Back to the basics – The Baltany 1963 Discoverer

Vintage is always a tricky because with time, everything becomes more deteriorated and rarer. The first part is what really concerns me mainly thinking that a watch must be worn and enjoyed, sure, rarity gives me a sense of uniqueness but being afraid as something is the sole example of a range, is a scary proposition.

Here is where homage watches make sense, modern capabilities from brands are quite superior to those in the past and also, the parts itself are not that so used. There is an artisanal element, specially on the dials that are unreplaceable with older vintage watches, dials and hands are done with upmost attention but automatization has gain quite a bit of a leap making details better. That said cases, more specifically their waterproofness, has been upgraded even surpassing established old brands with the next frontiers being bracelets, they are improving at  rapid pace in terms of solidity.

All of this brings us to the Baltany Explorer range and in detail, to the Discoverer 36mm in the tropical dial configuration. The amount of refinement that it brings is quite special with a well definer case, attention to detail with the dial and a bracelet to match. To describe it even further, it is like wearing a modern version of the Rolex Explorer 36 with a beautiful chocolate dial from a 1016.

I have handled both watches mentioned, and I have to say that the execution amazing and also it doesn’t feel gimmicky at all, it feels like it should.

Join me to discover this rare hidden piece from Baltany’s catalogue. Let’s begin.

Technical specifications

The 36mm case is spot on, is not the shape of the vintage 1016, it is mostly based on the latest Rolex Explorer iteration. The lugs are muscular with a solid bracelet and a milled clasp, it all feels as good as a watch costing at least 10 times the price and we will come to that later. Staying with the case a bit, the curves are well defined and the transitions from polished to brushed are quite nicely done and with the 43.5mm lug to lug distance, everything feels compact.

The dial is the novelty of the Discoverer, the 36mm stainless-steel case can be ordered with a black dial or a tropical one, the brown of the latter mimics degradation caused by time and finished the composition with painted beige numerals in an ‘’explorer’’ configuration. I quite enjoy that the dial has a lot of negative space with little an no writing, as I always said, there is no need to write a spec sheet on a canvas that looks like this.

The Mercedes hands and the pencil one combined well with the lollipop second hands and all of them include a dose of lume to make it functional unlike vintage counterparts. Both colors looks great and it is not an overdone look, even the dial has a gradient look that makes the triangle even easier to read.

The watch of course includes a screw down crown and a sloid caseback, giving the Discovery a 200 meters of water resistance which again, is something that I enjoy specially with this look. Inside the watch, we can find the Seiko NH38 Automatic Movement which is quite and reliable, there is no rotor noise at any point and it does feel quite solid, a worker.

On the wrist

This is one of the shorter lug to lug cases I’ve tried from Baltany and I have to say the wearing experience is outstanding. This is aided for the 12.2mm in thickness (or thinness) of the case, it feels planted and again very similar to the latest 36mm cases from Rolex, but it adds a great element to it which is the 20mm lug width of the bracelet.  This particular measurement provides a wider stand providing more presence to the wrist, it is quite a nice effect and at the beginning, I was worried that it would loose it’s vintage delicate charm, but it doesn’t, it feels correct.

The Discoverer is a watch that can be worn on any occasion, it is easy to pull with a suit, with gym clothes and also a nice sweater, it is that versatile. The brown dial might be harder to use than the black one but then, the hue and brown used, it is just ideal for have something different to the norm, it is not trying to be a something that is not, but something unique.

Oddly, I haven’t used the Discoverer with any other strap because the bracelet is just too good. The milled clasp is short which is a nice change from today’s longer ones, sure, there is no on the fly micro adjustment, but I do prefer a lighter and less complicated system. That said, I think the watch would look incredible on a grey or beige nylon strap, it is a good looking piece that feels like a strap monster.

Legibility it is also a strong point, the numerals are easy to read and the triangle at 12 provides good orientation. The hands feel sharp and well made, I really hope the macros make justice to the overall look and feel. The lume is also quite good and glows when even the smaller ray of light hits it, quite a lovely when combined a warm brown dial.

Concluding thoughts

Using a watch that looks like this everyday is quite strange, mainly because you feel that you not only have something very rare but also very delicate and I believe that this is the emotion that Baltany went for, they succeeded.

To me this is true luxury, the fact that you can use any object all the time, let alone a watch, it is the ultimate way to enjoy your toy or investment. Which brings us to the price of the Discoverer, Blatany is currently asking 225 GBP for this unique watch and this will include the stainless-steel bracelet.

I believe this is a solid value for a watch that not only performs in the mechanical front but also on the looks. If you are in the market for a 36mm do it all watch, this should be very high up on your list, specially if you want to experience vintage looks with vintage prices.

For more information please visit: https://baltany.co.uk/product/discoverer-tropical-dial-1963/?attribute_dial=Tropical+Brown&attribute_strap=Leather&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=17297678319&gbraid=0AAAAAojMyv3mtS6mcYO-XCK2YdOzfBBy5&gclid=Cj0KCQiAx8PKBhD1ARIsAKsmGbemF0LcZq3Wj6sTJ5z-C9dQi61a_gWQmLgUvuI3dVKD0ZKqB-L5C0IaApXzEALw_wcB

Technical Specifications

·       Movement Seiko NH38 Automatic Movement

·       Sapphire Glass with clear AR coating

·       Swiss Super-LumiNova® GL old

·       Case diameter 36mm

·       Case thickness 12.2mm (Including Glass)

·       Water resistance 200m Screw Down

·       Case length 43.5mm

·       Lug Width 20mm