Horizon Pilgrim

What do Jules Verne and a dive watch have in common? The guys at Horizon Watches have shown us several commonalities. We saw some in Mike Razak’s review of the Nautilus back in 2021 and we’ll visit more today as I review their latest creation, the Horizon Pilgrim.

The inspiration for the watch comes from the Jules Vernes classic Dick Sand, A Captain at Fifteen. The book tells the story of Pilgrim, a whaler in the Pacific Ocean. Everything starts unfolding when a fifteen-year-old boy is asked to captain the ship, and disaster strikes. As in every Jules Vernes story, the protagonist is a focused and well-developed hero. Since most of the tale happens on the water, it the Pilgrim is, naturally, a dive watch; a supercompressor-style, to be precise, that looks like an artifact with modern capabilities, or as Horizon describes it, “vintage-inspired with a twist.”

The first thing I noticed with the Pilgrim is the attention to detail. The uncommon two-part case feels solid, and the contrast between the brushed bezel and the multifaceted case is outstanding.

The Pilgrim wears very comfortably, thanks in part to its 41mm diameter and 47mm lug-to-lug length. These are measurements that work well on my 6.25-inch wrist. It is not an overwhelming watch, and because the inner rating bezel occupies quite a bit of space, the dial appears smaller than it is, further shrinking your perception of its size. The overall thickness is 12.4mm, which is perfect for a tool diver. Curved lugs allow the watch to hug the wrist nicely.

The Horizon is paired with a custom FMK rubber strap which tapers from 22mm to 16mm. It is soft and lets the wrist breathe. I found it quite comfortable on hot summer days. The brushed and polished buckle shows the same attention to detail as the case and feels very well made.

The raised sapphire box crystal is treated with three applications of AR coating, allowing a clear view of one of the sharpest dials I’ve seen so far. The tall crystal produces lovely edge distortion, further enhancing the vintage look. The lume plots are big and legible, while the 12, 9, and 6 markers are boxed in a manner that harkens back to several 1960s skin divers. [It also happens to be one of my favorite layouts, as seen here. – Ed.] It goes especially well with the Pilgrim’s equally retro arrowhead handset.

The high contrast between the lovely dark blue matte dial and white lume plots its outstanding, providing easy legibility. BGW9 SuperLuminova lights up the hands, dial markers, and the rotating bezel.

When I opened the box, I remembered that Horizon told me to expect a date model, and I thought they made a mistake. Did they send the wrong watch? Well, no. The date was there, just cleverly hidden inside the 3 o’clock marker. The custom wheel and a date window frame that is identical to the other three hours’ delivers the best of both worlds: the convenience of a date but one that is nearly invisible unless you already know it’s there.

In true supercompressor style, the watch has two crowns on the case. One controls the date window and time settings. The other one controls the inner rotating bezel. Both are precise and easy to operate.

In terms of the technical specifications, the Pilgrim houses a SW200-1A with that customized date disc. We cannot see the movement from the back, but I think that is a good thing as SW200s are properly finished, but not highly decorated. In keeping with the themes of the story, the watch has a solid case back with a detailed engraving of a sailing ship and a whale.

The Pilgrim has a power reserve of 38 hours, and together with the automatic rotor, it should be enough to get you through a weekend. Of course, water resistance is key for a dive watch, and Horizon does not disappoint, equipping the Pilgrim to withstand 200 meters.

The Pilgrim comes in four different versions. Apart from our Ocean Blue variant, Horizon also offers a pure Black Ocean with Old Radium markers, a Green Ocean, and a light aquamarine blue called the Young Captain Edition, which exudes perfect summer vibes and is every bit as capable as the others.

As you can see, I had a great time falling for the new watch from Horizon. To me, it ticks all the boxes. The Pilgrim is an excellent everyday watch. It’s good-looking, legible, has a great backstory, and outstanding quality. The case construction, dial definition, and unique design make this watch a great addition to any collection. The Pilgrim Horizon will be available for delivery by August 2023, and you can pre-order now on their website at $845 US.

For more information visit https://www.horizon-watches.com/.