Few microbrands have found their groove as quickly and successfully as the Haim Watch Company. Founder Zakir Miah established Haim’s design language right out of the gate with the debut model, the Legacy. He then carried that intricate and colorful spin on traditional watchmaking design into the subsequent L2 Chronograph series and the Descent dive watch. Today, Haim announced its fourth series and first “pure” dress watch, the Legacy Automatic. I was able to get my hands on one a few weeks ago for this review. The new watch possesses many of the same elements that made Haim’s previous models so appealing, as well as one or two surprising new twists.
The Legacy Automatic integrates a classically designed, Art Nouveau-inspired dial into an elegant, mid-sized (38mm wide, 45mm long, 10.5mm thick) titanium case. I have owned a few titanium watches over the years, nearly all of which have been tool watches. This makes sense, as it is a high-strength, lightweight metal with the added benefits of being antimagnetic and hypoallergenic. Of course, none of those attributes are exclusive to tool watches, and while watch buyers may be accustomed to the industrial chic of bead-blasted, matte-finished titanium, we have seen that it can be dressed up with a brush and polish as well. The SWC Hyper-G and Axia Sofia II are prime examples of this in the sports watch arena. The Haim Legacy Automatic is the first dress watch I have reviewed that has fully embraced titanium as a luxury material.
And luxuriant it is. Viewed head-on, the polished horn lugs and coin edge bezel lend an air of vintage elegance that takes a refreshingly modern turn when seen in profile. From that angle, you can appreciate the curved and vertically brushed barrel sandwiched between contrasting brightwork above and below, as well as the bluntly squared and hallowed lugs. The polished and signed crown maintains a proper proportion to the case, mercifully eschewing the excesses of both the sports watch knob and the dress watch nub that so often afflicts those designs.
A 38mm watch is the perfect size for my 6.75″ wrist, so it was no shock that Legacy Automatic felt right at home there; however, I was pleased to discover how light it was. This makes perfect sense, given the case material, and it never ceases to amaze me. No matter how many times I wear titanium watches, I am always delighted by the featherweight ariness that belies their metallic mass. This is a desirable attribute for any watch and of particular importance in a dress piece.
Titanium’s toughness will serve the Legacy well, but bear in mind that it is not intended for field use. As such, it has a reasonable, if not exactly dive-worthy, 50m water resistance rating. Its sapphire crystal is always a desirable attribute, and the five layers of anti-reflective coating go far to maintain legibility. Unlike some titanium watches, this one has no surface hardening treatment, although one should not be necessary if you treat it like a proper dress watch.
Lovely though that case may be, I’ll wager that it was not what compelled you to read this review. It was the dial, that beguiling confection of guillioché and circular brushing and shimmering dark cobalt blue. Maybe you were taken by the grand Breguet numbers, applied and polished, leaning forward to flaunt their whimsical serifs. Perhaps you took notice of those things but found you were won over by the marvelous lattice that forms the railroad track index, or the way the faceted hands perfectly graze the inner and outer rings. More likely, you took in all of it at once, said, “Wow,” and have spent the rest of your time squinting at my admittedly mediocre photographs, mining them for these wonderful details and appreciating the watch a little bit more with each new element you discover. Regardless, it’s a beauty, from its neatly framed date window at three to its perfectly symmetrical “Chicago, Illinois” at six.
Bear in mind that the review piece is a prototype, so there will be some refinements to the design and finishing before production. Most notably, the numbers will be further raised, and the date wheel will be color-matched.
Other variants include a Burgundy Tuxedo dial and the Stargazer Aventurine for a night sky shimmer with no date.
Zakir saw fit to make the watch pretty on the inside as well. Turn it over, and you’ll be rewarded with a view of the HWC-1 automatic movement. No, Haim does not claim this to be an in-house movement (no doubt, its 26 jewels, 28.8k bph, and 38-hour power reserve will give you an idea of its architecture’s origin), but it is custom designed with a rhodium finish, blued screws, gold accents, and a particularly pretty signed rotor that resembles an unfolded paper fan. The movement, like the rest of the watch, is assembled right here in the United States.
There is no aspect of a watch so apt to be overlooked, so ready to disappoint, as the strap. I will never understand how so many watchmakers take such care with every other aspect of their creation only to stumble a few paces before the finish line by saddling their creation with a cheap piece of overprocessed leather. This is not one of those watches. Haim partnered with none other than Delugs to provide a top-quality, meticulously crafted, 20mm strap with contrasting stitching and quick-release pins. If you really want to get fancy, crocodile is a $100 option.
The Haim Legacy Automatic will be available for pre-sale on January 15, for $1,000 for the blue and tuxedo, and $1,200 for the Aventurine. Once they hit regular production, those prices will increase to $1,350 and $1,550, respectively. Only 50 of each variant will be made.
I really like the titanium dress watch concept, and Haim has delivered it brilliantly. For more information or to get in on that significant early order discount, head over to haimwatchco.com. Also, come on down to meet Zakir and see the whole Haim collection in person at District Time, March 2-3, 2024.
