Steeldive - Bronzing On the Slopes
Despite the slopes being home to an abundance of digital tech a look around any apres ski bar shows that skiers seem to be very analogue in their timekeeping tastes. Skiing is a tactile sport, about feeling and looking good. Skiers just like golfers love their kit, love their accessories and they love to talk about their gear. Watches are a big part of that lifstyle.
It might be something to do with history; triple gold medal winner Jean Claude Killy was selected by Rolex as an early and well paid spokesman. The company went on to launch the Datocompax, now known to all as the Killy. However it’s a risky choice for the slopes as they are currently selling for somewhere north of $600 000. Killy remains a director of Rolex, although custom microbrand Undone also sells a watch with his name and image, that's odd, very odd.
So whilst some might think that the perfect ski watch has an apple logo, the reality is rather different. Set to one side its battery life which can be measured in hours, there are any number of apps which will track your speed, distance and route if you need to brag in the bar over a beer. A skier’s watch needs to be tough, water resistant and a conversation piece. After all when you’ve covered the day’s ‘one that got away’ you need something else to talk about. It also needs to be great value, so that if something does go badly wrong on the hill it’s an annoyance, not horrifying.
Nothing starts a watch conversation like bronze, though it’s becoming increasingly popular it’s still quirky enough to stand out. Despite its toughness bronze has strange, almost organic properties, gradually changing as a patina develops. Each bronze watch tells a story, its unique aging and coloration reminding you of a holiday, a night out, a success. And if you want to wipe the slate clean it can be returned to its initial rose gold lustre with nothing more complex than lemon juice.
So the grandaddy of bronze watches is the Tudor Black bay, but at more than £3000 it still has a vague whiff of not quite a Rolex. If you want to try bronze then microbrand Steeldive sits in prime position and at the top of the hill.
Steeldive offers a range of great value timepieces. In the main they are homage pieces, looking to Rolex subs, Blancpain’s 50 fathoms and Seiko divers for inspiration. There’s nothing wrong with derived design; just about every dive watch on the market can trace its DNA straight back to one of those three classic forms.
Take the SD1953S, it directly references the classic Yachtmaster, which is in turn a submariner albeit with a more interesting bezel and precious metals. Steeldive’s take on this classic design is a 200m water resistant automatic with a screw down crown and a bronze case. That in itself is nice but not exceptional, however with a price tag of around £155 it becomes very interesting indeed.
The watch arrives well packaged in a classic tool watch type hard presentation plastic box which can double up as a travel case. Out of the box the quality is obvious. Bronze is a little heavier than steel and in the hand the watch feels right and certainly punches well above its price band. The case is smooth, well finished with no sharp edges to irritate you as you pole plant.
The initial impression is that of a rose gold Yachtmaster but look closely and the bezel already shows a small degree of the patination that will gradually spread to the entire case as you wear it daily, and you will wear it daily.
The screw down crown is signed with Steeldive’s logo and the action is smooth. The NH35 movement is the go to for almost every microbrand looking for quality, availability and realistic pricing. It’s automatic, hackable, handwinding and runs at 21 000bps with a stated accuracy range of -20~+40 seconds per day, though most users report much better results.
The bronze alloy CUSN8 case is 41mm in diameter, with 20 mm lug width and 47mm lug to lug. It’s definitely tough enough for the outdoors with a sapphire crystal and a magnifying loupe over the date complication. The 120 click bezel action is smooth and positive, though it’s unlikely that many wearers will rely on the bezel for anything beyond its look, and it looks great.
Markers are applied, accurate and use C3 Luminova which is bright and long lasting if you do need to check the time on your way home from the bar.
Steeldive supplies the watch with two straps. It’s delivered with a thick leather strap attached using quick release pins. The strap is smooth and has a high quality feel, though it would look just a little more of an integrated package if the buckle was bronze, complementing the case. However a strap of this quality would easily carry a price tag of £20 on its own, making that an observation not a criticism. There may also be a technical reason for avoiding a match; if bronze rests directly onto the skin it can leave a mark. As with all bronze watches the SD1953S has a stainless steel caseback to keep your wrist mark free. To change the watch's look look Steeldive also supplies a ladder like dive strap made from a buttery smooth silicone, it uses traditional spring pins which are supplied along with the appropriate tool.
So is it a great sports watch and should you buy it? Yes without a doubt. It’s tough, wears comfortably and is easy to read on the wrist. The dial is clear and it sits well between a glove and jacket if you need to check whether it's lunchtime yet. It’s highly water resistant if you do manage find your way hands first into a snowdrift. Though repeated poleplants can pummel a watch the NH35 movement is tough and completely unaffected.
It also passes the conversation piece test, if anyone knows watches they’ll notice it and ask, so if you're not a social beast keep it under your jacket and enjoy your apres ski beer alone.
Although price isn’t everything, a bronze automatic for £155 represents phenomenal value. However this watch is much more than that. It looks fantastic and even if you have a watch drawer filled with higher profile brands it could easily become your daily driver on the slopes and off.
Steeldive can be bought from the usual AliExpress sources but they have recently appointed a distributor for the UK and Europe. With UK warehousing delivery is usually next day and as there is no risk of the postman demanding cash for tax and import duty they are the obvious choice
