Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Diver - A Review

[bu11itt]

“It’s a great looking watch, I like it. The end”




Thanks to Geoff's incessant nagging (ok he asked once...), but more because of my promise, below is a quick little write-up of my new Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Diver. The pre-arrival info can be seen in the Watch Recon App - Damn You!!! thread so I won't go into that spiel again. Allow me to preface the review by saying that older I get, the more random my brain works, so this could just end up being a shot gun spray of random musing and impressions of my short time with the watch. I do feel that in the interest of completeness, I should include the dry technical specs on the watch. I will not focus on them as anyone who is so inclined can easily find this information online. I am instead choosing to focus on the impressions of wearing the watch and more opinion than just plain facts.

CASE
- Ø 43 mm, stainless steel case
- Sandblasted aluminum turning scale, matching dial finish
- Automatic helium escape valve at 9 o’clock
- Vertical brushed middle-case and side lugs, with polished bezel and facet on lugs
- Engraved case-back
- Domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides
- Water-resistant to 600 m (60 atm)

DIAL
- Black sun-brushed dial
- Applied indexes with large area of luminescent coating for excellent legibility when diving

HANDS
- Diamond-cut hands with large area of luminescent coating for excellent legibility when diving
- Minute and second hands with red coating on tip

BUCKLE
- Stainless steel buckle on both straps provided
- Double security deploying clasp on metal bracelet

MOVEMENT
- Automatic caliber ML115 (rebadged Selitta SW200)
- Functions: hours, minutes, seconds indicated by central hands
– Date at 6 o’clock
- Vibration: 28,800 vibrations per hour, 4 Hz
- Power reserve: 38 hours
- Jewels: 26
- Adjustments: 3 positions after full winding and after 24 hours
- Decoration: rhodium-plated movement


Now begins my review…

For starters, gotta get the bracelet sized correctly.



Speaking of the bracelet, I happen to prefer a 3-link bracelet and this one does not disappoint. It’s got a definite heft to it but it’s surprisingly comfortable. Once properly sized, it really almost disappears onto the wrist. The brushed surfaces are subtle and even. While wide, it’s not overtly so and provides an excellent visual balance to the proportion of the case. The clasp is a little abrupt in its operation, not that it gives me doubts that it will hold as it is quite secure, but is a little “clunky…” maybe is the best word to describe it. Operation aside, it is well machined and melds almost perfectly with the bracelet. The female end of the locking mechanism does protrude above the band on the 6 0’clock side, but it’s not enough to really be a bother, I’m just picking at a nit here. You can see what I’m talking about in a few of the clasp shots below. Finally, I do wish the end links were flush with the end of the lugs, but that’s really a non-issue and might have actually hindered the overall excellent feel of the watch on the wrist. Below is a look at the bracelet.











Moving onto the case, it’s on the larger side (ML says 43mm, my calipers say it’s closer to 42mm) with a thickness of about 15mm. While those specs really speak to a large watch, it wears quite well, mostly in part to its short, curvy lugs. As I said earlier, the bracelet is large and hefty but that really helps balance the slightly larger case. The brush work on is executed very well and accentuates the “tool” aspect of this watch. Occasional, small polished surfaces give it a bit of panache the keep it from being all work and no play. The dual crowns meld seamlessly into the overall case and fit as I can’t even make them dig into the top of my wrist if I try. They both have a smooth, easy operation when either unscrewing or screwing them back in. Crown guards, even ever so small, would have been nice, but there really is no room for them with the internal bezel rotation crown at 2 o’clock. Below you can see a few shots detailing the fit and case.











The dial frankly is one of my favorite parts of the watch. It has an ever-so-subtle texture that I really can’t adequately explain. I’ll have to pull out an actual camera and macro lens later to see if I can capture it, but the pic in the sun below does a decent job. Also, while the dial is black it can take on an almost chocolate tone in the right lighting. Thanks to the internal bezel the dial possesses a mesmerizing depth, a “stadium” quality if you will. I particularly like the raised indices at the 5 minute marks and the painted minute markers, these elements further accentuate the depth of the dial. Legibility is a non-issue as thank to the large, fat hands. The red border on the minute hands makes it extremely easy to quickly differentiate from the hour making a quick glance all that is required to give the time to within a minute or two. The date is well balanced at 6 o’clock and is not too small to be useless but not too big to be obtrusive. Speaking of the date, I don’t normally really pay much attention to this but I really like the chosen font. I’m not going to try to explain why, don’t think I really could, just know that I like it. Of course I should mention the lume. While it’s not Seiko bright, its more than adequate. I don’t know how long it lasts as I haven’t tested that out, so that remains to be seen. You can see a requisite lume shot below.









Finally the cons, because there is no perfect watch right…? Well this watch really doesn’t have many cons (to me at least). I am far enough in my WISdom to know pretty much exactly what I like and tend to buy watches that reflect those likes. However, the one big issue I have with the Pontos S Diver is the internal bezel crown at 2 o’clock. Not the aesthetics, or the feel or any of that, no, my issue is the operability while wearing the watch. In order to move the bezel you have to first unscrew the crown, spin it (no clicks and I would assume this is not technically a dive watch at it is bi-directional) then re-screw the crown. These steps are quite difficult to perform while the watch is on the wrist and make me wonder if I’m putting an undue, off-center, torque on the stem every time I do it. Maybe with more practice I’ll get better at it, but it’s just not as easy to use as an external timing bezel.

All in all, the Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Diver is a smashing watch. It has a vintage vibe without seeming old or tired. I can’t get over how well it wears for the size and just the overall fit/finish. It has a phenomenal wrist presence, due in part to its size, but also because of the superb execution of all of its elements. It's not cheap, but then again I think you do get good value for your money as it holds its own quite well in its class. Anyone that wants a retro-styled dive watch that still manages to pull in a new-world look would do well to consider the Pontos S Diver. Timekeeping seems good enough as it’s about +3 seconds over the 24 hours I’ve owned it. Anyway, below is a pic that I think really paints the watch in a perfect light and shows off all of its excellent aspects.

If anyone has any specific questions I will be more than happy to answer then to the best of my ability. Thanks for reading.








Ok, now I feel I must explain the opening quote. While spending all evening working on writing the review my wife looks over and says, “Are you still working on the watch review? How does it take? ‘It’s a great looking watch, I like it. The End.’ How much more do you need to write…?”

[OTGabe]

Wow, great watch and great review. +Rep for that!

[tempocalypse]

Fantastic review, very informative and detailed. It certainly is a very attractive looking watch with distinctive (but not "loud") looks in the crowded dive watch segment. Bit surprised by the thickness as all the frontal images I've seen to date gave me the impression it was a bit thinner. Still, it looks reassuringly solid.

By the way I don't think a bi-directional bezel disqualifies it as a proper diver; although uni-directional is standard these days for safety reasons, most of the early divers were bi-directional including the older Submariners. This was due to a patent on the uni-directional bezel held by Blancpain which has since expired.

Enjoy your new watch!

[popoki nui]

Excellent thread. Great photos and review, thanks! Congrats, Bu11itt...that's one cool looking watch. Any pics of it on the NATO?

By the way I don't think a bi-directional bezel disqualifies it as a proper diver....

Probably not, but the lack of a luminous pip on the second hand does. No matter: it's a beautiful and clearly high-quality diver.


~Sherry.

[bu11itt]

Wow, great watch and great review. +Rep for that!

Thanks. The review actually ended up longer than had originally thought it would be.

Fantastic review, very informative and detailed. It certainly is a very attractive looking watch with distinctive (but not "loud") looks in the crowded dive watch segment. Bit surprised by the thickness as all the frontal images I've seen to date gave me the impression it was a bit thinner. Still, it looks reassuringly solid.

By the way I don't think a bi-directional bezel disqualifies it as a proper diver; although uni-directional is standard these days for safety reasons, most of the early divers were bi-directional including the older Submariners. This was due to a patent on the uni-directional bezel held by Blancpain which has since expired.

Enjoy your new watch!

I was also surprised when I actually put the calipers on it as it does wear so well. Part of the thickness is the crystal which you can see is slightly raised and not totally flat. That probably helps it wear a bit thinner.

Excellent thread. Great photos and review, thanks! Congrats, Bu11itt...that's one cool looking watch. Any pics of it on the NATO?

~Sherry.

I unfortunately didn't' take any on the NATO. I will definitely be playing with strap options for this watch so just stay on the look-out, as I have no doubt I'll be posting some soon (maybe even this evening if I get a little bored and feel like playing around)...


I did take another pic after I posted the review. I was driving back to my office in my golf cart (our site is rather large so I have a golf cart that I use to get from the front gate back to my office and to my unit) and just looked down at the watch. It was looking so good in the sun I had to snap a pic once I got where I was going and parked the cart.

[popoki nui]

That is one great dial! Love the date font, too.



~S.

[bu11itt]

That is one great dial! Love the date font, too.

~S.

Yea, it's almost like it adds a playful aspect to a somewhat serious watch.

[geoffbot]

Awesome review. My wife is right: nagging delivers!

[Nokie]

Very nice review. I have been going back and forth on one of these as I like the non-traditional brand divers, but I am afraid it will be too big for my 6.75" wrist, otherwise that would probably be my next purchase.

I am a big bracelet guy and really like the nicely machined bands, which this one seems to have thanks to your great pictures.

[crownpuller]

“It’s a great looking watch, I like it. The end”

You actually could have ended it there with the pics (which I chose not to repeat) - Great looking piece
But, yes, as others have said: Great review.