Last year, I reviewed the BOLDR Odyssey, a chunky, stylish dive watch. I so admired its chiseled case, porthole bezel, and cleverly rendered dial that I bought an Odyssey White Storm for myself. Now, BOLDR has released a new Odyssey line with bronze cases and blue, green, or meteorite dials. They let me test this MeteoBlack model.
In most ways, the Bronze Odyssey is identical to its stainless steel counterpart, so rather than repeat my analysis, I’ll hit the highlights and refer you to my detailed review of that earlier model here. The Odyssey’s case is 45.5mm wide, 53mm long, and almost 16mm thick to the top of its double-domed, AR coated sapphire crystal. A six-screw case back and triple lock screw down crown help maintain its 500m water resistance. It also sports a helium release valve, just in case you ever want to try mixed gas saturation diving. Also, like the other Odysseys, the Bronze uses a 21.6k bph Seiko NH35 automatic. This stalwart unit hacks and hand winds, and features Diashock isolation. Power reserve is over 40 hours.
Now we get to the fun stuff – the differences. Most obviously, the case is CuSn8 bronze, a living metal that oxidizes rapidly, developing a brownish patina in response to air and water. You can always clean it off, but where’s the fun in that? The sample already had a healthy bit of tarnish going, lending it a rugged, weathered quality. The 120-click bezel is more detailed than that of my stainless steel model, having engraved hash marks for the first 15 minutes and engraved numbers at 15, 30, and 45.
A meteorite makes for some mighty cool dial material. This piece comes from the Muonionalusta Meteorite, which was discovered north of the Arctic Circle in Sweden and is estimated to be about 4 billion years old. The shiny dark gray stone is shot through with a crazy crosshatch pattern and each one is unique. Overlaying this unearthly background is a polished gold colored handset and printed markers. All are lumed in Old Radium SuperLuminova, a warm, creamy orange that complements the bronze case and lights up in a strong green glow at night.
The sample arrived on a 22mm Horween leather strap and a signed bronze buckle. This one was broken in a little and looked all the better for it, displaying a lovely pull up effect. Buyers will also get a natural rubber dive strap that is softer than the one I got with my White Storm.
I am pleased to say that everything I liked about the first Odyssey is repeated in the bronze version and I much prefer the new engraved bezel. It is a worthy addition to the BOLDR stable. BronzeBlue and BronzeGreen models are $569 in the pre-order period, $669 thereafter. The stunning MeteoBronze is $639 now, $739 at full price. Deliveries are expected in April. For more information or to order an Odyssey for yourself, visit boldrsupply.co. ⬩
