It has been a couple of years since the original Nezumi Baleine prototype crossed my desk. I really enjoyed my time with that vintage-inspired diver, so I was eager to review the new and improved version. Did they build a better Baleine? I believe they did.
Nezumi has always made a statement with its packaging. The Baleine’s cardboard box is only as large as it needs to be, the foam insert provides more than ample protection, and the graphics are an outstanding throwback to the early 1960s.
At first blush, the new Baleine looks remarkably similar to the first one, and this is not a bad thing. The original was a lovely watch with just the right vintage vibe. Pouring over the case, you will find that the bombé lugs remain, as well as the attractive combination of finished (polished top, back, and crown, brushed sides), the sloping, deeply undercut bezel, and the crisp bottom edge that forms a shadow over the caseback lid.
All of these styling devices serve to make the watch appear even leaner than it actually is. The biggest difference in the new model’s case is that it actually is leaner. While still 40mm wide and 47mm long, with 20mm between the lugs, the new Baleine has lost a full millimeter of overall thickness. It is now just 13mm thick, 1.2mm of which is the crystal. In my book, this alone justifies the new model.
This svelte figure did not come at the expense of utility. Water resistance is still pegged at 200m. That crystal is AR-coated sapphire. The signed, screw-down crown is generously wide for easy operation but not too tall, thereby maintaining the case’s clean lines. It has a unidirectional diver’s bezel, and satin black insert, now with hash marks only in the first quadrant. Bezel action is ideal, snapping through its 120-click rotation with firm, positive engagement in each detent, and no play. A fine coin edge and the aforementioned undercut ensure an easy grip.
Under the stamped and threaded case back, a stalwart Seiko NH35 keeps time. I often think of this unit as the small-block Chevy crate engine of the watch world. It may not be as smooth or sexy as some of its rivals, but this 21.6k bph, 24 jewel automatic, hacking, hand-winding automatic is easy to get serviced, cheap to replace, and thanks to its reliable architecture and Diashock protection, it rarely needs either.
More revisions lurk in the Baleine’s dial. It retains the classic layout of the first version, featuring four main numbers, dart markers, and a 24-hour index, although it has jettisoned the date.Polished syringe hands are the perfect length. On this particular variant, Ref. BA2.101, the handset, index, logo, and text are printed in gold on a Granite Black dial. One of the more obvious departures from the original is the second hand, now simplified to a needle with a lumed tip. Nezumi does not specify which lume is used, but it looks and acts like C3, [Update: Nezumi tells me it is actually custom-tinted C1] shedding a bright green glow when the lights go down.
Leather straps are standard issue on the Baleine. You have a choice of two German-made straps. They are brown or black, minimally stitched, and secured with a signed buckle. For those who plan on testing the watch’s seaworthiness, Nezumi offers nylon straps and a Jubilee bracelet with properly fitted end links. I haven’t sampled the bracelet, but for $73, I’d be inclined to give it a try.
The Baleine fit perfectly well on my 6.75″ wrist. Given its smart looks and trim proportions, I would not hesitate to wear it with a coat and tie – after this Covid business is over, of course.
I found the Baleine to be a marvelous take on the classic dive formula, and while many of the changes are subtle, it is a marked improvement over already enjoyable the first edition. You can order one directly from Nezumi for $406. For more information, visit NezumiStudios.com.
Note: Nezumi Studios also made a super limited edition of the Baleine diver together with the thrash metal band Anthrax – read all about it over at Old News Club. ◆
