I absolute love dive watches. Can’t get enough of them. When looking for a good diver under $500 and with so many out there how do you decide which one to get? Well, Mercer Watch Co. out of New Jersey recently came out with their second dive watch, the Mercer Voyager II, and from what I am seeing, this one could make it on the shopping list. Mercer was kind enough to send me out the Mercer Voyager II Ocean for review, so lets check this one out and see of it’s one you would like to add to your collection.
The Dial
The Mercer Voyager II is a simple three hander with no date, which is all you need for a diver. The dial is a sandwich style with BG-W9 Superluminova lume which looks great glowing through the hour number/markers. The sword like hour and minute hands look great and have a good amount of lume. There is no lume on the second hand. Those hands are mounted to a reliable Seiko NH36 automatic movement. You can choose the Mercer Voyager II in either ocean blue or ebony. The ocean blue model looks great with the matte blue finish on the face of the dial. Covering the dial is a double-domed sapphire crystal with AR coating.
The Case
The Mercer Voyager II case is made from 316L stainless steel and measures in at 42mm wide and 13.4mm thick. There is a nice balance of brushed and polished finishes on this case that keep it from being to too flashy and also keeping it from being too bland. The nicest feature on this case is the 120 click ceramic bezel. That ceramic adds such a clean look while adding a bit of toughness to this case. Seeing ceramic on a watch less than 500 dollars is not that common and great to see on this one. Water resistance is a true divers requirement of 200 meters or approx. 660 feet. The signed screw down crown is smaller than I prefer but is in proportion to case size. On the back is a punch pressed case back depicting an old sailing ship going on its voyage.
The Strap
There are two strap options on the Mercer Voyager II. There is a cool Steel Milanese or silicone rubber. Both are offered for the same price, which is nice. I really like the rubber strap. Its a little on the stiff side, but is very comfortable and had a rugged feel. I would not worry about diving with this on. The pin and buckle clasp is small and stamped with the Mercer sword logo.
Overall Impression
I can honestly say there is nothing on the Mercer Voyager II that really bothers me. Its a well-built diver that would be at home both underwater and at the office. In my opinion, this watch has the look of a more high end time piece. Using quality materials such as sapphire crystal and ceramic for the bezel is great to see in a watch that sells for only $469.00 USD. I also like that they done charge more for the steel bracelet. You can check them out at mercerwatch.com.
Summary
- Brand and model: Mercer Voyager II Ocean
- Price: $469.oo
- Who’s it for? Divers and dressy tool watch lovers.
- Would I wear it? Absolutely.
- What I’d change: It’s so good the way it is.
- The best thing about it: Ceramic Bezel
Tech Specs from Mercer
- 42mm diameter 316L stainless steel case
- 13.5mm thick
- Seiko NH36 automatic movement
- Double-domed sapphire crystal with AR
- Punch pressed case back
- Sandwich style dial with BG-W9 Superluminova
- 22mm lug width
- 120 click unidirectional C3 lumed ceramic bezel
- Silicone rubber strap and signed buckle
- 20 ATMs water resistance (200 meters)
- Signed, screw down crown
- Two year limited warranty
