Today at The Time Bum, we have the latest from Haim!
Este Haim, Finland 2014. Photo by Tuomas Vitikainen.
No, not Haim the rock band known for “The Wire,” “Gasoline,” and Este Haim’s epic bass face. I’m talking about the Chicago-based Haim Watch Company. The Legacy mechanical chronograph is the brand’s first release and sells for $499. I sampled the green Reverse Hunter. A blue Sky Panda is also offered.
The Legacy measures 39.5mm wide and 47mm long; mid-sized for a modern men’s watch, and simply perfect on my 6.75” wrist. Overall thickness from sapphire caseback to sapphire crystal is 13mm, which is not bad at all for a mechanical chronograph with 100m water resistance.
Its polished buttons, crown, and bezel offer a pleasant dash of shine on the otherwise brushed and burly case. I must take issue with the crown guards though. I’m not certain they make much sense on a chronograph in the first place but these protect just a little too well. There is not enough crown to get a proper grip so I found it difficult to set and wind, which is a real hassle on a hand-winding watch.
Flip it over, and you will get a look at the Seagull ST1901 inside. This movement is based on the 1940’s-vintage Venus cal. 175 column-wheel design and has been made in China for about 60 years. I think it’s fair to say, they have long since perfected it. It is one of my favorite affordable movements and certainly one of the prettiest. The view more than justifies the exhibition window.
As the name implies, Haim chose a reverse panda format for this watch. The white sub-dials stand in high contrast to the sunray green surface while the white markings and chapter ring bring it all together. Most chronographs fall into one of two themes: aerospace or motorsport. I rather like the fact that the Legacy is neither. It’s certainly sporting, but where a racing chronograph might be British Racing Green, Haim chose a softer hunter green with enough yellow in it to shimmer olive in the right light. You have a tachymetre on the chapter ring, but also a heart rate index. Even the Sky Panda with its blue-on-blue motif seems to be more about the wild blue yonder itself than the machines that ascend to it. The Haim Legacy blurs some traditional chronograph lines, and I like that.
Polished hands filled with lume provide excellent readability, day or night. The faceted markers are more subtle, as they have no lume fill but are instead topped with tiny pips in the railroad index. I found them to be more than sufficient during the day and nicely proportioned with the relatively busy dial. At night, while the hour pips are just not large enough to provide a lengthy glow, the C3 SuperLuminova does the job on the hands, 12, and 6. There is no lume on the sweephand or subdial needles but that is to be expected. Overall, it is a handsome layout with a healthy dose of retro charm. The “Chicago, Illinois” text at the very bottom is a nice touch.
Haim provides a 20mm beads-of-rice bracelet as a standard item, and this is where I must levy my criticism. As you can see in the photos, the end links on this sample did not fit properly, leaving a small but noticeable lip where the link met the lugs. Having compared other photos and discussed it with the owner, it seems clear that this is a quality control blip and not the norm. Still, it is disappointing. My other gripe is that the beads are not individually articulated, but fused four abreast. In keeping with case, the bracelet is both brushed and polished. It tapers to 18mm at the signed standard flip-lock clasp. Short links and four micro adjustments ensure a proper fit.
I could not resist the urge to swap a strap. This brown perforated rally-style from Cheapest NATO Straps was ideal. Buyers will definitely have fun pairing various leathers with that green dial. Haim offers a Milanese mesh as a $25 accessory.
The Legacy sells for $499. When compared to similar ST19 watches, it is well below the $632 Baltic Bicompax, but the same price as the Lorier Gemini and that is pretty stiff competition. A closer comparator might be the mechanical Goodspeed Sonoma, which sold for $385 when equipped with a beads-of-rice bracelet with separate beads and a push-button clasp. Haim is not out of line, but certainly on the higher side. All in all, the Legacy is not without its quirks but is still a fine choice for someone looking for a distinctive spin on the classic chronograph. It is available now from HaimWatchCo.com.
