One of the best things about visiting watch fairs is that you often discover watches you might have otherwise missed out on. After all, there are a lot of small watch brands out there, and even the microbrand fiends at The Time Bum can’t keep track of them all. Such was my experience at the Toronto Timepiece Show, where I discovered several exciting watchmakers that might have otherwise slipped past me, like the Whitby Watch Company. Founded in Whitby, Ontario, the brand has an impressive catalog of tool watches. I sampled three: the Intrepid X Chrono-Diver ($2,080 CA), the Ad Mare diver ($971 CA), and the Aurora ($270 CA).
Whitby Intrepid X Chrono-Diver
Let’s start with the Intrepid X, named to honor the Special Operations Executive (SOE), a cadre of Canadians and Americans trained for covert operations in World War Two. It just so happens that Special Training School 103, known as Camp X, was in Whitby, Ontario. After you read my review, click that link. It’s fascinating stuff.
The Intrepid X ships in a high-quality waterproof case with a dashing plaid pocket square; it’s an impressive presentation. As displayed on both the watch and the case, the Intrepid X was designed and assembled in Canada.
It’s a big fella: 44mm wide, 50mm long, and 15mm thick. The most striking visual feature is the aggressively textured black dial. Under typical conditions, the effect is subtle, but when the light catches it right, those diamond-shaped peaks come to life.
Whitby cleverly integrated the Intrepid’s dial text. The model name is referenced by a gray “X” in the 12 o’clock subdial. The logo tops a nicely framed day/date window at 3 o’clock. The running seconds dial gets “Swiss Movement” and “E Tenebris Lux” (“light in darkness”) wrapped around its perimeter.
C3 Super-LumiNova lights up the hands, markers, and bezel triangle. The ceramic insert is engraved but not lumed. Normally, I would take issue with that as a missed opportunity for better functionality, but here, I must admit that paint or lume would have ruined that matte black stealth effect.
The brushed stainless steel case is burly, with sheer sides and nary a topside bevel to slim it down, but it is hardly unsophisticated. I particularly liked the tight arc that drops those fat lugs and how it is mirrored in the curve from the lug tips to the crown guards, forming a smooth depression around each of the chronograph buttons. Also, notice how the diamond-cut bezel grip matches the pattern of the dial.
Those broad flutes in the crown offer ample grip as you screw it down securely. On the other hand, those on the button collars are for show. The Intrepid X is rated for 100m water resistance, and its AR-coated sapphire crystal will help it weather any abuse.
The bezel action was very good. It clicked smoothly through its 120-point rotation but not so easily that I felt it might slip.
Inside the case is a Swiss ETA/Valjoux 7750 automatic chronograph movement with a 30-minute counter at 12 o’clock, a 12-hour at 6 o’clock, and a running seconds at 9 o’clock. The 7750 is the movement of choice for many a luxury tool watch, and for good reason. It has 25 jewels, a 44-hour power reserve, and will hum along at a smooth 28.8k bph even as you hustle it from one adventure to the next.
Whitby provides a 22mm three-link bracelet with a milled, locking, push-button clasp. I expected the Intrepid X to wear large, and it does. A 44mm watch is going to take up some space, and my 6.75″ wrist has only so much surface area to offer. You don’t buy a watch like this to go unnoticed. A robust wrist presence is part of the appeal. Still, I found the shape of the lugs minimized the overall length and allowed it to wrap just enough to be comfortable. As a result, I never felt like I was wearing a brick.
With all of the detail on the top side, Whitby could hardly skimp on the case back. There, you will find a high-relief image of a compass rose, crossed daggers, and the X. Etched at the bottom is the serial number, in this case, 51 of 150. Yes, it is a limited edition. Whitby has already sold out of the only other Intrepid X, a PVD black variant, so if this one interests you, I’d suggest you not wait.
Whitby Ad Mare
The next sample in my shipment was the Ad Mare, a 200m diver whose name derives from Canada’s motto, “A Mari usque Ad Mare,” or “from sea to sea.” I have to admit, as an American living far from the northern border, I learned a lot from these watches, which is at once praise for Whitby’s ability to weave its national identity into its products and an indictment of my own ignorance. Seriously, I didn’t even know what poutine was until I went to the Toronto show, and now I wonder why it isn’t served at every diner in America, but I digress.
The Ad Mare is roughly the same size as the Intrepid, measuring 44mm wide, 50.8mm long (slightly longer), and 14mm thick (slightly less thick). On my wrist, it felt slightly less bulky than the Intrepid X, even though it occupied a nearly identical amount of space. I put this down to that one-millimeter difference and angular lugs that provide less drop than the curved ones on the Intrepid X.
It wears a similar 22mm, three-link bracelet that differs only in the shape of its fitted end link. Also, like its stablemate, it ships in a sturdy, waterproof travel box.
Whitby did not wander too far from the traditional diver’s watch formula. All the staples are here: sapphire crystal, screw-down crown, broad guards, and a 120-click bezel. C3 S per-LumiNova in the broad hands, applied markers, and the bezel triangle engravings ensure excellent nighttime legibility. The index on its glossy ceramic insert is painted but not lumed, and here, I will take it to task. Yes, I know C3 costs more than white paint, but lume is so much cooler.
While I am handing out criticism, I must mention the Ad Mare’s bezel. I love the glossy ceramic, and the 120-click moves just as smoothly as you would like, but the edge texturing is almost non-existent. There is plenty on the crown; I only with they had given the bezel the same treatment.
I have zero concerns about the dial. It is a perfectly lovely, multi-level affair with a wave-patterned center, smooth under the applied and polished markers, and in this colorway, framed by an aqua chapter index. I dig the partially skeletonized hands, polished date frame, and shiny logo. It’s not dressy, but it is definitely dressed up.
A Swiss Sellita SW200-1 automatic runs this timepiece. If you have forgotten, the SW200-1 is an ETA clone with 26 jewels, a 28.8k bph vibration rate, and a 38-hour power reserve.
The caseback is brilliantly executed. Its deep embossing shows a polar bear, a puffin, and an orca representing the coastal wildlife of Canada’s north, east, and west. The three surround an anchor, and the motto is embossed below. Watch makers of the world take note: if you are going to decorate your case back, please do it like this.
Whitby offers the Ad Mare in seven color combinations, including the Atlantic Winter featured here.
Whitby Ambassador
Finally, we reach the odd man out in this group, the Whitby Ambassador, a three-hand model driven by a Swiss Ronda 515 Quartz. The Ambassador is a new model, and while it seems tiny in this company, it really isn’t. The case is a rather healthy 42mm wide and 49.5mm long, but thanks to its movement, only 12.5mm thick, including the domed sapphire crystal.
The Ambassador’s case is slim and simple, adorned only by a fluted. signed crown. Although it does not screw down, the push-pull is sufficiently sealed for 100m water resistance. A visibly domed, AR-coated sapphire crystal lends a bit of a vintage look and some nice off-axis distortion.
You won’t find elaborate stamped artwork on the back of this model, and I wouldn’t expect it at this price. Still, Whitby decorates it with an etching of the rampant lion from the Canadian coat of arms.
Whitby offers the Ambassador in three colors: Glacier, Summer Harvest, and Aurora. The are a far cry from the usual black, white, and navy options that for the base of most watch lines. Glacier is an ice blue. Summer Harvest is an intense ombré orange with yellow numbers. The Aurora, which I sampled, is jade ombré with mint printing. It looks fabulous, and the dark dial in the black PVD case proved more versatile than I would have thought.
I liked the big numbers and pilot-style handset. It gives the watch an aviation feel without leaning too hard into more common Flieger or B-uhr themes. And you have got to love the big maple leaf at 6 o’clock, which does a fine job of balancing the large Whitby logo.
The real fun comes at night when the C3 printing lights up. Near y everything is lumed and in the cleanest, sharpest way. The white second hand stays dark, as does the model name, but I find it hard to get worked up over either one. The only oddity is the lumed date frame (cool) with the unlumed date (empty). Date void aside, it lasts long and looks amazing.
This one comes with a 22mm silicone strap that features an attractive knobbly inset and a signed, dual-tang buckle. Being silicone, the strap is soft and comfortable. Whitby offers it in red as a $38.95 CA accessory.
Overall, I was impressed with Whitby’s watches. The Intrepid X and Ad Mare are rugged, handsome divers, while the Ambassador is an appealing grab-it-and-go everyday watch at a very budget-friendly price. All three proudly reflect their Canadian heritage, and those of us here in the States can take advantage of the advantageous exchange rate to make the watches even more affordable.
For more information or to order your own, visit whitbywatchco.com.
