Hot on the heels of their spring Marinor release (read my review here), Montreal microbrand Héron is following it up with a special edition: the Marinor Ghost. I had the chance to go hands on with a prototype of the Ghost, which releases today on the Héron website. This won’t be a full review of the watch as the differences between the Ghost and the standard edition Marinor are entirely cosmetic.
For a quick recap of the specs, the Marinor Ghost is a 39mm dive watch rated for 300 meters of water resistance. Though a small watch, the Marinor is burly, with chunky lugs and crown guards, and is 13mm in height. The bracelet features an on-the-fly extension clasp that makes tooless adjustment easy and differentiates it from many other watches at the same price point. Additionally, the case and bracelet are coated for scratch resistance, a feature I put to the test quite regularly. The Miyota 9039 beating inside the Marinor Ghost features hacking, hand winding, and a 42-hour power reserve.
Now we come to the differences that set the Marinor Ghost apart from the standard edition. Stealth is the name of the game here, as the dial is completely devoid of branding or specs. In an age of increasingly cluttered dials, it’s an unusual and refreshing approach. Lest you think the watch is completely anonymous, the caseback does feature a discreet but nicely engraved block of specs text. This is a far cry from the busy relief of a sea captain featured on the caseback of the standard Marinor but I quite like it, as it makes the watch feel more like a utilitarian tool than a fashion accessory. I feel a little more conflicted over the removal of the branding on the dial, as I quite like the Héron logo and their typical restraint in dial text. Still, it suits the ethos of the watch quite well.
Otherwise the dial is quite reminiscent of the standard Marinor, with dots-and-dashes hour markers topped off by a distinctive North Star 12 o’clock marker. The Seastorm Black version I reviewed features faux-vintage lume and a textured dial that fades from black at the outer edge to gray in the center, evoking sun-aged tropical dials. There is also an icy North Blue colorway with white hour markers that really pops. I think it’s the standout option though it may be a little flashy for some tastes. The Swiss Super-Luminova BGW9 lume was impressive, lasting well through the night.
The most noticeable departure from the standard Marinor is the bezel, which trades out the domed sapphire insert for a stainless steel bezel devoid of any markings safe for a lumed pip. It can still be used for timing, though really only in hour increments. It’s a choice that echoes vintage military dive watches but doesn’t do much for day to day utility. Heron isn’t the first brand to use a sterile bezel, but it definitely works wonders here to set the Marinor Ghost apart from its siblings, making the watch feel even more rugged while making the dial feel smaller. The bezel is also nicely machined and feels great to the touch. I especially like that they kept the curvaceous contours of the bezel. I found myself running my thumb across it constantly.
The Marinor Ghost is a good value for the money at $590 USD though it’s limited to 50 pieces in each colorway. The whole Marinor line is worth a look but whether you prefer the standard edition or the Ghost is going to come down to aesthetic preference. The Marinor Ghost definitely has appeal, especially for the stealth ops EDC crowd who might be looking for something a little off the beaten path. Visit the Héron website to learn more.
