With a name like Spinnaker, you might expect this nautically-inspired company to produce a range of watches specifically designed for sailing. Instead, the Hong Kong-based brand produces watches that actually take in a wide variety of styles. One of the best-known line-ups in the range is the Bradner, named after American physicist Hugh Bradner from Nevada. Despite being born in a small landlocked mining town, Bradner is best known for inventing the neoprene wetsuit, and he also played a part in developing the atomic bomb during World War II. Clearly a man of many and versatile talents.
Spinnaker has been around for quite a number of years now but has only recently really begun to make a bigger mark on the international scene, thanks to watches that are right up there with the class leaders. The Spinnaker Bradner, which has undergone a number of evolutions over the years, is a good example: at first glance a handsome blue dive watch (although eight other colours are available) that made an instant impression when I pulled it out of the box. That’s mainly thanks to the vintage vibes, striking case, and oversized internal bezel, contained within a prominent TAG Heuer Carrera style ‘glassbox’. In fact, most aspects of this classic Spinnaker are generously sized – as soon becomes apparent.
Spinnaker Bradner Automatic
Hands-On..
The block hour markers are prominent, just like the hands, and the numbers on the bezel are magnified by the glassbox effect. There’s a noticeable rectangular date window at three o’clock, and the whole effect is best described as ‘blocky’ or ‘chunky’. So that’s immediately something I can relate to, as both myself and this watch share a similar build…
The Bradner’s case is made of 316L stainless steel and there’s an immediately pleasurable finish and feel to it, with a luxurious brushed finish (apart from the polished crowns). The domed sapphire crystal is another nice vintage touch, exaggerating the characteristics of the dial. Legibility is crystal clear, both in the light and darkness, although the lume perhaps didn’t appear to glow for as quite as long as other watches that have passed through my hands recently.
The most striking feature of the case is the imposing compressor style, with two crowns at two and four o’clock and that very distinctive inner rotating bezel. One crown sets the date and time, while the other operates the bezel. The first crown is screwed down, the second one isn’t – and occasionally results in the bezel moving when you don’t expect it to.
The diameter of the case is 42mm, but this is not the dimension that surprises the most.
Instead, the thickness of the whole watch takes some getting used to – but to be fair, there’s a lot going on within that corpulent case, with a tried and trusted Seiko NH three-hand movement powering the whole set up. Expect no problems on that front as it’s an impeccable Japanese movement, with a 41-hour power reserve, produced in quantities that help to keep the price down. It might not be the prettiest in the world, but you can see the movement at work through an exhibition case back: a significant move at this price point.
To look at, the Bradner is a handsome beast, with plenty of depth (in every sense). There are all the dive watch prerequisites, with water resistance rated to 18 ATM, or 180 metres. Not class-leading, and perhaps slightly at odds with that heavy duty compressor case, but more than adequate for the use that most people will put it through.
As for the blue dial on the watch that I tried, you can actually have three different shades of blue (Atlantic Blue, Pacific Blue, and Tidal Blue) in an elegant sunburst pattern. There are also two different shades of green offered, so allied to the different strap options that are available – both leather and a beads of rice metal bracelet, which seem to be of equally decent quality – the permutations are numerous.
For so many reasons, this is a watch that makes sense. But personally, I struggled a bit initially to make an instant connection with it. However, the more time you spend with it, the more it actually hangs together as a holistic design rather than a mish-mash of different influences, which was my first impression.
Disadvantages? It’s probably a ‘me’ thing, but I’m never especially fond of brand names that take up too much space on the dial: particularly if said brand is not especially well-known.
That’s nothing to do with brand snobbery; more that I think a reputation needs to be deserved and earned before it can be shouted too loudly from the rooftops – or at least occupy sizeable real estate on the tight confines of a watch dial. Not that the confines are particularly tight in this case: the Bradner feels quite big on the wrist, which is perhaps just an impression created by that oversized internal bezel and overall thickness. I rather like it, but it won’t suit smaller wrists.
Spinnaker’s big trump card is, of course, value: you can buy one of these for only just over £200 by choosing some of the watches that are currently on sale at the official website, which is really not a lot of money for plenty of watch.
The Bradner isn’t by any means perfect – despite years of searching, I’m convinced that the perfect watch doesn’t actually exist – but it is very good. This watch presents an excellent compromise that covers a variety of bases at a contained cost yet manages to look quite different to anything else. And has enough options to make you feel you are buying almost a unique piece.
Yet if you really want to own something that’s very distinct from anything else with the Spinnaker logo on it, the company has also just released a ‘Sponge Bob Square Pants’ limited edition (based on their Hass model): highly recommended for anyone who is a lifelong aficionado of underwater spongy cartoon characters. If not, just buy a Bradner.
