Helson
is a Hong Kong watchmaker known for producing high quality diver's
watches. I have been interested in their for quite awhile, and recently
Paul Lewin (@thepaullewin) an Instagram watch nerd and founder of Chicago's Commonwealth Crew,
let me test drive his Spear Diver. Before I start my review, I must
acknowledge that the Spear Diver looks a bit like the iconic Seiko 6105.
It has a cushion case and the markers are very similar. Apparently,
this drives some vintage Seiko aficionados crazy, but The Time Bum finds
it difficult to get too worked up over it. It is clear the iconic 6105
inspired the Spear Diver, but it is not an homage in the same sense as
the Smiths PRS-63 or Dagaz T2 Typhoon, most notably because it
forgoes the Seiko's 4 o'clock crown and asymmetrical bulge. Without that
defining feature, the Helson looks more like a 6309-7040/49,
or quite frankly, like any number of other vintage divers. Leave Seiko
comparisons out of it, and the Helson shines on its own merits as a good
looking and highly capable diver that deserves serious consideration.
Let's begin with that case. It is a
barrel shaped cushion in brushed stainless steel, only 40mm wide, 47.5mm
long, and 12.5mm thick. This is considerably smaller than the 44mm 6105
and 45mm 6309-7040,
and certainly on the modest side of today's "bigger is better"
aesthetic. It wears its signed, screw down crown at 3 o'clock. It has no
crown guards, but is slightly recessed. The case slopes away from the
center to a flat edge, arched in profile. Lugs are spaced 20mm apart and
drilled for easy strap changes. It has a 120 click, unidirectional
bezel with a grippy coin edge and firm action. The insert is a deep and
glossy black with lumed markers. The case back is decorated with the
image of a spear diver, of course. It is rated for 300m. To my eye, the
case looks less like a Seiko and more like the comparatively rare
39mm Citizen Crystron 4-723316 pictured below.
 |
| Citizen Crystron, photo by Mr TPG |
Now there is nothing wrong with a
big, honking dive watch. My own diver's collection heavily favors big
cases, mostly in the 42-44mm range, and even includes a wonderfully
absurd 48mm Citizen Ecozilla. Still, I appreciate the way the Spear
Diver looks like a serious piece of equipment without monopolizing all
the real estate on your forearm. It is an exercise in restraint. The
Helson's mid-size case makes it easy to wear, and therefore, it would be
far more likely to see regular use than some of the other beasts in my
drawer.
The dial is available in two
versions: the Classic and the Frame. The Classic has applied markers
that are squared and lume filled. It safely mimics the 6105. It's nice.
Not thrilling, but nice. The Frame, on the other hand, uses only the
outline of these shapes, recessed and lume filled. It is a clear winner.
The recessing adds dimension to the dial in less common manner than the
applied markers, and the array of boxes looks like nothing else. The
frame around the 6 o'clock date window creates a nice shadow box effect.
At night, when the C3 Superluminova in the frames and bezel blaze to
life, you will not mistake it for any other watch.
Dial text is limited to the
elongated block letters of the Helson brand, and a simple 300m above the
date. The minute and hour hands are pencil style, polished and filled
with C3. The polished second hand has a lumed arrowhead (spear head?)
with a stalk that extends to the very edge of the dial to meet the
index. A brushed rehault surrounds the dial. The crystal is double domed
sapphire with anti-reflective coating, set flush with the bezel. There
is no distortion, but no discernible dome either. Indeed, it appears
perfectly flat.
The tiny, oily bits are courtesy of
Miyota, in the form of their excellent 9015. This hacking, hand
winding, high beat (28.8k bph) movement has found its way into dozens of
affordably priced watches, including several in my collection. Like
those others, it keeps excellent time (gaining about 10 seconds per day)
and has a 40 hour power reserve. It also shares their somewhat noisy
rotor.
The watch comes with a rubber strap
and a mesh bracelet. I love mesh for its vintage diver look and range of
adjustment (you will never find yourself in between links on a mesh).
It has a signed, flip lock diver's clasp and looks absolutely right on
the watch. I thought I would put it on the bracelet and be done with it,
but much to my surprise, I only wanted to wear it on the rubber
strap. I have never really liked rubber straps. I always thought they
were smelly, sticky, and stiff, three attributes I can easily live
without; however, recent experience has taught me that I just don't like
crappy rubber. The perforated rubber strap on the Helson is soft
and comfortable. It has a pleasant vanilla scent and the cool, 1970s
style hole pattern allows it to breathe, which is a wonderful attribute
in a sticky Southern U.S. summer. I found it to be a perfect complement
to the watch. The strap is 20mm wide, tapering to a signed 18mm
buckle. Like other Helsons, the Spear Diver ships in a securely padded
screw top tube that holds the watch, the bracelet, spare links, and a
strap changing tool.
So let's get back that whole vintage
Seiko thing. Could you get the same style with an original 1970s Seiko?
Yes, and probably for the same price, but given that it would be over
40 years old, you would not be able to use it as intended. I enjoyed my
time with the Spear Diver. It is handsome, capable, and offers great
value for its $599 price. It is not the watch you might expect when you
hear "300m Diver" and that is a good thing. The sensible size and
tasteful design make it far more versatile than many bulky tool watches,
without sacrificing utility. If I were evaluating the more staid
Classic dial, I might be less enthusiastic, but the Frame dial really
sets the Spear Diver apart from the crowd.
Pro: Great case. Cool framed markers. All the right specs.
Con: Too close to a vintage Seiko for some...
Sum: ...but not for me. The Time Bum approves.
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