The Fourth Wheel, Issue 101
Review: Baltic Hermetique Tourer, plus TAG Heuer's revived Formula 1
Hello and welcome back to The Fourth Wheel, the weekly watch newsletter which begins this week with some personal news. As of yesterday, May 2nd, I no longer work at Mr Porter. After four years as their resident watch geek, it was time to move on to new things. What that means for you, my loyal readers, is that I will have more time to spend on all things TFW and the various additional projects I announced last week won’t send me into a spiral of exhaustion. Hopefully.
It also means that, hilariously enough, this modest side hustle is now my most reliable source of income. This isn’t a pity plea - I only want you to subscribe to The Fourth Wheel because you believe it’s worth it - but if you have been on the fence about taking out a paid subscription, now would be a fantastic time to do so. I promise I’ll do my best to make it worth your while.
It might also mean that some subjects that were previously off the table, or that had to be handled somewhat diplomatically, are now a bit easier to approach. Not this week though: it is a long-awaited return to the business of reviewing watches, as I take a look at the Baltic Hermetique and have some thoughts about entry-level value. Enjoy!
The Fourth Wheel is a reader-supported publication with no advertising, sponsorship or commercial partnerships to influence its content. It is made possible by the generous support of its readers: if you think watch journalism could do with a voice that exists outside of the usual media dynamic, please consider taking out a paid subscription. You can start with a free trial!
Here’s a little taste of what you might have missed recently:
News About The Future Of The Fourth Wheel
Revolution At Bremont
Roger Smith on British Watchmaking
Where Are All The Risk-Takers?
The Dying Art Of The CEO Interview
Review: Baltic Hermetique Tourer
Some things in life are so simple they actually present quite a challenge for the critical eye. It’s like trying to prise a crowbar into the smoothest surface. The Baltic Hermetique Tourer isn’t quite that elemental, but it is the simplest watch I’ve taken it upon myself to review, and its appeal is so obvious at first sight that it takes some sizing up before finding that first crack that’ll give some purchase1.
Of course, simple things can still be reviewed in detail, and sometimes the simpler the concept, the easier it is to mess it up. The Hermetique is Baltic’s take on a field watch, the designs so straightforward even soldiers could use them (kidding! Stand down, internet warriors). I mean, the designs whose simplicity emerged from pure necessity as they equipped the infantrymen of WW2. The Hermetique sticks to the basic script: a 37mm stainless steel case, a three-hand movement and a wide, clean dial with good legibility both during the day and at night. But once you look a little closer, the Hermetique is kinda fancy in places. Have they messed it up?
There is a very specific kind of tool watch devotee for whom any embellishment or nod to stylistic concerns is an unforgivable distraction from their true purpose. They like Sinn, and Marathon, and probably have two hundred tins of beans in a bunker in the woods. Baltic isn’t for them. I’m not saying this watch couldn’t survive the outbreak of nuclear war (although neither I, nor the brand, are making any promises) but that if you confuse this with a bare-bones field watch you are making a mistake.
The brand riffs on classic templates (doesn’t everyone?) and adds a few flourishes to elevate the watch above pure utility and - let’s face it - align a bit more closely with current tastes and trends. Again - who doesn’t? The first thing to address is the colour: Baltic offers this watch in blue, green, sandy-beige or a rich maroon. There isn’t even a black or white option - that’s your first clue that total field-watch nerds aren’t the target market. (Baltic has more recently made the simply lovely Glacier limited editions in black and white, but they are more fancy, not less.)
This is a good green. It’s matte, and almost completely textureless - under a loupe you can just make out a very faint eggshell finish. It reminds me of Land Rovers and wellington boots. It’s a good contrast to the applied hour markers and numerals, which are moulded from solid Super-Luminova C3 X1 and stand 0.5mm tall. The solid block lume is probably the watch’s standout feature. Like all applied markers, they add visual depth (obviously) and an impression of quality, and I appreciate that Baltic hasn’t gone for a faux-patina shade of ‘heritage lume’ despite the watch’s link to historic field watches. The Arabic numerals aren’t too big, which might have been a temptation - in fact, the longer I spend with it, the more I feel that the dainty numerals play a big role in emphasising the modest dimensions of the whole watch - other details like the crown, which I’ll return to in a second, also help. I’ve had this watch for long enough to say that the 3D lume really does make a difference - it’s better than my Seiko Prospex divers (which in themselves are much better than many watches ten times the price), and better than my Oris Diver’s Sixty-Five.
Sticking with the dial, we haven’t got to my favourite feature yet. The baton lume markers extend inwards from the black outer section (which holds a very appropriate railroad minute track) to the central green area, and in doing so they actually straddle a little V-shaped incision between the two. It looks as though the inner and outer sections of the dial each have a finely-polished bevelled edge, forming this V-shaped ring when they meet. I love it, because it’s totally unnecessary yet it manages to enhance the appeal of the dial without detracting from its legibility one bit. Combined with the polished bezel, it gives you two concentric rings that catch the light, and provides a smart contrast to the matte green and black sections. (Baltic says the black chapter ring is brushed, but that’s impossible to make out.) More things I like: the logo printing is very discreet both in size, weight and colour, and the only other dial text (‘Hermetique 150m’) is also restrained. The syringe hands aren’t particularly special - there’s a nice concave curvature to the tips, I suppose - but that’s totally fine. The lollipop seconds hand is the right choice, and all three are the right length. The whole thing is topped with a box sapphire crystal, which I guess we can thank TAG Heuer for, although everyone will say they’re taking direct inspiration from vintage pieces.
The case is not going to detain us for long. It’s a one-piece construction in 316L stainless steel with a circular brushed finish top and bottom - a sensible option that contrasts nicely with the bezel. There’s no bevelling to the edges, the sides are dead perpendicular and the edges are sufficiently well defined without having that unpleasant sharpness that can come from cheaply-stamped parts. The lugs are drilled - tool watch fanboys rejoice - and finish in a neat point. They don’t drop far from the case middle, but with a 37mm diameter and this floppy tropic strap they don’t really need to. Lug-to-lug is 46mm, and what’s even nicer is that Baltic prints the lug width - 20mm - on the inside of the rubber strap. They know you’re going to put this on a grey NATO. The strap itself is comfortable, and perforated and textured enough underneath that your skin can breathe. On the outside it’s got a nice cross-hatched pattern.
The case back is very simple - perhaps a bit too obvious where costs have been saved - but I honestly can’t say it would bother me. There’s a screw-fit solid back with a simple laser-engraved spec box that’s reminiscent of military storage labelling. As with the dial, there’s one last feature that really forms part of the watch’s identity, and that’s the recessed crown.
We’re reaching the first thing I have a bit of a problem with. The crown is very thin and recessed into the case to the extent that it’s almost perfectly flush. The obvious advantage is you’re unlikely to knock it; the disadvantage is that winding is a little bit more fiddly; you have to hook a fingernail in from the back and it takes a careful grip to operate. No big onions here. Now in the real world, I’ve been trying to decide what bothers me more. I’ve never whacked a watch on its crown, although I guess the retort to that is that is only has to happen once to regret it, whereas I will wind or set this watch every couple of days and I do find it takes a bit of getting used to. A screw-down crown might feel more sturdy, although isn’t strictly part of the field watch DNA, and it’s true that either a typical crown or a set of crown guards would really change the look of the watch. Doing it this way does have a practical element, but mostly it feels like an aesthetic choice - function has, for once, followed form. Ultimately, I think I’d live with it because I’m a fan of the slim proportions of the whole watch (did I mention it’s 10.8mm thick?) but it is probably the one thing with potential to annoy an owner over time.
So much for the outside of the watch: what about what lies within? The Baltic Hermetique is powered by a Miyota 9039 automatic; this is a Japanese calibre with a 42 hour power reserve and claimed daily variance of -10/+30 seconds. It beats at 28,800 vph and the seconds hack. It’s not finished with any particular decoration - hence the closed caseback - and its main selling point is its low height of 5.64mm. Just as the colour, the lume and the crown are probably the features that draw customers in (according to taste), the movement is probably the one thing that’s going to make serious watch buyers pause. But is that fair? It’s probably time we talked about price, and the competition.
On the rubber strap, as I have it, Baltic charges 550 euros for the Hermetique. That’s £470 or $587 at the time of writing. Any way you cut it, that’s quite cheap for a ‘proper’ watch, let alone one that looks as smart as this. But if you’re not convinced, let’s see what’s out there.
Probably the closest match is the Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical. It’s 38mm, but has a full crown so will feel that tiny bit bigger again. Case style is almost identical, and you get a textile or leather strap instead of tropic FKM rubber. The dial is much simpler, all flat-printed, and there’s a date window (opinions will vary as to whether that’s a plus or a minus). Biggest visual difference for me is the loss of the solid block lume, and the other more stylish touches. The price is £545, and the movement is a hand-wound ETA (H50 as Hamilton calls it) with 80 hrs in the tank.
Also in the frame is the 39mm is the Christopher Ward C63 Sealander Automatic. This runs on a Sellita SW-200 auto, is a bit thicker than the Baltic, has the same 150m water resistance and a date at 6 o’clock. The dial has a distressed texture to it that’s kind of interesting but the watch’s look, as a whole, is a bit more heavy-set. The applied markers, slightly-too-big hands, and thicker case proportions all make it feel a fair bit bigger than the Baltic. It’ll set you back £685.
You could look at the 38mm Seiko Alpinist SPB211J1 , which is about the right size, hits the same sort of notes, and has a similarly unremarkable movement (the 70hr 6R35, varying -15/+25 seconds a day) but I will say that as the owner of several Seiko Prospex models, the fit, finish and build quality are all much higher on the Baltic. It costs £610 and you’re not getting a watch with anything like such a premium feel, and again, no solid lume.
What about other smaller brands? I’m comfortable saying the Hermetique is better-looking and better specced than anything else I can find at a similar price. You could spend half the money on something like a Boldr, which I haven’t got first-hand experience of, but clearly lacks the dial detail although does bring a Seiko calibre and other decent specs to the table - personally, I think it looks its £245 price. Farer’s Resolute II is probably it’s closest match, and it does have block lume2 (although they put black paint on the top). It’s 39.5mm across and uses a La Joux-Perret calibre, which you can admire through the caseback if you want. It costs £895, and most of the increase in price is going into buying a Swiss made movement, however it’s worth noting that the LJ-P G101 is basically a clone of the Miyota 9039 with better finishing, and ultimately both companies are owned by Citizen, so ask yourself what you’re really paying for. Better daily accuracy, yes, and a movement you can look at, but it’s hardly a Lange.
Also using the La-Joux Perret is the AnOrdain Model 2 in a 36mm case, which is a bit of a leftfield choice for a field watch, but does have a green dial and the right kind of overall vibe. You pay £1,825+VAT though, which is a great price for an enamel dialled watch, but four times the cost of our Baltic. After extensive searching, I think that if you want something with tool watch DNA, cult-favourite indie brand appeal and acceptable mechanical specs, your best alternative is the Unimatic U2. It’s more clearly inspired by a 1970s case shape than the 1940s field watch style, is thicker and less lumed, but it has a certain something about it. The classic version, in black, is Euros 425 + tax, so a very close match to the Baltic, but if you want one in green you’ll have to buy the limited edition U2S-80, which is almost twice as much at Euros 750 + tax. Unimatic uses Seiko movements, with 38hr power reserve and similar daily rate. You get a brushed 316L steel case, 300m water resistance (they are, at heart, more dive watches than field watches) and two olive drab straps as standard (rubber and textile).
I was motivated to write this review for two reasons: firstly I have been admiring Baltic from afar for some time, but only just now got round to wearing one for any length of time, and secondly, the recent observation that no British brand has been able to achieve the same kind of cult appeal, despite us having several watch companies that are, shall we say, fishing in the same waters. I didn’t necessarily expect to come out crowning it best in class, and I think it’s important to caveat my conclusion with the obvious truth that if you just want a field watch, or something close to it, with no-nonsense looks and a fairly decent movement, you can probably get the basic experience for less. But I am hard-pushed to think of a watch that offers the same balance of delicate design, build quality, everyday wearability and thoughtful practical touches (like the lume!) for anything like the same budget.
From Baltic’s debut as a brand, I was sceptical - for all that the designs were evidently handsome, they felt a bit derivative, especially the Aquascaphe and Bicompax, which were the models that early fans flocked to. Now that impression may or may not be fair - I stress, that was an observation formed at a distance - but I feel like the Hermetique (together with the Prismic and MR01) is a cut above and is starting to endow the brand with an identity that goes beyond that of a value proposition. Of course, it is leaning on decades of mainstream watch history, but I feel it adds enough to the basic formula to stand on its own two feet, and rather than being too fancy, has the kind of personality that really impresses. Why, and whether, it’s the kind of recipe that British watch companies would do well to follow, is probably enough material for another newsletter. Farer and Christopher Ward are closest to it, but there are substantial differences. The former has most of the ingredients to be beloved of industry insiders, but I would posit has not marketed itself in that direction, while Christopher Ward finally achieved cult fave status with the Bel Canto, but generally lacks the design chops to see the same kind of love for its lower-priced pieces. Both brands have much larger ranges than Baltic and I dare say higher volumes too, but it still goes to show, the devil really is in the details.
Quick Links
Why Are Platinum Watches More Expensive Than Gold?, at Time + Tide
More thorough than I was expecting, but this story misses a couple of potentially relevant angles. First is that although it acknowledges the importance of marketing in the price positioning of different case metals, it doesn’t go far enough. The mark-up for precious metals over steel bears little relation to the price of gold; it is all about prestige. Secondly, although it acknowledges that platinum is more abundant than gold, it doesn’t really explain that mining and extracting platinum is harder to do. The other point is that much of this article relies on current market prices for gold and platinum, leaning heavily on the fact that gold actually costs more than twice as much by weight than platinum. But that’s right now; at times in the past, platinum has been more expensive than gold, and the hierarchy of pricing stays the same.MoonSwatch Prices Crater As Demand Falls Back To Earth, at WatchPro
To the extent that secondary market pricing is a good indicator of overall demand for something, this is what we’ve all been expecting to happen for a while. It’s obvious - the question is whether Swatch Group anticipated it or (as Rob somewhat implies) has been banking on repeating the MoonSwatch success year after year. People are very poor at dealing with above-average success: if you have a terrible year, you’ll be quick to write it off as a one-off, because that’s what you want it to be, but the minute a company has a soaring success, they think the exact opposite and expect to be able to sustain that level of performance. As Rob drily notes at the end of the story: Swatch Group shares are down 36 per cent in the last year.What Makes Me Tick: Mr Lucien Laviscount, at Mr Porter
The last watch story published under my tenure! I long ago stopped referring to my Mr Porter work here as ‘self-promotion corner’ because quite frankly, this entire endeavour is self-promotion. But if you are so inclined, I recommend browsing back through the Mr Porter Journal under the Watches section. You’ll find a variety of stories that, modesty be damned, I think is hard to match elsewhere.Explained: Bovet Solves Daylight Savings Time in the Wristwatch, at Watches by SJX
It’s all about the rollers, and I’m not talking about Silver Shadows or the things an 80s mob wife would put in her hair. David Ichim, once again, bringing the technical perspective to Bovet’s busy-busy worldtimer.
And Finally…
The long-awaited return of the TAG Heuer Formula 1 finally came this week, and the unexpected twist was that it came in partnership with New York streetwear retailer and label Kith. In some ways this makes perfect sense: the hype around the F1 and the manner of its return (collab design, limited edition, range of poppy colours) is straight out of the streetwear playbook. It’s peak ‘watch culture in 2024’; equal parts MoonSwatch and Bamford Watch Department, pitched directly at the 45 year old nostalgia-bro who collects Lego supercar sets and has a skateboard in his office. It’s quartz because a) it’s authentic and b) this isn’t about watchmaking, this is about social currency.
In other ways, it’s baffling, maddening and frustrating. There will be thousands of die-hard TAG Heuer fans for whom Kith means absolutely nothing, and I think will be searching for a valid, non-cynical reason why they’re involved at all. If there was some kind of meaningful connection, fair enough, but it seems to begin and end at “you’ve got a customer base that’s absolutely gagging for this stuff and won’t flinch at the price.” Ok, so Kith CEO Ronnie Fieg had one when he was younger but, you know, so did 3 million other people. TAG Heuer didn’t need a third party’s involvement for this to be a roaring success - the entire watch world knew it was coming at some point3, in some form, and all I can reason is that the brand’s market positioning dictates it wouldn’t produce a watch like this at a lower price (something around the $500-$750 mark would sort of seem ‘right’), therefore working with Kith, and in limited quantities, helps to justify the price tag and therefore enables the whole thing to get made in the first place. Which is, as I said, fairly cynical. I particularly find the replacement of TAG in the logo with Kith a bit jarring - how many brands do you know that’ll actually edit their own logo? - and feel like if this had been a TAG Heuer project, with maybe 3 special Kith editions included as part of the launch, that might have pleased more people and still brought in the demographic TAG Heuer clearly wanted to attract.
Congratulations to Michel Nydegger, who has been promoted to CEO of Greubel Forsey. I’ve met Michel a few times and he’s a lovely guy who seems to have a strong understanding of the brand’s customer, but no-one saw this coming. Antonio Calce stepping back to Vice-President; the recent doubt case on production growth and the factory expansion… there is more to this story and I’m eager to find out. Greubel Forsey, for me, has been on something of a pedestal at times - in pure watchmaking or finishing terms I think it should be being discussed in the same breath as FP Journe, De Bethune, Voutilainen or Romain Gauthier, yet somehow it has always existed slightly off to one side. SJX reports the rumour that Greubel Forsey might be looking for investors, and that ‘a consortium’ led by ‘a well-known industry personality’ might be about to take over. He means Francois-Henry Bennahmias, formerly of AP, who I reported a couple of weeks ago to be potentially at the helm of a Saudi-backed luxury group. Nydegger laughed off the suggestion on Instagram, but that doesn’t mean there’s no truth to it. Greubel Forsey would be a great top-end brand for a group portfolio.
That’s all for this week - thanks for reading!
Chris
I don’t mean a flaw - simply the design choices that let you start getting under a watch’s skin.
Can you tell I really like the lume?
Another example of word leaking out sufficiently to let those in the know snap up every decent example on eBay; Hodinkee’s article even references this exact behaviour.
Congratulations on making the jump to indie writing, and great review!
One correction on Unimatic’s field offerings: while the U2 has a Seiko movement, the U2S is thinner thanks to its SW200 movement. All of their U2S watches have this movement.
Excited for your new chapter! Hope it’s not
A super stressful transition for you and the fam!