Ever since seeing a post about the NA52 line from a new, American designed watch company, New Britain Corp (NBC), I was intrigued. As luck would have it, I found myself in NYC a few weeks ago, which has one of the only jewelers stocking the watches so I went for a look. I loved them so much, I ended up walking out with the NA521, black dial w/ brown strap. After wearing it for a week or so, here's my review.
The Vitals
CASE DIAMETER 45mm
CASE HEIGHT 13.2mm
WATER RESISTANCE 5ATM
MOVEMENT TYPE modified Unitas 6498/1
STRAP MATERIAL calf leather
The Box
I have to make special mention of the box that the watch came in. NBC has said that their inspiration was american motorcycles, 1950's CA & the good old USA. Well, the box that the watch comes in is an artillery style brick:
I was surprised to get through the airport without any questions :)
The Good
This entire watch is well built & designed, with several nice touches that I really love. Looking at the dial:
and crown / bezel:
1. Most noticeable for me is the distinct face. Whereas most watches try and smooth out the face, NBC decided to try and mimic the look & feel of a old motorcycle dial with a textured dial.
2. The large minute dial with 1-60 in lieu of 1-12 hour marking. It's a refreshing look and actually makes telling time a bit quicker at a glance.
3. The two screws at the 7 & 38 positions. These aren't for everyone, but for me, they're great.
4. The coining around the bezel adds to the industrial, americana feel.
5. The red New Britain Corp crown. Just the right amount of color for the watch. It really makes it pop.
Even though the watch is made to look as american as possible, the movement is all swiss:
NBC finished the movement with the same touch as the rest of the watch with sandblasting & polish.
The watch does wear big. Not nearly as big as some tool watches, though. Here is watch compared to a Tissot Seastar:
I don't mind the size at all, but it is a bit thick when trying to wear it with a jacket & shirt. This watch won't appeal to those who want slim, thin watch. YMMV
The Bad
I have two issues with the watch, one big and one small. First, the small one. The running seconds on the dial has a very audible ticking sound. So audible you can hear it, a la 60 minutes, if it's quiet enough where you are.
The bigger issue for me is the strap. The strap itself is well made & high quality, but it's extremely rigid. Before wearing it, I had to manually bend it back and forth several times to loosen it up. I'm hopeful that the strap will loosen up further with more wear.
It's also a little difficult to close tightly. I end up wearing the watch a little loose because when it's on, I can't use one hand to close it tightly. I end up pressing so hard, I think going to bend the buckle & clasp. It's like wrestling with rawhide.
The strap itself is also big & thick. For example, the buckle is bigger than a quarter:
When the watch is closed, the buckles size is even more pronounced:
Despite the above, I'm hopeful that the strap will age well, like an old leather jacket or baseball mitt. Maybe that's what they intended ?
Ending
Strap shortcomings aside, I still think this is a great watch. It's well built, with a good movement & several traits that make it a unique timepiece. It's consistently been a conversation starter & I love the look. Some don't like the black on brown, but I think it matches my style perfectly. I think NBC has built something here that's going to get better with age & wear, like a good watch should. I'm really enjoying it.
- gc_watch