust and protective. The actual watch box however, is much improved. Where the Sea Star shipped to me as a pillow in a small box, the new packaging of the Oyseter has inserts and cutouts for the watch and spare strap, and is very will insulated with thin sheets of foam to prevent damage in transit. All in all, the box and presentation has improved since my previous order.

Shipping Speed: Shipping was excellent and took less than a week. I would encourage everyone who is as impatient as I am to pay the little bit extra as their basic shipping option is a bit slow.

Utility: Aquatico used the Seiko NH35 movement in this watch, and it’s hard to complain about that choice. Seiko movements are easy and inexpensive to service, and have a proven track record of working the way they are supposed to. It has an advertised power reserve of 41 hours, and this one seems to be right on the money. It has a date function, which I always want, and is also water resistant to 500 meters. I didn’t do any deep diving with this watch, but it hung out with me in the pool for several hours and had no leakage. It comes with two straps, one made of extremely soft silicone and one made from a carbon-fiber weave. I don’t especially like the feel of silicone bands in general, so I have worn the Oyster exclusively with the carbon fiber band, and I really like it. Some of you who read my review of the Bronze Sea Star may remember I had issues with the leather band not being able to adjust small enough for my wrists. The carbon fiber strap had no such problems, and seems to have an additional adjustment spot for those of us with smaller wrists.

Feel: This was my first experience with a carbon fiber strap, and it seemed to break in much quicker than leather bands do. It also stayed secure in the water, which was nice. The case looks big, and I suppose it is at 49mm lug-to-lug and 14mm thickness, but it actually wears fairly small. This is partly due to the flat and unobtrusive caseback. It feels very comfortable and doesn’t have any sharp logos or designs that leave imprints on your arm. The bezel feels very good, with 120 audible and tactile clicks. Good bezels seem to be a strength for Aquatico, as my Sea Star had an exceptional bezel as well.

Looks: Speaking of the bezel, once again, Aquatico offers the best in the price range. The bezel was the stand-out feature of the Sea Star and really spoiled me when I went to try the Spinnaker Tesei. The ceramic bezel on the Oyster is no different. Exquisitly polished, in the sun the bezel is almost a mirror, and the numbered indices on it offer strong crisp contrast.

The bezel is absolutely the high point of this watch aesthetically, and that seems to be the case among a number of Aquatico watches. It’s truly stunning to see a ceramic bezel that could rival Omega or Rolex on watches that cost less than $400. The flat black dial is something that I would normally find a little boring, but in this instance the thick stainless steel case is tapered to meet a crisp white (fully lumed) ring of minute indices around it, and the combination of those large borders with the bigger sword hands of the Oyster make the plain dial seem like the perfect backdrop. The white ring also makes the white date wheel look much more natural. Tons of companies these days seem to overlook the detail of matching the date wheel color to the dial, but here a white date wheel looks really good. The font is small, thin, and generally unobtrusive. The case itself is extremely well finished, with brushed stainless sides and lugs divided by a finely polished border that really makes the shape of the watch stand out. The orange second hand and the matching threading on the strap add a small splash of color to the design that I think works really well.

Then there’s the lume, which is absolutely gorgeous. I really wish more companies would get a little more creative with their use of lume, and the Oyster’s blend of green indices and hands with a blue ring around the dial makes this watch as much of a joy to look at in the dark as it is in the sun.

Conclusion: There seems to be a tendency to judge watches, especially less expensive watches, rather harshly if they aren’t doing something unique or niche. The market has been saturated with inexpensive watches that just good enough, that a dive watch priced around $250-350 that isn’t a Seiko will usually be written off by those in the watch community who are saving for an Oris or an Omega, or even a Rolex. But for a lot of people, especially new entrants to the watch community, $350 seems like a lot to spend on a watch, and if you’re looking for a dive watch, I don’t know that there is a watch out there that will give you more for your money than an Aquatico Oyster. Just the beautifully polished ceramic bezel alone is enough to make this watch stand out from the rest of the crowded field of ~$300 dive watches, but the sword hands, crisp white chapter ring, and generous use of different Superluminova colors culminate in a fantastic watch for the beach or the pool. The polishing accents on the case and the strap options included with the watch just continue to add value to a watch that already outclasses most of the competition in its price range.