Archimede Bronze Pilot 39H

[GlennO]

There's not many reviews of this watch online so now that I've owned this one for about 6 weeks I thought I'd do my own mini review which might be of some assistance for anyone considering this model.

I had been interested in a bronze cased watch for while. Just for something different really, and I thought it would be cool to have a case that took on a strong patina over time and gradually changed its appearance. I'm not a fan of the big bulky bronze divers that have been produced in recent years, but when Archimede introduced this bronze pilot about a year ago It immediately got my attention. They have had a 42mm model for a few years but I thought this 39mm model might be ideal for my small wrist.

So anyway late last year I finally bought one. Here's a pic of the watch on day one, all bright and shiny, not that dissimilar to rose gold:



Ickler uses the traditional CuSn8 bronze formula. It rapidly began to take on a patina that was noticeable even after just a few days. Patina development has since slowed to a gradual pace. This pic was taken today, about 6 weeks later:



The finish has noticeably dulled, although it is not even, with dark patches all over and a few green spots. Here's some more current photos:









I think it's progressing nicely. The end result will, I think, contribute to quite a unique vintage appearance.

I much prefer domed crystals over flat ones, and I also like the additional clarity that external AR coating provides, so the domed AR coated sapphire upgrade was a must have for me. I didn't think that the extra 140 euro was too excessive, although it did push the value of the watch over the $1000 AUD Australian Customs GST limit, but that's another matter! I also considered the solid caseback 'upgrade', but I didn't think that the extra 45 euro was justified for what I feel should have been the standard option given the undecorated ETA 2824-2 movement. Speaking of which, 160 euro for the Archimede signed rotor upgrade is a joke!

Initially I wasn't overly impressed with the strap. It looked a bit cheap and flimsy compared to some of my own straps. But I've changed my view somewhat, it's turned out to be extremely comfortable and appears to be quite durable. I was also worried that the OEM strap would be too long for my wrist. Their website says that the strap fits a wrist size of 17.5cm - 21cm. My wrist is 16.5cm but the strap fits fine on the second last hole.

Overall I'm very happy with the watch and it's received lots of wrist time. It seems to be running reasonably accurately but I don't really track the accuracy of my mechanicals. If I'm in the mood for precision I just wear one of my HAQ's! The dial is big and legible and suits my ageing eyes. The case is a fraction larger than I'm used to wearing but I like the look of it on my wrist. Here's a few pics on my 6.5" wrist:







I think the C3 lume suits the watch and it's very effective, extremely bright initially although it does fade a bit quicker than some of my watches. It still puzzles me why many of the Swiss and German brands haven't been able to master lume as the Japanese do. The Pilot 39 model (non-sterile dial and black hands) uses C1 lume.

The only thing I'd really like to see Archimede do differently is to use proper thermally blued hands. The lacquered hands are done very nicely and are very good looking, but I'd prefer the authenticity of heat blued hands. There's also no chance of paint flaking off as actually happened to me with a Laco that I once bought.

Nevertheless I've really enjoyed wearing this watch and I feel that it was worth the price to me. I might update this thread with some additional pics when the patina develops further over time. Thanks for looking!