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Thread: William L 1985 Automatic Chronograph Review

  1. #1

    William L 1985 Automatic Chronograph Review

    I had been looking for a reverse panda automatic chronograph with a 3-6-9 layout and seemed to be coming up empty. I was close with the Steinhart Ocean Vintage Chronograph but the thickness scared me off not being able to see before I buy.

    I had never heard of William L 1985 when I saw some articles pop up on Hodinkee and some other sites mentioning the upcoming Kickstarter campaign and how they would be a $600 auto chrono with a Seiko NE88 column wheel movement. They pictures of the prototype panda looked great and I decided to jump on a pair, panda and reverse panda.

    Ordered this pair on Kickstarter I think way back in March of 2018. They were due to arrive in November but after some delay I received them in early 2019.

    The case is 41mm, around 14mm tall with 20mm lug width. Not sure of the lug to lug.

    Overall I am so happy with these 2 watches. They have been well worth the wait. The only issue is o received a date model reverse panda when I ordered a no date, I am waiting on a dial swap.

    The finishing is simple, mostly brushed, which I prefer. The bezel ring is polished and there is a little polished section on the lugs.

    The bracelet has SEL and solid links. Finishing is complete brushed, micros usually polish the sides of the links for a little upscaling but that was not done here. Not really a knock for me personally. It's basic, functional, has a nice taper and doesn't rattle.

    The clasp is basic, it closes and opens a little rough but that just makes it feel more secure to me.

    The only real knock is the stamped metal for the fold over section. A nice scissor like a Squale or Steinhart bracelet would have went a long way in making the bracelet overall feel higher quality.

    Overall, I would definitely recommend these watches, especially at the price I paid. The movement is Seiko so it's solid and the dial looks great, catch myself watching the running seconds a lot when I wear them.


    Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

  2. Likes CFR, Dimman, DJW GB liked this post
  3. #2
    Thank you very much for the review.

    Nice looking watches. Any idea on their accuracy?
    Last edited by CFR; Feb 26, 2019 at 02:24 AM.

  4. Likes Dynamite_Kid19 liked this post
  5. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by CFR View Post
    Thank you very much for the review.

    Nice looking watches. Any idea on their accuracy?
    I think it falls under the same rating as the 6R15: +25/-15 sec/day measured at 23°C in dial up position.

  6. Likes CFR, Dynamite_Kid19 liked this post
  7. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Dimman View Post
    I think it falls under the same rating as the 6R15: +25/-15 sec/day measured at 23°C in dial up position.
    Yes, thank you Dimman. I checked their datasheet, but was hoping for some real life data.
    Last edited by CFR; Feb 26, 2019 at 03:44 AM.

  8. Likes Dynamite_Kid19 liked this post
  9. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by CFR View Post
    Thank you very much for the review.

    Nice looking watches. Any idea on their accuracy?
    Not sure to be honest, Haven't timed any of mine before. I should start.

    Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

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