Very soon, you will be able to order an Atticus watch, and this is a big deal. You see, Atticus is the brainchild of Rusty Mahony. Rusty is part of the design team at NTH Watches, where he was responsible for the Subs’ case, and that is one of my favorite watch cases, hands-down. Given what he had already accomplished, I had pretty high expectations for Rusty’s own watch brand. I was not disappointed. The Adventure Series Meteora prototype I sampled is one damn fine watch.
Since I have already pumped the case, I should probably start there. The stainless steel case has flat sides and a slightly arched profile terminating in tapered, pointed lugs. The proportions are excellent: 38mm wide, 46mm long, and 11mm thick. This is just large enough for wrist presence, small enough to fit slimmer fellows like me, and thin enough to slip neatly under a buttoned shirt cuff. It is brushed on the sides and top, which sets off the polished, fixed bezel. It is impossible not to draw a comparison to the Rolex Oyster Perpetual, except the Atticus also adds a gorgeous whisper of a polished bevel on both the upper and lower edge. Is it sacrilege to say I like it better than the Rolex? Too bad. I just did.
Elegant as it may be, the Adventure Series is clearly a classic diver’s watch, with all the utility one would expect. Its modestly-sized signed crown and unadorned case back both screw down to seal it for a useful 100m water resistance. Drilled lugs facilitate strap swaps. A flat, anti-reflective coated sapphire crystal tops it off. Unapologetically sporty aesthetics allow the series to pull off a wide variety of faces, including the Explorer-esque Pytheas, Black Bay inspired Pelion, and Sinn-style Icarus, as well as the dressier tuxedo Téleos, and the more formal Meteora shown here.
The brushed H-link bracelet is attractive, well-finished, and like the case, wonderfully proportioned, tapering from 20 20 16mm at the clasp. Its range of adjustment is insane – you have six micro-adjustments on the clasp, every link is removable, and approximately half the length is comprised of half-links. If this doesn’t fit you, nothing will.
Yet, for as much as I like the bracelet, it is also the source of my one real gripe. The diver’s clasp, while perfectly functional, signed, and quite comfortable it seems a touch out of step with the streamlined case. I might not have thought twice about it on one of the other models, but on the dressy Meteora, I would have preferred something with a lower profile, like a butterfly clasp. Is it a big deal? No. But I’d put it in the “nice-to-have” department.
Name notwithstanding, the Meteora does not have a meteorite dial (the name comes from a Grecian rock formation), but rather, a silver linen dial. Polished baton hands and markers continue the dressy vibe. I’ve never understood why formal watches can’t have a bit of lume, and apparently Rusty feels the same because he gave us C3 SuperLuminova on hour pips and in the hand’s channels for a welcome dash of utility.
This model has an optional framed date at 3 o’clock. I must give kudos for the choice of typeface as well, from the stylized no-bar “A” and linked “TT” in Atticus, to the slick, mid-century sans-serif used for the model name and “Automatic.” This is a dial that radiates retro-cool, reminding me once again of that Oyster, but also of certain late-60s to early-70s Seikos. You could happily wear this every day, with everything, even if your lifestyle requires a suit and tie. I hate to use the word classy, but c’mon, that subtle linen crosshatch texture? Pure class.
Inside, beats a 24 jewel Miyota 9000 series automatic, delivering a silky 28.8k sweep. It is hard to wrong with this one. It hacks, hand winds, and has a 42-hour power reserve. Moreover, the 9000s are common, reliable, and accurate. The only drawback is that the unidirectional rotors in these movements tend to be a bit noisy; however, Rusty seems to have figured out how to damp that rattle, because unless I held the watch up to my ear, I did not notice it at all.
The Atticus Adventure series will launch soon. Full price will be $700 but you should expect a healthy discount for pre-orders. If you are interested in ordering one – and frankly, you should be – head over to AtticusWatch.com and sign up for the mailing list. ⬩
