This morning, Martenero launched their first diver on Kickstarter. The Belgrano Bayshore, as it is now called, is a stunning mid-sized watch that carries the brand’s distinctively clean, modern, and colorful aesthetic. It also happens to be their most affordable to date, with early bird rewards starting at just $279 and a full retail of only $395. [The watch formerly known as Belgrano is now the Bayshore. Just roll with it.]
Marenero describes their style as “tradition refreshed,” which is an apt description of the Bayshore. As you would expect from a dive watch, it carries a 200m water resistance rating, 120-click unidirectional bezel, signed screw-down crown, sapphire crystal, and a liberal dose of C1 SuperLuminova. Then it gets refreshing.
For starters, the stainless steel case measures 39mm wide, 46mm long, and 13.4mm thick from case back to crystal (note, the thickness listed on the Kickstarter page is an error). In my opinion, this should make it just about the perfect size for daily wear. Brushed and polished finishes and bombé lugs lend it a sophisticated air. A matching 20mm flat-link bracelet comes standard. It tapers to a 16mm deployant clasp for a proper vintage look.
Then we get to the bezel and dial, and the style just pops. The bezel insert is acrylic, a feature I love for its gloss and depth. The semi-gloss dial is multi-layered, with a mild sunburst finish and applied markers. Martenero always rolls out positively joyous color combinations on their watches. The Bayshore comes in white with blue accents, dark blue with orange, black with electric blue, and red with white. All are lovely, but that red… damn! It just leaps off the dial, grabs you by the lapels, and gives you a good shake. I really like the equally flaming bezel that has the first quarter delineated in white, flipping the usual dive watch formula on its head.
Inside the Bayshore is a Seiko NH35 automatic. This 24 jewel, 21.6k bph movement is known for its accuracy, reliability, ease of service, and affordability. That last part seals the deal for me as I will take a solid Japanese unit over a pricier Swiss rival any day.
The Bayshore is smart, stylish, and at the Kickstarter prices, a pretty nice bargain to boot. In fact, I backed it myself. The red one, man. I just had to have the red one.
If you want in, head over to the Bayshore Kickstarter page by Friday, May 22, 2020. ⬩
