Who? G. Gerlach, that’s who. They’re a new watch company based in Poland, and they’re making watches that are a tribute to crews of two submarines, the ORP Sokol and ORP Dzik.
Of course, if you’re going to honor the Polish Navy, and these specific vessels, you’ve definitely got some heritage to lean on, and G. Gerlach has definitely done that. They acknowledge that the original Navy-issue watch was the Vostok Amphibian, and as such, they’ve drawn design inspiration from those watches.
Here, we’ve got a 42mm solid stainless steel case with strap attachment points part of the single unit. So, rather than lugs, you’re actually attaching the strap in a slightly different manner. It’s hard to tell without seeing the piece up close to know how this might impact fit and/or comfort, but it certainly looks interesting.
The uni-directional, lumed bezel is wrapping around a sapphire crystal that’s actually 2.7mm thick (to improve water resistance). This water resistance rating of 200 meters is also assisted by the screw-down crown and screw-in caseback. This is all done to keep the Seagull ST 2551 automatic movement ticking away.
That particular movement can be hand-wound, and is hacking (this means the second hand stops while you set the time), and has an estimated 45 hour power reserve. Frankly, I’m happy to see the Seagull movement being used by another small watch manufacturer. Not so much because it’s a Seagull, but for the fact that it’s breaking from the norm of using an ETA or Miyota movement. Variety is good, and will force some competition.
Last, but not least, the watch sits on a 22mm leather strap, and is available with either a black or white dial. Depending on the dial selected, you’ll have different contrast stitching on the strap. Frankly, both the white and black dials look good to my eyes, and overall presents a nicely sized and compact watch.
If you’re interested, you can pick up one of this limited edition (500 of each color) for under $300, at current conversion rates. Just head on over here, and let ’em know WWR sent you.
