Making of the Benguela – The Prototypes

I’ve spent the past few weeks testing out the Benguela prototypes and getting feedback from fellow watch enthusiasts. With three different band options (bracelet, rubber and leather), it was important to get a feel for each and make sure they worked with the watch head.

Responses have been extremely positive! At a RedBar get together in Wellington, the prototypes were extremely well received. I’ve also shared photos in some Facebook groups and was blown away by the positive feedback.

Inca walls of Cuzco

My first impressions

The bezel action is extremely crisp and firm, with absolutely no play. This is exactly what I wanted! Though firm, it is easy to grip. On some mainstream brands, the bezel grip is polished, making it hard to grip. The bezel edges of the Benguela have enough friction to move it precisely between clicks.

The dial is absolutely stunning. The combination of bead-blasted steel indices and the sandwich dial is so striking; it reminds me of the Inca walls of Cuzco. You can read more about the Benguela dial here.

I really like the detail of the HEV (Helium Escape Valve). The anodized aluminium ring really ties in with the other orange highlights on the dial.

The case back came out beautifully too. It’s actually ridiculous how deep and detailed it is. For more info, check out this post about the case back.

We’ll be making a couple of minor tweaks, whichI think are worth mentioning:

  • The date window: we’re making the steel index shorter so that it doesn’t obstruct the view of the date, and the edge of the window will be bevelled to let in more light. The outer white ring (this was supposed to be vintage-lume coloured) will be removed.
  • The 12-hour index: I have split this with a bar to make it more distinguished, differentiating it from the 3 and 9-hour markers.
  • The green dial: this will be a bit darker for the final version.

So now that I’ve got your mouth watering, you probably want to know when can you order one of these beauties!

Pre-orders will be going live on Kickstarter on the 14th August, 6am NZT. Prices start at $349 (NZ$579) for the NH35A, and $469 (NZ$769) for the 2824-2—but you’ll have to be quick!

Thanks for reading. Stay safe and stay tuned for the next episode.

Mike

3 comments

  1. One green ETA, yes please 🙂

  2. andrew davey

    trying to get in on the kickstarter but having no luck , definetly up for a green 1 in the nh35a format please

  3. andrew davey

    having trouble getting on the kickstarter but im def in for the nh35a green 1 , cheers

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *