WatchAdvice
Hands on with the Baltic Aquascaphe
Introduction French micro-brand Baltic first popped up on my radar back in 2019 after making a splash on social media, and across watch media. What caught my attention was how this entry-level brand seamlessly entered the collection’s of several high profile watch collectors, and onto the wrist’s of a couple of highly-respected watch editors. Intrigued initially by the Instagram hype and drawn in by the rave reviews from trusted friends, I knew it was time to take a closer look. Being an unapologetic fan of the dive watch who was entering the peak of Australian Summer, I thought it only appropriate to get my hands on the Baltic Aquascaphe. Of the combinations offered, I opted for the Black and Silver, with both a bracelet and additional rubber strap. The Dial and Hands Interestingly within Baltic’s Aquascaphe collection, the brand offers two dial variants – a grain finish and a sunray finish. The grainy dial (WHICH THIS ONE HAS) adds lots of texture, which combined with the ‘sandwich style’ markers, brings a lot of character to an otherwise subtle watch. The cleanliness of the white super-luminova markers offer contrast to the textured dial. The double-domed sapphire crystal gives perfect clarity as you gaze at the pebbly black dial, whilst oozing vintage charm. Baltic’s use of sapphire extends to the unidirectional black bezel to add some extra-depth, and emulate the bakelite bezels of yesteryear. The curved sapphire crystal across these two important watch ...