First Stage is a new venture that hooks up Australian microbrand Second Hour with watch modder Jack Hypoxia. Their first product, the First Stage Shoal Deep is something in between a micro and a mod. You see, they unashamedly started with a classic Seiko case design and then whipped up their very own version of every other component to create a brand new 300m dive watch. It launches on Kickstarter on April 21, but I have one on my wrist today and I must say, it is an awful lot of fun.
Let’s start with the obvious; the case is an SKX007 clone. I once said there are two kinds of watch collectors in the world, those who have already owned an SKX and those who inevitably will. It’s an icon. Not coincidentally, it is also a favorite of the modding set. And why not? At 42.5mm wide and over 12mm thick (the literature says 12.75mm with First Stage’s double-domed sapphire crystal, but my calipers say it’s closer to 14mm) it has all the heft and presence that dive watch fans love, and yet, the 46mm length, rounded sides, 4 o’clock crown, and tapered guards seem to shrink it to a manageable size for all but the smallest wrists.
Just like that, the association with Seiko stops. The Shoal Deep borrows the shape and that is it. Everything else is different, even the movement which is a Miyota 9039 (no date). I know, I know. A Miyota in an SKX mod? Heavens! Is it the horological equivalent of swapping a Chevy LS into a Ford? Maybe. I can’t say I give a damn about that either. The 9015 is smoother than the Seiko 7S26 or NH35 you might have otherwise found in there, and it’s just as reliable.
A quick tour around the head tells you this is not your usual Seiko. The bezel sports a knobby edge like a snow tire and is fitted with an engraved, lumed, and brushed ceramic insert in your choice of either 12-hour or dive timer layouts. The crown is similarly textured and signed. I’d tell you more about the way the raised markers seem to float on the white ring printed below them, or the segmented lume in those brushed, faceted hands, or maybe the curious way the “F” seems to be sinking in the circle of the First Stage logo, but I know you are all looking at the fish.
The fish are pretty awesome. There appears to be a whole school of sharks stamped in there (actually, oil-pressed) and it is an impressive effect; sharply rendered and imparting a delightful sense of movement that takes nothing away from the Shoal Deep’s utility. I also must point out the excellent use of an uncommon sans-serif typeface and wide kearning to lend it a modern and slightly dramatic flair. I’m partial to the black but you can also get it in pale Shallows Blue or dark Kelp Green.
Lume consists of eight layers of BGW9 SuperLuminova and it shines like a torch.
First Stage did not neglect the case back, which mirrors the daily but is embossed in high relief. It’s almost a shame to hide it back there.
First Stage offers the Shoal deep in either brushed stainless steel or the PVD black featured here. Both come on an excellently articulated beads of rice bracelet — no fused links here. The links are solid and screwed, and the milled push-button, flip-lock clasp is signed. Loving beads of rice the way I do, I’d likely keep it this way but if you must swap, the Shoal Deep will also have leather and seatbelt nylon available.
Overall, the fit and finish of the Shoal Deep is exactly what I would expect from a quality microbrand. Bezel action is tight, the crown screws down smoothly, everything is cleanly rendered, and the bracelet, as I just mentioned, is top-notch.
At launch, the First Stage Shoal Deep will start at $495 US. After the 20-day campaign ends, expect to pay $595. So is the First Stage a micro, a mod, a reimagining, or something else entirely? I have no idea and I’d suggest you not concern yourself with labels. It’s a cool and capable dive watch. If that piques your interest, head over to FirstStageWatches.com and sign up for alerts.
