First time I saw this watch I was surprised at how interesting it looks with that shield-shaped case and that fume dial. In the past I have seen some other shield shaped watches, I know Bulova had some vintage models, Mark Ecko has some shield shaped watches and some other companies, but all I can say is that we rarely see a watch shaped like this.

The company is called Nepto. It is a small Paris based brand created by two guys who met in Berlin to start their company. That’s, why they have two collections and each resembles either Paris or Berlin where it all started. They have a pretty long story on how it all came in a form of watches on their website, so go read it here! The watch that they sent me is the Shield watch with green spectra dial. In the same collection you also have two other watches with blue and red dial, but in my opinion, the one we have here in for review is the best-looking one!

The watch came in a nice rectangular box. Inside you will find the watch, warranty and instructions. First impressions were that it is bigger than I thought. I also noticed the cool looking strap with that pattern engraved on the leather. The watch definitely is something unique and that’s what I like about all these small brands. You can get some crazy looking watches for a very cheap price. Many people have been actually interested in this watch and asked me if I’m selling it.

So the case of the Shield watch is made of 316L stainless steel. The case has a shield case design with wire lugs. The case looks very well machined and I bet it was really a struggle to start making these cases as it is their original design. The shape of the Nepto Shield is inspired by the coat of arms of Paris, a shield with a boat and the Seine, accompanied by the famous Fluctuat Nec Mergitur. The finishing all over the case is satin brushed and very well done, the only part where you will find polished surface is on the edge of the case back which is a nice an subtle detail. The case is 40mm (at the widest part, top of the case), the thickness is 7mm and from lug to lug it measures at 49mm. And I have to say, the watch wears like 42-43mm round cased watch. It isn’t small but it isn’t that big either. At 3 o’clock we have a push-pull crown. The solid case back is snap on which I don’t like as the water resistance is lower and it is pretty problematic to put it in place again after battery change or any other repair. On the case back, you will find some specifications engraved on it as well as the name of the watch. On top of the case sits a flat, shield-shaped K1 mineral crystal. The water resistance is 5ATM which is decent and you can get away with a rain or hand wash.

The dial on the Nepto Shield is kept very minimalistic and I like it! It is much easier to read time and it isn’t cluttered with unnecessary things like a lot of text or a big logo in the middle. The dial is green, but on the edges, it gets darker. It looks like a fume dial. At 12 o’clock we have the Nepto logo. On the edges of the dial, we have 3 “V” shaped details applied on the dial which are lumed. At 4 and 8 o’clock we have Arabic numerals with lume on them. The gold coloured hands have back inside portion with applied lume on them. The lume is great on everything except the hands which are the main thing to tell time and here we have very weak lume. It is a shame that the lume on the hands isn’t great as I like how the lume is placed on those “V” shaped details.

What makes the hands move in the Shield watch is the is Japan made Miyota 1L22 quartz movement. Nothing much to say here. The Miyota quartz ir very reliable, easy to service as you can swap in a new one for only a couple of bucks and you just can’t go wrong with Japan quartz movements!

The strap has a very interesting laser engraved pattern and looks very unique. I have seen only thins on a couple of watches like the James McCabe, but it had it on the inside, this one has it on the outside. The leather is brown and very smooth to touch. The strap is a bit stiff at first but after some wearing time it will wear in and become supple. The signed tang-style buckle is made of 316L stainless steel and has a satin brushed finish to match the case. I like that Nepto built in the strap the quick release spring bars so it is easier to switch straps. I’m really waiting for the big companies to start using them an so that they become industry standard. They are easier and faster to replace and the risk of scratching any surface on the case is less.

Overall the watch is very unique and interesting. Yes, it has the snap on case back which would be better if it would be held on with screws. But it isn’t that big of a deal. I also hope that someday they will release the same case shaped automatic watch or at least hand wound, it would be so cool! Any case, the watch is pretty well built and it looks really cool too for the price of only 179,99€.

Price: 179,99€ @ neptowatch.com