At 11:00 am EDT today, Malaysian microbrand Aerotec will launch its latest watch, the Coral Bay, on Kickstarter. If you have looked at the picture and are thinking, “Gee, that looks cool. Is it worth my $350?” I will jump in right here and tell you yes, it is cool, and yes, it is worth your $350. Now, if you are reading this after 11:00 am, you are free to hit the Kickstarter page and lock in that Early Bird price. I won’t hold it against you. You can come back and read the article when you’re done. Of course, if you are the naturally thrifty type who wants a bit more information before you impulse buy (and indeed, that is likely why you are reading The Time Bum), or if it is not yet 11:00 and you are killing time, then take a few moments to read my hands-on review of the Coral Bay prototype to find out why I’m endorsing it. It’ll still be there when you’re done.
The Aerotec Coral Bay is a mid-sized automatic dive watch. It measures 40mm wide, 48mm long, and 13.6mm tall, including the double-domed AR-coated sapphire crystal, and it was a tidy fit on my 6.75:” wrist.
The watch is rated for 200m water resistance, thanks in part to its sealed screw-down crown. As you would expect from a proper dive instrument, it has bright C3 SuperLuminova (even on the crown), a highly legible layout, and a 120-click unidirectional bezel. That bezel action was perfect; firm, but not too tight, with positive engagement on each detent and nary a trace of back play. I thought it was nearly perfect; however, Aerotec saw room for improvement and is pledging an even more solid feel.
The Coral Bay starts to diverge from the microbrand dive watch norm in its styling, where it takes a somewhat fancier turn. Not too sharp a turn, mind you. It’s not a dress-diver by any stretch, and it is far from over-styled, but it does have some nifty touches that take it a step or two beyond what you might typically expect from an inexpensive diver.
Let’s start with the case. It’s a fairly conventional design, brushed on the sides and polished on top with a matte crown and bezel. The polishing is key as it coordinates with other shiny elements that I will discuss shortly. In fact, I kind of wish the crown and bezel were brighter – if not polished, then at least brushed – as I feel that would better unify the design theme. That right there is the biggest gripe I’ve got with the watch. Not a big deal.
Flip it over, and we’ve got a great stamped image of an old diving helmet on the case back. Stamping is always a plus for me. There are plenty of nice engravings out there, but I’ll take a high relief stamping every time. Behind it lurks a Miyota 9015. You know the movement: 28.8k bph, 24 jewels, 42-hour power reserve, and reliable as the day is long.
Aerotec chose vintage color lume for the Coral Bay but wisely resisted the urge to make the whole watch a vintage throwback. I love a good retro design, but we would have missed out on the Coral Bay’s fresh look if they had gone that route. It starts with that yellow-tan lume on an engraved black ceramic bezel insert. I dig the bars-and-lines layout as it is mirrored in the darts and lines of the dial’s index as well. Polished and applied darts mark the cardinal hours, with extra attention paid to that tri-sectioned 12 o’clock dart that echoes the similarly styled cathedral hour hand. Both elements are in keeping with traditional dive watch designs, but the Coral Bay’s are sharper, sleeker, more refined. (You might notice some imperfections on the markers if you squint at the photos but remember, this is a prototype. The finished product will be cleaner and tighter all around.) The rest of the hour markers are applied circles fixed at the tip of each printed dart. They are smaller than you might expect on a diver but no less visible and, in keeping with the other elements on this dial, slightly more refined. The shape and scale carry onto the second hand.
Four dials are offered: red or blue sunray, and black or white Mother of Pearl, all with polished hands, markers, and logo. There isn’t a dud in the group, but the deep shimmering red really drew me in. When paired with that tan C3, the red sunray exudes a rich warmth. That said, the blue looks classy, and the MOP dials present a cooler palette without resorting to conventional black and white. I will note that the red tail on the second hand pops against every other color but this one, where it gest lost against the similarly red dial.
Like jazz, dial design is sometimes about the notes you don’t play. In this case, the band name, model name, and just about all extraneous text are left out of the performance, and I could not be happier. All we have is the water resistance rating, tucked all the way down on either side of the gold-framed porthole date at 6 o’clock.
A 20mm bracelet is standard on the Coral Bay, and it fits the dapper theme set by the watch’s head. It is a three-link, brushed in the center with polished side links, and secured with a signed, push-button, flip-lock clasp. Quick-release spring bars are a nice touch, although I can’t say they allow for tool-free removal because the tiny knobs that compress the bars are set deep enough in their channels that, try as I might, I could not get a hold of them with my fingers alone. Even so, popping them free with a spring bar tool was far easier with the release knob than it would have been without.
Nice as the bracelet was, I spent more time wearing it on the supplied suede strap. I’ll admit that I’d wear most of my divers on leather. Why not? I like the look, and I lead a largely non-aquatic existence. The tan color was a perfect match for the tan items on the watch face.
So, there you have it. I found a lot to love about the Coral Bay and precious little to complain about. It delivers a distinctive look, pleasing proportions, great colors, a quality movement, and all the right specs for the aforementioned pre-sale price of just $350. There are plenty of microbrand dive watches out there in this range, but the Coral Bay manages to deliver a little something extra that stands apart from the crowd. I’d suggest you head over to the Coral Bay Kickstarter page and have a look for yourself.
