Hot on the heels of the release of their Series 00 moon phase dress watch, Hong Kong microbrand Selten Watch Co is taking its eyes off the sky and turning its attention to the depths of the sea with its new Salvage line of bronze-cased dive watches. Eye-catching dials are clearly a signature of the brand, and the Salvage offers a look and design I’ve not encountered before.
Selten founder Leo Tsai took inspiration from German watchmaking precision when naming the company (Selten translates to “rare”), but his designs take their cues from all over the world of watchmaking, from Scandinavia to the US. Coming from a family of watchmakers, Tsai founded Selten as a way to honor their legacy. He sent me a prototype of the Salvage for review, and after spending a few weeks with it, I can say it’s one of the more memorable watches I’ve reviewed.
Salvage sure isn’t the most glamorous name for a watch I’ve ever encountered, but it may just be the most evocative. I could see this watch on the wrist of a hard-working commercial diver, dredging up relics and the odd bit of treasure. Hell, I could see them hauling the watch itself up from the cold, murky depths, maybe with a barnacle or two stuck to the case.
Let’s talk about the basics before we address what makes this watch stand out from the admittedly saturated dive watch market. The 39mm case is made of CSn8 bronze; for those unfamiliar with the material, this means that the case will oxidize over time, the rich gold hue developing a unique patina over time, changing its look and its texture. I’ve dabbled in bronze watches, and that uniqueness is certainly appealing, although mileage may vary as the patina takes over, especially in a watch that might be frequently exposed to water. It’s a great size for a dive watch, fitting my 6.5” wrist wonderfully and offering quite a bit of wrist presence while still being suitable for a wide variety of sizes.
The Salvage is just under 14 mm thick, though the flat crystal helps it feel significantly smaller than it might have otherwise, and in practice, it is a very tidy watch on the wrist. The caseback is adorned with the expected specifications, as well as a highly detailed and dimensional relief of a fierce mermaid bearing a trident. The illustration might be risque for some, but there’s no denying that it’s well executed. I like the little detail of the trident overhanging the borders of the relief and cutting into the surround, as well as the tiny, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it fish skeleton beside the depth rating.
Speaking of the depth rating, the Salvage is good to 200m, and features a chunky, screw-down crown capped with the Selten logo. The crown is nicely proportioned, and the twin-tracked coin edge is easy to grip and also looks quite nice. It almost looks like there should have been some lume between the tracks, but I’m glad there isn’t.
Inside all that bronze is a Miyota 9039 automatic movement, a 24-jewel movement with a 42-hour power reserve. It features hand-winding and hacking, and it’s a proper no-date movement, so there is no dead position on the crown. It’s a workhorse movement that I’ve grown to appreciate for its reliability, affordability, and ease of service. Does it feature Miyota’s trademark whir? Sure, but that shouldn’t be a deterrent.
The unidirectional, 120-click bezel is narrow with a matte ceramic insert. It’s crunchy and offers quite a bit of resistance, but there’s no wiggle or back play. It’s easy to grip, and the numerals and markers match the color of the case quite well. I like how narrow the bezel is, as it doesn’t try to overpower the dial.
The 20mm lug width makes this an easy watch to pair with many straps, but the included rubber was plenty comfortable and really suits the character of the watch. It was also impressively resistant to picking up dust and dirt particles during my time with it, despite the grooved texture, which earns top marks from me. I’m informed that the buckle will be different for the production model, moving to full bronze, but it’s a solid strap in any case. I do wish one of the keepers was held in position, as I’ve seen on some silicone bands, but it’s a minor quibble.
Let’s get to the star of the show: the dial. The Salvage is aptly named, conjuring images of shipwrecks and treasures beneath the waves. Selten went all in on the dial design and execution, and let me tell you, pictures do not do it justice.
There are 8 colorways, all with suitably adventurous names, but the prototype I was sent is the Scorched option, with a flowing mix of coppery golds, browns, and flecks of red that make it look almost like molten metal. Each dial is a 3-layer sandwich construction, the bottom of which contains the lume for the recessed indices. The middle layer is hand-patinaed using a proprietary process from a US-based artisan and results in every watch being a unique work of art. The top layer is AR-coated sapphire crystal, on which are printed the minute track, the hour marker surrounds, the brand logo, and the word “Automatic” at the bottom of the dial. That top layer results in a tremendous visual depth and makes the printed elements look like they’re floating over the wild pattern below.
The rose gold-colored handset is nice, with teardrop-shaped hour and minute hands, and a simple stick seconds hand. While the hour and minute hands are amply lumed, the seconds hand is not. It’s a curious choice but not one I take issue with. Lume is ample for low-light conditions, providing plenty of legibility.
In fact, legibility is better in the dark with this particular version. The hands can occasionally get lost against the dial in bright light, as the color of the hands is a decent match for the coppery swirls of the Scorched model. That said, I don’t think this would be an issue in most of the other colorways, which offer significantly more visual contrast. For my money, Blue Cave or the green Terrarium options are the most attractive choices, but I am a fan of the Scorched, as well. This is a watch to show off and discuss, and the dial is certainly a conversation starter if my time with it is any indication.
As this is published, the Salvage has just launched on Kickstarter, for an early bird price as low as $459. After that, the watch will sell for $659. Either way, this watch offers great value for the money. Overall, the Salvage is a solid offering, with good specs, above-average finishing, and a unique concept and dial execution that gives it something many watches lack at this price point: identity.
If you’re interested in learning more about Selten, visit their website at https://seltenwatch.com/ or head over to the Kickstarter campaign at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/seltenwatch/salvage-bronze
