Spinnaker is a prolific company so perhaps as a result, they tend to be a bit schizophrenic in their designs. Just this year, I have reviewed the excellent Cahill 38 retro diver, the sober Automatic, the dizzying Amalfi, and the downright silly Vessel. Today I have their latest release, the Fleuss, and I am happy to say that it falls on the positive side of that continuum.
The Fleuss borrows much of its look from vintage Blancpain dive watches, and that is never a bad place to start. Its domed acrylic bezel insert, pencil hands, and large numerals at 12, 6, and 9 fairly scream “Fifty Fathoms.” A sand textured dial like that on the Cahill lends it a grizzled look. The markers are polished and applied. The text consists of the streamlined Spinnaker brand name on top and down below, “Automatic” in white and the 500FT/150M water resistance in red. That rating is a tad out of the ordinary as most watches jump in 100M increments after 100. When I see a 150m rating, I think of 1970’s and early 1980’s Seikos. Of course, there is nothing wrong with 150m. It is far more than most of us will ever need — even if we are seasoned divers.
Inside its 43mm case is a Seiko NH35, a 24 jewel, 24.6k bph automatic with hacking and hand winding capability and a power reserve of over 40 hours. You can have a glimpse of it through the exhibition case back. Even with a custom Spinnaker rotor, it is hardly the world’s sexiest movement, but it is well engineered and thanks to Seiko’s Diashock protection, a reliable choice for a tool watch.
This particular Fleuss is the SP-5055-04 with a navy blue dial and bezel, blue strap, and a gold bezel, crown, handset, markers, and logo. It is the dressiest variation of this model and a handsome combination against the brushed stainless steel case. Given that the Fleuss is just over 13mm thick, you might get away with it in the office, but I suspect traditionalists will gravitate towards one of the all-brushed versions. The navy with vintage lume 5055-05 is particularly fetching.
Other specs are as you would expect for a watch of this type. You’ve got a signed screw down crown, domed sapphire crystal, 120-click unidirectional bezel, and my personal favorite, a healthy layer of C5 SuperLuminova on markers, hands, and bezel. You have just got to love a lumed bezel.
The 22mm strap is thick waterproof leather with vintage style stitching and a signed buckle. It appears to be similar to the matte finished strap on the Cahill I reviewed last December. I should note that while that strap looked great, it has since started to separate and will need to be replaced. Maybe it is a fluke, but it is happening nonetheless.
The Fleuss is an appealing piece if you are looking for a Fifty Fathoms style diver at a reasonable price. Right now, it is selling for $285 on the Spinnaker site, or just $199.50 if you use code TTB30 for a 30% discount. Head over to spinnaker-watches.com for more. ⬩
