A perfectly refined tool – Borealis Porto Covo

Good designs are hard to find and original ones even harder. There must be a good understanding on how a watch would wear, feel and of course, performs. It becomes quite a challenge to get these 3 elements right, but when it happens, something very special can be around the corner.

I have review plenty of watches from the Portuguese brand Borealis, not only they have been in the microbrand space for a while, but they also have evolved to become one of the main players in the watch space when it comes to value. From divers to dress watches, Borealis has done it all and now we have their latest offering; the Porto Covo.

Named after one of the most beautiful places in the coast of Portugal, the Porto Covo highlights well its aquatic nature but remains a true tool companion. The integrated bracelet makes it feel more refined and luxurious, but the bead blasted body reminds you of its true tool origin.

There are plenty of hiding features and details on this amazing new offering. Join me to discover what a new luxury item feels like, let’s begin.

The specifications

Being an integrated bracelet watch, the size of the Porto Covo is spot on at 40mm with a lug to lug of 42.5mm. The watch feels more like a 39mm watch, compact and quite stealthy. The case has a great design and as mentioned before, the bead blasted body makes it more of a tool than luxury item. This together with a white scratch resistance bezel, makes it virtually indestructible.

We were lucky to have the black version with no date and gold hands which I believe has enough to win me over. The black dial is textured and reminds me a lot of Grand Seiko offerings which are of course way of this price range, and as you can see from the pictures, the quality is there. 

Staying with the dial, the ‘’floating’’ markers are quite attractive and innovative, is not only the symmetrical look that they give but also the fact that the hands itself do not interrupt the legibility at any point, they go underneath them.

The watch offers 200 meters of water resistance which is quite good. Inside the watch we have our reliable Miyota 9039 incorporating the no date function with hacking seconds. All the different versions of the Porto Covo can be chosen with a date as well, the window will be located at 6 o’clock, keeping that symmetry alive. It is worth pointing out that the movement on these ‘date’ models will also change to the Miyota 9015, this avoid that ghost date position. It is good attention to detail.

On the wrist

Wearing the Porto Covo has been quite an experience, it has been by far the watch I wore the most over the last 2 weeks. It is heavy but not so much, it has no date, so I keep reaching out to it because it is easy to set and then, well we have the looks. It plays well between being an everyday watch and a true diver. I would say that it would look pretty much at home at the bottom of the sea on a wet suit, but I wore mostly at home, yes, desk diving.

The thinness also plays a big part on the comfort of the watch, the case measures only 11.6mm in height, which is appreciated for a watch with 200 meters of water resistance.

One of the features that I like the most is that the legibility is the first thing that the watch feels designed for. The wide hands are easy to spot, the Swiss SuperLuminova application is generous. The AR coating on the flat crystal feels at home, it flushes with that ceramic bezel creating an even surface.

The ‘H’ link bracelet is also very solid and well made. It has the same finishing as the case, it is all a singular piece. The solid clasp has a modern micro adjustment on the fly, it feels solid, quite tactical and at the same time very thin, this is something that not many brands have been able to master.

I believe that the watch would look great on a rubber strap or even a nylon one, but the issue is that the bracelet feels too good on the wrist to be replaced, maybe in the future I will give it a go.

Concluding thoughts

Having a newly design watch that feels at home with the other offerings in the catalogue is quite a good start. That said I believe that Borealis exceeded in terms of value and features with their new Porto Covo, I honestly think that this is a watch that should cost at least 3x the price. This last point is a good segway to mention the RRP which is 304 GBP, this is also for both version (date and no date) and if you follow my reviews, you do not need me to tell you that this is quite an outstanding value.

The Porto Covo also comes in a variety of versions, from white textured, to a brushed silver and even a classic blue. I still think that our sample model with golden hands and no date is the sweet spot for this watch, but again, there is one almost for everyone.

Integrated bracelet are everywhere these days but there is something different about the Porto Covo. It is not trying to be the next ‘chic’ delicate watch, it is function over design but somehow, Borealis also made it very attractive.

For more information please visit: https://www.borealiswatch.com/en-gb/collections/borealis-porto-covo

Technical Specifications

• Balanced Proportions – 40 mm case, 42.5 mm lug-to-lug, 11.6 mm thickness

• Comfort Fit – 20 mm lug width with bracelet tapering 24 → 18 mm at the buckle

• Signature Dial – floating 3D indexes that shift with the light

• Reliable Precision – Miyota 9039 (no date) or 9015 (date) automatic movement

• Durability Assured – scratch-resistant sapphire crystal

• Brilliant Night Visibility – Swiss Super-LumiNova BGW9 lume or C3 lume

• Premium Build – 316L stainless steel case and bracelet

• Resilient Bezel – scratch-resistant ceramic insert

• True Diver Spec – 300 m water resistance

• Distinct Colorways – Black, Dark Blue, Silver, or White dial