As I mentioned in our article on the Zew Box Luxury Watch Kickstarter, S&B Watches (also known as Smith & Bradley) was the main brand behind the club starting up. While the campaign has closed (and was fully funded), we got to spend a little bit of time with a S&B Watches Skyline, the Swiss automatic offered at one of the tiers in the club. So, you backers at the Executive Club level, consider this a preview of the watch you’ll be receiving.
I have reviewed most of the watches that S&B Watches have produced, and the S&B Watches Skyline is definitely a departure from what we’ve normally seen from the brand. While others are more tactically-aligned, the Skyline is definitely taking things in a dressier direction. First off, take a look at the dial. The waffle pattern is crisp, and offers an interesting play with light and shadow without being overly busy.
Over the top of that, the S&B Watches Skyline has a handset that is verging on being oversized, but I really, really like it. For one, it allows for a heaver outline on the hands, which makes reading the time a cinch. Additionally, it allows for hefty lume application, which matches up to the lumed stick indices that are applied on the top of the dial. When the lights go down, it’s a rather bright and readable light show you’ve got going on.
As you can see in the photos, the stock option for the S&B Watches Skyline is a metal mesh strap, which you can adjust fairly easily enough to get a good fit on your wrist. Should that not be to your liking, there’s also a nylon NATO strap options as well, or whatever you might have handy for slipping into the 22mm lugs.
Tucked inside the case of the S&B Watches Skyline is the well-known ETA 2824-2. I remember in earlier meetings with the brand (a few years back) ETA seemed out of reach for them (given all the supply issues) so they were investigating other avenues. It’s interesting to see that the brand has reached a place where ETA is definitely on their radar, and it doesn’t seem out of place for the brand to be offering it. It also lends some comfort to the buyer as well, given the serviceability (and reliability) of the movement itself.
So, how do you get yourself a S&B Watches Skyline? Well, if you didn’t jump in on that kickstarter campaign, you’re actually a bit out of luck. Early tiers had the watch coming in at $289, but as it stands right now, there are not any plans to offer this outside of the Zew Box club (membership has its privileges, it would seem). It’s not to say never, but for now, this is going to be a rare beastie to come across. smithbradleyltd.com
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Brand & Model: S&B Watches Skyline
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Price: $289 (this was the pricing on the tier in the KS campaign that was eligible for this watch)
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Who’s it for? You want an affordable Swiss automatic with a great dial
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Would I wear it? Yes, this could be in the rotation
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What I’d change: If the case was just a touch thinner, the proportions would be perfect
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The best thing about it: Along with the dial, I really dug the sizing of the handset. This led to some interesting effects when viewed in the dark
Tech Specs from S&B Watches
- Movement: ETA 2824-2 automatic
- Case
- 316L Stainless steel
- 42mm without crown
- 49mm lug-to-lug
- 22mm lugs
- 12mm thick
- Sapphire crystal, anti-reflective coating
- Crown: O-ring sealed (not screw-down)
- Metal mesh strap, fully adjustable
