Reply With QuoteSeems to be quite a few of us on here acquiring Steinhart's recently.
I'll give it a few days to see how my new (to me) one keeps time.
Joe
Having spent a few days with a Steinhart Ocean GMT (black/red bezel), I thought I'd share a few (long/wordy/rambling, etc.) thoughts on it. I'd never tried a Steinhart before and am generally not a big fan of the Rolex look (dunno why - it's not an active dislike so much as indifference) so I took it in trade on a bit of a whim.
I really am genuinely impressed by the quality of the watch itself. A 120 click 24h bezel which is solid, if not quite as smooth and anchored as others I've used. The finish on the case is very impressive, and the brushed front contrasts nicely with the more rounded, polished sides - lovely clean lines distinguishing the two, as well. The dial is attractively finished, although the large, lume-filled applied indices have polished edges which I don't particularly like against the plain semi-matt black dial. The rehaut has a bead-blasted-type finish which looks good but could possibly be a finish too far given the mix of brushed and polished surfaces elsewhere. The hands look good and the GMT hand is highlighted in red which makes it easy to pick out against the dial.
The ETA movement seems to keep good time (about +5 seconds per day) and it hand-winds beautifully. The only watch I've tried which feels better is my Hour Vision; the Steinhart has a decent-sized crown which screws down smoothly, and it's an absolute pleasure to use. The case-back has a Steinhart Ocean engraving which has, perhaps, slightly sharp edges but the decoration is deep, well-executed and clean. Overall, the watch-head is a remarkably high-quality thing for the price.
The same, sadly, can't be said for the oyster-style bracelet. It looks OK, and the polished edges pick up the same detail on the case, which makes the whole set feel nicely integrated, but there the plaudits pretty much end. It feels light and flimsy, and the clasp is horrible! It works well enough but the "insides" of the clasp (the bits which hinge out from underneath the clasp itself) are rough and tinny. The whole assembly feels two or three levels of quality inferior to the watch head, which is a shame. The only other redeeming feature is the straightforward sizing (one long screw - no need to counter-hold, no pin-and-collar, you just unscrew it and pull the screw out). Compared with the quality of the only other bracelet I have at this price point (a Speedbird III), it's a travesty. It feels closer to the bracelet on my old Vostok Amfibiya than it does to Eddie's, and it picks up marks just from close scrutiny. Ugh.
Fortunately the watch was supplied on one of Gasgasbones' "Zero-Zero" straps, which is a god-send. Having tried the disappointing bracelet and hated it, I've put the head back on the GGB and it looks entirely at home on the sand-coloured webbing. In this case, less is definitely more.
So - in summary, I guess I'd recommend the watches heartily, but if you buy one, I'd budget for some alternative to the bracelet! I'll try to take some photos next week.
Seems to be quite a few of us on here acquiring Steinhart's recently.
I'll give it a few days to see how my new (to me) one keeps time.
Joe
Must admit that I too am a Steinhart convert - I now have 4 or 5
Regards,
Si
Definately looks best on the GGB mate!!!
Welcome to the club. I bought a black Ocean GMT a couple of years ago and last week added a Ocean Vintage GMT. Superb watches for the money.
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