Way back in April, I told you about the Martenero Bayshore, which had just launched on Kickstarter. I liked what I saw, so much so that I ordered one for myself. Well, my watch has arrived in all it’s blood-red glory, and I can give you a proper hands-on review.
The Bayshore is a mid-sized diver that goes heavy on color and style. Its stainless steel case is brushed with just a tiny hint of polish on the bezel and around the head of the crown. It measures 39mm wide, 46mm long, and 13.4mm thick from caseback to crystal. I’m a big fan of the 38-40mm size range and this was damn near perfect on my 6.75” wrist.
I backed the Kickstarter campaign to get my hands on the red version. The Bayshore’s sparse, modern layout looked great in all the variants but the red was just… damn! I had high hopes and a touch of trepidation. You see, if you order a black or white dial watch off the Internet, you pretty much know what you are going to get. Colors, on the other hand, put you at the mercy of your device’s screen settings and the product photographer’s art. It is a bit of a leap of faith. I’m pleased to report that mine was rewarded. That red dial was every bit the shade of Bloody Ferrari Louboutin Sole that I had hoped. Unlike other Bayshore versions, the red dial has a semi-gloss surface without a sunray effect, which keeps the color consistent despite the whims of your local light source. The acrylic bezel also seems to add a touch of depth. White accents on the dial and bezel pop against it, while a subtle dash of the blue markers on the white bezel quadrant provide proper contrast without looking like a Fourth of July decoration. I’d call it a roaring success.
Now, I did mention that this is a dive watch and yet, it kind of isn’t. It’s got all the right specs: 200m water resistance rating, a 120-click unidirectional bezel with positive action, a signed screw-down crown, a sapphire crystal, and some bright C1 SuperLuminova. A Seiko NH35 automatic powers this beauty. It is a solid workhorse with 24 jewels, a 21.6k bph beat rate, and Diashock protection.
But let’s revisit that dial layout. The clean look comes from small applied markers, slim hands, and plenty of open space. Most diving watches go for high contrast and large elements because if you are 150M down and you check the time, you don’t want to have to spend a nanosecond more than necessary to do so. Similarly, for as much as I love the look of the red and white acrylic bezel, the numbers are small and while they are lumed – even the blue pip – it doesn’t last. [Update: the lume doesn’t last because it isn’t lume at all. What you see below is the glow from the markers shining through the acrylic. There isn’t’ a speck of the stuff on the bezel.]
Does this make the Bayshore less of a watch? No. It looks fantastic and it is more than adequately outfitted for almost any tool watch duties – just maybe not deep-sea diving.
The Bayshore came with a brushed 20mm flat-link bracelet that tapers to a signed 16mm deployant clasp. A bracelet is always a plus, and this one has the right proportions. It would have been nice if the case shared the same linear brushing as the end links. Maybe not essential, but nice. My bigger gripe is that the links are not quite as smooth around the inside edges as I would have liked. It is not uncomfortable but after wearing it for a couple of days straight, I became keenly aware of its presence. I just could not get used to it, even after I had resized the bracelet to be absolutely sure it was not too tight. Of course, this only encouraged me to break out the strap collection.
My usual browns and blacks did not work at all. Navy should have been a winner but seemed too muted. I did get a kick out of a white tropic-style as it imparted a certain Omega Alaska Project vibe. After much swapping, the clear winner was this bright red leather rally strap with white stitching from CheapestNatoStraps.com. The reds were nearly a dead-on match, which is no small feat when you have different materials side-by-side. I also felt the strap mirrored and amplified the Bayshore’s fun and sporty personality. Is it a moment of Strap Nirvana? I think it is.
As an early bird backer, I snagged my Bayshore for $279. It now sells for the full retail price of $395. Maybe that’s not the crazy bargain of the Kickstarter launch, but still a good price for a watch these specs and oh so much style. I’m enjoying the hell out of mine. Head over to Martenero.com if you would like to do the same.⬩
