stefanmelstad
Basic
Borealis Watch Company recently launched a pre-order for their Sea Storm V2. That pre-order was launched a few weeks ago. The exciting part is that I was able to get my hands on one of their pieces for a hands-on review.
As I mentioned in the pre-order post the watch is available in many combinations, 18 to be exact. The one that they sent me for review has a blue dial, date window, and a blue ceramic bezel. Everything else is basically white: Hour and minute markers, hands, and text.
Specifications are as follows:
316L Stainless Steel Case
Size: 41.50mm x 48.50mm x 14.5mm
Seiko NH35 Automatic Movement
Screwed down crown
Double Domed Sapphire Crystal with A/R coating inside
120 clicks unidirectional ceramic bezel
Water Resistance: 300 meters
Stainless steel bracelet with safety clasp, 20mm lug width
Super Lume BGW9 indexes and all markers
Screwed Case Back with engraved mermaid
The total price for the watch on Borealis’s website is $350 USD and the pre-order deposit of that price is $175 USD.
Build quality wise I haven’t been able to find anything wrong with it. The bezel has absolutely no play in it and is very easy to turn and it perfectly lines up, as I can best see with a naked eye. The lume is very impressive and bright, which is to be expected when around 25% of the surface is lumed. The SEIKO NH35 is quickly becoming one of my favorites and is a very nice choice for this watch. It’s a solid workhorse which shouldn’t require too much care to keep ticking for many years to come. It’s also my favorite movement so far for setting the time, date, and winding. It’s so easy with absolutely no effort or complication.
The case design is very simple with just a thin polished line at the side of the lugs which catches the light, fine teeth at the side of the bezel, drilled lugs, and an embossed “B” on the crown. The bezel is quite big, so that the overall watch feels smaller in size than it actually is, it’s also quite tall at 14,5mm which helps with that illusion. However, it mostly fits well on my small wrist and the width and the length are quite good.
I have to be honest and say that if I would have been able to choose a color combination by myself I doubt that I would have chosen the blue/blue/white combination that I have for review. I’m not saying that I dislike it, it’s just that the large bezel, tall case, thick hands, and the deep contrast between the white and the blue on the dial make it a little bit “showy” and “bold”. In a way similar to how I feel when I see people wearing colorful caps or big and colorful sneakers. A further proof is that this watch gets noticed, I don’t know how often people have commented on it in the week I’ve been wearing it, and it’s not the watch enthusiasts who are noticing but the opposite: Aunts, cousins, friends, and random people I’ve never met before.
The stainless steel bracelet that comes with the watch is quite nice and feels well built. The outer parts of the bracelet are quite thin which gives it a delicate feeling in my opinion. The clasp feels very generic but is easy to operate and the safety clasp is appreciated. I’d personally switch to a nice nato strap that fits the dial color combination and further add onto the “showy” statement. Having drilled lugs doesn’t hurt for that. Perhaps a completely red nato strap for Iceland’s independence Day or a blue/white one to match the dial.
My experience with Borealis has been positive so far. I’ve been in personal contact with the creator and he’s been open and helpful to answer my questions. What I’ve seen online from other people in regard to the brand has all been positive and there is a helpful forum located on the brand’s website. This indicates that the brand is in touch with its’ customers and does care about their opinion. My only complaint is to see Google Advertisements on the brand’s website, it looks quite un-professional.
I’ll end this by saying that the watch has definitely grown on me, especially after I switched to a nato strap. I can absolutely see myself wearing it on those warm and sunny days when I’m wearing shorts and a t-shirt, going to the beach, going for a bike ride, or when I want something that’s bold and proud!
The pre-order for the Borealis Sea Storm V2 can be found here.
https://www.borealiswatch.com/…/Borealis-Sea-Storm-c22416029
As I mentioned in the pre-order post the watch is available in many combinations, 18 to be exact. The one that they sent me for review has a blue dial, date window, and a blue ceramic bezel. Everything else is basically white: Hour and minute markers, hands, and text.
Specifications are as follows:
316L Stainless Steel Case
Size: 41.50mm x 48.50mm x 14.5mm
Seiko NH35 Automatic Movement
Screwed down crown
Double Domed Sapphire Crystal with A/R coating inside
120 clicks unidirectional ceramic bezel
Water Resistance: 300 meters
Stainless steel bracelet with safety clasp, 20mm lug width
Super Lume BGW9 indexes and all markers
Screwed Case Back with engraved mermaid
The total price for the watch on Borealis’s website is $350 USD and the pre-order deposit of that price is $175 USD.
Build quality wise I haven’t been able to find anything wrong with it. The bezel has absolutely no play in it and is very easy to turn and it perfectly lines up, as I can best see with a naked eye. The lume is very impressive and bright, which is to be expected when around 25% of the surface is lumed. The SEIKO NH35 is quickly becoming one of my favorites and is a very nice choice for this watch. It’s a solid workhorse which shouldn’t require too much care to keep ticking for many years to come. It’s also my favorite movement so far for setting the time, date, and winding. It’s so easy with absolutely no effort or complication.
The case design is very simple with just a thin polished line at the side of the lugs which catches the light, fine teeth at the side of the bezel, drilled lugs, and an embossed “B” on the crown. The bezel is quite big, so that the overall watch feels smaller in size than it actually is, it’s also quite tall at 14,5mm which helps with that illusion. However, it mostly fits well on my small wrist and the width and the length are quite good.
I have to be honest and say that if I would have been able to choose a color combination by myself I doubt that I would have chosen the blue/blue/white combination that I have for review. I’m not saying that I dislike it, it’s just that the large bezel, tall case, thick hands, and the deep contrast between the white and the blue on the dial make it a little bit “showy” and “bold”. In a way similar to how I feel when I see people wearing colorful caps or big and colorful sneakers. A further proof is that this watch gets noticed, I don’t know how often people have commented on it in the week I’ve been wearing it, and it’s not the watch enthusiasts who are noticing but the opposite: Aunts, cousins, friends, and random people I’ve never met before.
The stainless steel bracelet that comes with the watch is quite nice and feels well built. The outer parts of the bracelet are quite thin which gives it a delicate feeling in my opinion. The clasp feels very generic but is easy to operate and the safety clasp is appreciated. I’d personally switch to a nice nato strap that fits the dial color combination and further add onto the “showy” statement. Having drilled lugs doesn’t hurt for that. Perhaps a completely red nato strap for Iceland’s independence Day or a blue/white one to match the dial.
My experience with Borealis has been positive so far. I’ve been in personal contact with the creator and he’s been open and helpful to answer my questions. What I’ve seen online from other people in regard to the brand has all been positive and there is a helpful forum located on the brand’s website. This indicates that the brand is in touch with its’ customers and does care about their opinion. My only complaint is to see Google Advertisements on the brand’s website, it looks quite un-professional.
I’ll end this by saying that the watch has definitely grown on me, especially after I switched to a nato strap. I can absolutely see myself wearing it on those warm and sunny days when I’m wearing shorts and a t-shirt, going to the beach, going for a bike ride, or when I want something that’s bold and proud!
The pre-order for the Borealis Sea Storm V2 can be found here.
https://www.borealiswatch.com/…/Borealis-Sea-Storm-c22416029
