Benjamin James Scarifour Classic: in review
A compact watch for dressier times
Today, we’re going to be taking you through a watch from a brand you’ve likely not heard about before - Benjamin James Watches. It’s a newer brand out of England (we first wrote about them here), and they’ve got a single design - the Scarifour - that come in a variety of case/bracelet finishes, dial variants, and even a full range movements (quartz, manually-wound, or automatic). We had the Benjamin James Scarifour Classic with a blue dial on the review desk for a little bit, so that’s what we’ll be talking about.
Benjamin James Scarifour Classic: what it is
Based on how the rest of the range shapes out, we’re saying that the Benjamin James Scarifour Classic is the base model of the range. While the watch itself doesn’t necessarily evoke a vintage re-issue, it definitely feels like it came out of a different era. You’ve got the smaller case (31mm x 40mm) topped with a polished bezel that looks like it was screwed into place. The bracelet, however, makes it feel more modern, with an H-link design that is integrated into the case.
While the dial design feels classic, the Classic model does give you some visual interest. This is via the chevron pattern embossed onto the dial, which does definitely do some interesting things in the light. As this is a dressier piece, there’s not a lot of lume present, but there is some on the handset, as well as some pips at the hour marks in the chapter ring. So, you won’t be checking the time in the middle of the night here, but you will be able to do a quick time check when the lights are going down in the theater.
Wearing the watch
That’s the real test, especially with a watch that is more compact. Fortunately, this design also brings a 9.5mm thickness to the table, which makes it very wearable. Once the bracelet was sized down, I slipped it on and went about my day. To put it simply, this was very wearable. In fact, with the bracelet tapering slightly from the case to the clasp, it didn’t feel overly bulky.
Now, what about telling the time? The polished handset stood out crisply against the dial, which made things easy. Yes, the handset is a bit smaller - given they’re on top of a smaller dial - but that doesn’t impact things all that much.
Just bear in mind that - while the watch isn’t fully polished, it does present as a dress watch. So, if you’re going business casual or more formal, you’ll be fine. However, kicking around on the weekend, it could come across as a bit too flashy for a truly casual fit.
Wrapping things up
If you’d like to pick one of these up (either in the blue that we reviewed, or one of the other four colors), you’ll just need to decide if you want the quartz movement or the manually-wound mechanical. The quartz is on offer for $655, while the mechanical is $1,137 (there are also some limited-edition versions at $1,330). Right now things look like they’re sold out, but you’ll be able to sign up for their waitlist and be notified when they’re available. That can be done over at benjaminjameswatches.com
Benjamin James Scarifour Tech Specs
Case
Case Size: 31mm by 40mm
Case Thickness: 9.5mm
Material: 316L Stainless Steel
Top Crystal: Sapphire with AR Coating
Water Resistance: 50 Meters
Movement
Movement options:
Mechanical: Swiss Made Sellita SW210-1 b Hand Wound
Quartz: Swiss Made Ronda 762E (10 Year Battery Life
The mechanical version has a K1 mineral crystal display window
Bracelet
Material: 316L Stainless Steel
Finishing: Horizontally brushed top surface with polished chamfers on each side. Polished center links with top and bottom chamfer.
Buckle: Butterfly folding buckle, half link included
Adjustment: High quality pin-and-collar system
Dial
Dial: Heraldry dial with horizontal graining
Hands: Brushed top surface with mirror-polished chamfers
Lume: BGW9 Swiss Super-LumiNova on hands only
Indexes: Solid applied, brushed top surface with mirror-polished chamfers