Spinnaker Tesei Titanium SP-5084-11
Inspiration Behind Tesei Titanium
Here today for review is the Spinnaker Tesei Titanium reference SP-5084-11. A stunning timepiece but is a little expensive at its MSRP, but we’ll get to that later on. Firstly the Spinnaker Tesei Titanium is a well built sturdy timepiece based upon the design cues laid by the Rolex Submariner. A watch many collectors would love to own, but for many is unattainable. The Spinnaker Tesei Titanium offers a watch of a similar style but has again done a really good job of avoiding a full-on clone. Instead, Spinnaker has used some of its own design features that have made its original Spinnaker Tesei Titanium desirable and popular. I’ll make no bones about it this is the best Spinnaker Watch I’ve reviewed and I’ve owned plenty of them.
Available Options
Dial
The beautiful textured dial is in-keeping with other Spinnaker watches. Again the Spinnaker Tesei Titanium is no different from the previous layout of the watch released in 2018. But there have been improvements in the lume on the applied on the sliver indices and hands. These are now coated with X-1 Swiss Super Luminova. Beneath the 12 o’clock lies the Spinnaker logo in applied silver text. At 3 o’clock is the date complication window which is framed nicely by a silver frame. Above the 6 o’clock from top to bottom are the printed words Automatic (white), 660ft / 200M (red), & Titanium (white). The dial is extremely well balanced and very legible in natural daylight although the anti-reflective coating softens the look of the textured dial. At night this watch glows and again offers excellent legibility due to the application of the X-1 Swiss Super Luminova.
Movement
Underneath the dial lies the Seiko NH-35 self-winding movement. This workhouse movement offers 21,600 mph, bi-directional (Magic lever) winding, hacking, hand winding, date calendar, and a 41-hour power reserve. Above all else, this movement is easily serviced by any watchmaker and is a good solid choice for a watch in this price range.
Case & Bracelet
Constructed out of grade 2 titanium and hardened by Nitrogen for increased scratch resistance, the case offers a very pale grey colour at first. After a period of about a week, the case appears to settle and a darker grey and develops a unique patina on both the watch head and bracelet. I really like the way this has developed as it adds character to the watch! Like its predecessor, the watch is 43mm in diameter, 13 mm thick, and 50mm lug to lug. However, the watch sits beautifully on my 7.5″ wrist. And is extremely comfortable to wear given its overall weight with the bracelet of 130g. Personally, I’d be reluctant to change the bracelet for a strap.
Firstly this watch marks up easy and can easily be scratched. Secondly, the strap is less likely to make a great deal of difference to the weight or wrist balance. One thing to note is that the scissor clasp and buckle attached to the bracelet is made from stainless steel. According to Spinnaker, this is because the amount of increased friction on the locking system and is to prevent wearing out.
A uni-directional bezel with 120 clicks is very nice. However, the bezel does not have enough resistance for use as a tool watch and this is a huge mistake given its market placement and price. It does however have applied X-1 Swiss Super Luminova which again is great in low light conditions. This makes the bezel action a little puzzling really, given that the rest of the watch is built for a premium watch at its price point. The Spinnaker Tesei Titanium comes with all the other aspects of a dive watch. Water resistance to 200m, Sapphire crystal, extendable bracelet, and built-in crown guards.
Watch Gallery
Packaging Improvements
Something that has to be noted is the fact that Spinnaker has improved upon their watch packaging. There is a new outer box and design is a massive improvement in the previous packaging. And with this Spinnaker Titanium Tesei comes a sturdy Pelican case. On arrival, the watch is completely wrapped to protect it from damage or fingerprints during the shipping process. I’m highly impressed with this improvement and show spinnaker is listening to its customer base.
SPECIFICATION
- Seiko NH-35 self-winding movement
- 21,600 mph, bi-directional (Magic lever) winding
- Hacking
- Hand winding
- Date calendar
- 41 hour power reserve
MATERIAL : Titanium
DIAMETER (mm) : 43
THICKNESS (mm) : 13
SHAPE : Round
COLOUR : Titanium
BEZEL : Unidirectional Bezel with Ceramic Plate
DIAL COLOUR : Black
TYPE : Titanium Bracelet
COLOUR : Titanium
BUCKLE : Fold Over Buckle with Safety Lock and Push Button (Stainless Steel)
WIDTH (mm) : 22
WATER RESISTANCE : 20 ATM/ 200M
WATCH WEIGHT (g) : 130
WARRANTY : 2 Years International
- This Tesei Titanium is extremely well balanced because of the materials used and feels very light given its weight of 130g
- I personal love diver watches so the style of this watch really speaks to me.
- A textured dial on a watches offers beautiful depth to the timepiece.
- X-1 Swiss Super Luminova.
- The price is very close to other watch brands at this price point that offer excellent alternatives.
- The case and bracelet is a finger print magnet on arrival.
- Micro adjustment 3 is pointless given it can’t be used because of its proximity to the extendable clasp.
- Bezel action doesn’t have enough resistance for a tool watch.
Final Thoughts
Would I buy this watch? Well, the answer is simple. Yes, I would, but at the price point of £495, the watch is expensive. However, given our discount code, you can save 20% which brings the watch price to £396 Saving a whopping £99. As you can see from the review there is a couple of minor issues with the timepiece as mentioned in the dislike section. And one that really needs looking at in the next iteration, being the bezel resistance. Apart from these, it’s a beautiful watch and I think is a bargain at the discounted price point. I really enjoy wearing the Spinnaker Tesei Titanium due to its low weight and beautiful textured dial.
From a personal perspective this is Spinnakers best watch and if the recent watches are anything to go by they’ll continue to get better and better. The major problem with this is the increase in price as the quality inevitably gets better. This could be a problem for Spinnaker in the future as it prices out some of its core fans out of its market!
If you’d like to purchase this or any other Spinnaker watch use code: JUNKY20 for 20% off!
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