Today we are gonna look at another Boldr watch and this time it is from the Odyssey series. I actually wanted to review one of the watches from these series as it is the most successful model of Boldr. And I have to tell you that photos on their website don’t do justice for this watch, also at first I didn’t like the look of them, but after seeing the watch in flesh it kind of grows on me, and it is stunning! Boldr already had this watch in the Bronze case, but it had bezel without the aluminium insert. Boldr released two new models, the one we see here with green accents called Serpentine and another one with blue accents. The Green, in my opinion, looks the best out of the two as green colour goes really well with the bronze case.
Usually, when Boldr sends me a sample, they lend me it for a month and then I send it back. But this one I can keep after the review and so I never have received the watches with a box from them. And I know that the box isn’t that important, but I like when companies try to make them nice and interesting. And this box is really cool, and yes I’m one of those people who like the boxes, I just like the feeling of unboxing a new watch and seeing it for the first time. Inside the box, you will find the watch, warranty card, instructions and other papers. The first impressions of the watch are really good, I was really impressed by the looks. The photos really don’t do justice for this watch! Before we start the review I want to say that I’ve spent about 2 months with it and everything has been delayed on my website due to Covid-19 outbreak.
The case is made of CuSn8 bronze. The case is really beefy and really well machines. I have looked at about 4 Boldr watches in the past and they all have this tool watch look and all the cases are really sharp and nicely made! This watch is from the Odyssey collection so the case for all the models +/- is the same with all these edges and facets. It is a beefy case, but on the wrist, it doesn’t look that big. The matte bead-blasted finish on the case looks really good, I kind of don’t like brushed bronze cases as they tend to look cheap when they get some patina on the case. On this sample, we already have some patina as I went on many swims and I have worn it a lot since I got it from Boldr, but I won’t do forced patina on this one as I think it looks much better like this with just a little patina. The case diameter is 45mm (the width with crown guards is 47mm and with crown 50mm), from lug to lug it measures at 53mm, the thickness is 17mm and the lug width is 22mm. As I said previously the watch looks and on paper is beefy but on the wrist it kind of feels like a 42mm beefy diver. At 3 o’clock we have a screw-own crown with the triple lock crown system, which basically means it is much safer! The crown is embossed with Boldr logo on top. The crown is big and very easy to grip, the crown action is really good! At 9 o’clock we have the automatic helium escape valve. On top, we have a 120-click unidirectional bezel is CuSn8 bronze with aluminium insert and Swiss Old Radium Superluminova. The bezel action is really good, actually one of the best ones on a bronze watch I have checked out, usually they aren’t smooth, but this one is really smooth and has zero play in it. Very precise clicks! On the underside, we have a stainless steel screw-in case back. It is embossed with compass theme and I have to say it is a very pretty case back. This is actually where many companies fail as there is so much space you can utilize, but many companies just leave them either blank or just engrave the specs. Over the dial we have a double domed sapphire crystal with AR coating. The water resistance is whooping 500m, so it is safe to swim, dive or basically do any water-based activity.
The dial is in green colour and has that kind of a grainy texture. Around the dial, we have this kind of a rehaut where we have writings “Helium Escape Valve” and “Triple Lock Crown” which at first I didn’t like, but it actually doesn’t pop that much that you notice in everyday life. Around the dial, we have a white printed minute track. The raised hour markers are done in bronze with polished finishing and filled with Swiss Old Radium Superluminova. At 12 o’clock we have a Boldr logo on white. At 6 o’clock we have a date window with matching green date wheel. I actually love when brand takes attention to every detail, usually many companies leave the date wheel white or replace it with a black one, but Boldr went a step further and made it in green colour! The hands are bronze and polished, they also are filled with Swiss Old Radium Superluminova, The lume is really bright actually and it lasts pretty long, about 3-5 hours fully charged!
The movement that is inside the watch is Japan made Seiko NH35, which is running at surprising +6 to +7 seconds a day, at least for me. This movement is pretty popular in the microbrand world as 50% of watches that are coming out have this movement inside them. It has proven it’s reliability and easiness to service within many years. You just can’t go wrong with Japan made movements from Seiko. It is an automatic 24 jewel movement with 41-hour power reserve and beating away with 21,600 BPH.
The strap on the Odyssey Serpentine is really good as usual from Boldr! So if you need a nice rubber, leather or fabric strap for your watch, they also sell their straps separately, so go and check them out too! The green leather strap looks really cool, I like that it goes with the watch as it is very thick and rugged. And actually, it is a Horween leather strap, which is known for its really good quality. The strap is a bit stiff, but after wearing it a couple of times, it became very supple. It has some white/cream contrasting stitching. The tang-style buckle is signed and made from bronze and features the same bead blasted finish just like the case. The strap width is 22mm and has a straight cut. On the wrist, the watch feels really good and wears pretty comfortable despite the weight.
Overall I really like this watch, this will definitely stay in my collection as the only bronze watch. I previously had the Fonderia Navale bronze watch, but this came and I sold that to a good friend and donated the money to an animal shelter as they have really hard times now due to Covid-19! This watch basically is everything I wanted from a bronze watch: green dial, rotating bezel and domed sapphire! The price is 649$ which is a bit pricey if you compare it to some other bronze watches from Fonderia Navale, Zelos, Aquatico or others, but it is a really good looking watch! The specs are also pretty good and the execution is amazing! Can I suggest this watch? Hell Yeah!
Price: 649$ @ www.boldrsupply.co
SPECIFICATIONS:
- Case: 45.5mm CuSn8 Bronze Case + Helium Escape Valve
- Movement: SII NH35 Automatic Movement
- Water Resistance: 500m (1650ft) / 50ATM
- Crown: Screw-down crown with custom embossed BOLDR logo
- Bezel: 120-click unidirectional bezel in CuSn8 bronze with aluminium insert and Swiss Old Radium Superluminova
- Dial & Hands: Textured dial with applied indexes and polished hands with Swiss Old Radium Superluminova
- Lens: Double dome sapphire crystal with Inner-side Anti-Reflective coating
- Strap: Custom Italian leather strap with bronze buckle
- Case Thickness: 16mm
- Lug size: 22mm
- Lug to lug: 52mm
- Case Back: Single-piece screw-down case back with embossed limited edition artwork
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