INTRODUCTION
Occasionally,
I get the opportunity to review something special and other times I am entirely
surprised by the review subject. In this case, it is both! I had been in
contact with Eza Watches for some time, several months in fact, and when they
were finally ready, I was asked a question. Blue or black?
Almost by
instinct, I chose blue, but I was not entirely sure which model they would be
sending me. I knew it was something new, not yet released, but was it going to
be the 1972 re-issue or something else? If it was the 1972, would it be the
modern 39.5mm version or the faithful 35.8mm Limited Edition version?
Couple of
weeks went by and just after the holidays I received it! The new modern version
of 1972 re-issue with blue dial! I was immediately struck by the case
proportions! It was a long, long time since I have worn a watch that is so
thin. I am no stranger to vintage re-issue watches and have owned many. From the
Doxa re-issue in 2001 (which I was a part of) to the massive Aquadive
Bathyscaphe 300 I reviewed here.
I was
immediately smitten. Just like today’s trend of watches finally coming down in
size, I was ready. Three years ago, I would not have even considered a watch under
42mm. Now? It is perfect! Last summer I went from a massive 44mm Breitling
Chronomat to a 40mm Omega Railmaster. When I first received the Railmaster, I
thought I was out of my mind. You know what? I freakin’ loved it!
The size
was perfect. It was incredibly comfortable and boy, did it keep good time. Unfortunately,
I was the victim of an Icelandic scammer and despite retrieving my beloved Omega,
I could not help be feel deceived every time I looked at it. At any rate, I
have moved on and right now, this Eza 1972 modern re-issue is hitting the sweet
spot!
The inspiration
for this watch comes from the original Eza skin diver from 1972. The one I will
be reviewing shares all of the design cues, but with all of today’s
manufacturing capabilities. I cannot wait to share all the details with you, so
let’s dive on in! (pun wholeheartedly intended)
CASE
The stainless-steel
case is, as previously mentioned, is 39.5mm in diameter and an incredibly slim
at just a fraction under 12mm. This includes a gorgeous sapphire box crystal,
which stands above the bezel. So, the actual steel profile is roughly 10mm. Outstanding
and once strapped to the wrist, it can slide under any cuff with ease. The lug
to lug measurement is just about 50mm lug to lug, which means even the smallest
writs can pull it off, but it is not too small for the big dudes out there.
The entire case
is polished, as were most watches back in the day and the screw-down case back
has a sweet skin diver engraving. Not something very deep or ornate like the hippocampus
on my Railmaster, but exactly how case backs were engraved in 1972. One of the details
I like most is the straight lines between the lugs. This means any strap can
fit flush against the case, leaving no gaps, similar to what Breitling does with
many of their models.
Hard to believe
a skin-diver this size can be water-resistant to 200m, but that is indeed the
rating! I am thoroughly impressed. Just like the case back, the crown screws
down and is engraved with the Eza “E”. The crown is easy to use, plenty grippy
and winds, sets, as well as screws back down without a hitch. All in all
a very well made case.
BEZEL & DIAL
The unidirectional bezel offers just the right amount of
resistance to turn and has barely any play. It is easy to grip, thanks to the
coin edge and if all of this is not enough, the insert is ceramic, as well as partially
lumed! Talk about using the latest material and technology? Nice!
The aforementioned sapphire box crystal is coated for anti-reflections
and offers just enough vintage flair to be appropriate for the design. The dial
itself is a complete throw back to the 70s. With rounded and polished applied
markers, with red accents. The writing is kept to a bare minimum and is
incredibly small. In fact, I can barely read the text at 6 o’clock. Mind you, I
am no longer the young whippersnapper I used to be!
Speaking of small writing. There is something I do have to
pick a nit at. The font on the date wheel is amazingly tiny. Now, I do not mind the text on the dial being
small, but the date is a feature I use daily and I am having a difficult time with
this one. I have a hunch that they made the date wheels in a large batch to accommodate
both 1972 re-issue sizes and perhaps a standard date size would have looked out
of place on the 35mm model? That is my guess.
Unlike the date font, the hands are perfectly sized and work
flawlessly with the design. Just like the bezel, they are generously lumed and
last all through the night until morning. The entire look and design screams
1970s and as a one that lived through that, I cannot help but have a feelings
of nostalgia when looking down at my wrist.
MOVEMENT
After all of these years, what has not been said about the
ETA2824? I cannot even count how many watches I have owned with this workhorse
movement inside. From my Breitling SuperOceans and Seawolfs to countless Ball watches and so many
others. It is a fantastic, rugged, accurate and now, extremely coveted
movement.
In a world
of abundant microbrands it is great to see Eza going the extra mile and putting
a tried and true Swiss movement into their reissue 1972. Not that there is
anything wrong with many of the Japanese alternatives. Personally, I like the
Miyota 9015, BUT, if this is to be a reissue, it should have a Swiss movement,
just like the original.
Kudos to
Eza for not cutting corners!
I am not
going to go into multiple details about this movement as I have so many times
before and frankly, others have done so with even more detail. I recommend
googling ETA2824 if you need to read up on it. Meanwhile, what I can do is tell
you mine was a consistent +6 seconds / day, when worn 24/7 and that is for a
period of several weeks. Excellent performance.
BRACELET /
STRAP
The 1972 came
on a silicone style tropic strap, which picked up lint, hairs (we have cats)
and dust like a powerful magnet. I quickly changed it to a grey leather strap I
happened to have lying around. I found it incredible comfortable to the leather
and the color went so well with the dial.
Shortly
after, I found a cheap 30$ stainless-steel mesh strap on Amazon and true to
form, the next day I had a new bracelet for the 1972. Boy did it ever work
well! It was thin, supple and fit the vintage part so well. I think I may have
had a Timex on a similar strap back in 1979! LOL…
I believe the
package will now come with a beautiful leather strap, with white stitching and
the silicone option. I think this is a great combination and should be good for
those that a strap for every day and another for when water sports are around
the corner. That said, the straight space between the lugs makes it such a fun
watch to try different options.
CONCLUSION
I have
always loved vintage designs, especially as a child of the 70s and 80s, BUT, I
do not have the fortitude to actually acquire vintage watches. I like watches
that keep good time. I like knowing that my watch is solid and water / dust
resistant. I like having a warrantee and best of all, I like knowing that if
something does go wrong, parts are readily available.
This Eza
reissue is the best of both worlds! All the incredible charm of a 1970s skin-diver,
but with a sapphire crystal, a ceramic bezel and a modern ETA 2824 movement. It
does not get much better than this. Not to mention, the size and how unbelievably
wearable it is.
Now, there
is one detail I have not mentioned yet. How expensive is the Eza 1972 reissue?
Well, would you believe that it is under 800$? And right now, it can even be
pre-ordered for under 700$! In fact, it is being offered for only 659$!!! That
price seems almost too good to be true. It is also my understanding that
shipping should start as early as March, which is coming right up!
If like me,
you love the vintage look, but do not want to give up contemporary benefits,
than the Eza 1972 reissue just may be the watch for you!
Thank you
for reading,
