Iridium Torpedo

The Iridium Torpedo is a brand debut, but it’s not a true debut. In the microbrand world, there are several brand umbrellas that encompass a family of brands that allow the umbrella brand to explore different designs while maintaining consistency within each brand. Such is the case for Iridium, the sister brand of Audric Watches, who released their SeaBorne 500 last year with great success.

The Iridium Torpedo exercises far more restraint than the behemoth SeaBorne did, in just about every category. But that doesn’t make it a lesser watch, just a different, tamer watch. It’s a decidedly more traditional dive watch, and there’s nothing wrong with that. As with the SeaBorne, it’s well-executed with exceptional finishing, perhaps even exceeding its cousin.

First impressions are strong, with a fun pop of color from the seconds hand, great legibility, and a 50 Shades of Grey color palette, at least for the black dial option.

This is the kind of finishing you should expect on any watch from a brand that purports to be making quality timepieces. Look at the definition on the vertically brushed case, the polished ridges of the coin-edge bezel, the similarly high polish ribbon chamfer, and the equally exquisite finishing on the lugs. And not least, notice the crisp edges between all those finishes.

You can’t tell here (or in any other shot, because honestly, I didn’t notice it), but the Iridium ‘I’ logo on the amply sized crown is lumed. And those curved, rounded lugs let the watch wear far better than its dimensions suggest (though 13mm is right about average for a solid dive watch). Note, too, how the bracelet is the same thickness as the ends of the lugs–a great touch. What’s disappointingly absent, though, is drilled lugs. They aren’t a must but would’ve been nice since the bracelet does not feature quick-release spring bars.

As you can tell, the watch wears well. Even on a NATO, the watch doesn’t lift too high off the wrist (mine is 7 inches).

I struggled to decide if my favorite part of the watch was the bezel or the lugs with their amazing finishing. And I still can’t decide. As for the date window, I think this may be the only time when I’ve ever thought one could stand to be slightly bigger. Forgive me, father.

I mean really, look at that brushing on the bezel? Are you kidding? Brushing on any part of any watch worth your money should look like this: highly defined and consistent. One thing to note, though is that while the bezel action is excellent, there is some backplay. I wouldn’t say the bezel wiggles, though, because even though it has about 6 degrees (or one minute) of play, it springs back into position.

The Iridium Torpedo is one of the most legible watches I’ve ever had in. And that’s down to its simple, straightforward dial. While it may not be clear with the black option, the blue and green dials do a better job of showing off the sunburst finishing. The big bold markers and prominent hands make it easy to tell time at a glance. The crisp white numbering on the bezel makes timing anything easy. But you’ve by now noticed the pronounced glare and distortion from the heavy doming of the crystal. Good news: the production model will instead feature a beveled edge, eliminating this problem.

Lume. Just great lume. Even. Bright. Everywhere it needs to be.

The photo above is of the clasp you will not receive when you order a Torpedo from Iridium Watches. That’s a good thing. While this clasp is decent, it doesn’t work: the diver’s extension can’t lock in when you’re utilizing the microadjustments. What you will get is the same killer jubilee bracelet with screw pins for easy sizing, and a ratcheting clasp to replace this one.

What did you expect, a picture of a cat? It’s called the Iridium Torpedo. You’re gonna get a torpedo. And I hope you do like torpedoes–or at least graphics of them–because the production model will have a more defined engraving. Herein, also find evidence of the lack of quick-release spring bars, which would’ve been a bonus.

The Iridium Torpedo is simply a solid diver. It’s actually better than that. I think lots of people want some hot action on the dial, but the simple approach here with a bit of character in the hands and markers really allows the amazing case to shine, as it should. You can really feel the watch on your wrist, in a not-overwhelming way; the way that conveys quality and lets you enjoy the watch as you have it on through the day. Take a look at the Iridium Watches website to check out the other dials or head straight to the Kickstarter campaign, which is live now⬩