Oh no, not yet another diver’s watch. This is usually my immediate and involuntary reaction when I hear a new microbrand making its debut with a diver. With Iridium my doubts dissipated as soon as I saw the pictures and now, that I have it on my wrist, I’m quite enthusiastic about it. It is a very interesting package; there is nothing revolutionary about it, yet, it is unlike anything I saw. Let’s see, why?

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The case is 42 mm, it would be close to the limits of my small wrist, but the way the lugs are embracing the wrist, it feels natural, not at all awkward or oversized. The Jubilee bracelet too plays very well its role in the comfort of wearing this watch. Most of the surfaces are brushed, with the exception of a few polished accents that bring sparkle to this tool. I find interesting the greyish hue of the satin-brushed metal, reminding me of titanium, but then the weight confirms that it is in fact 316L stainless steel. The 120 clicks unidirectional bezel offers a good grip and it offers a precise, solid feeling. 

The dial and the crystal! Ever since I spent some time with the ORIS Diver 65, I’m a big sucker for watches with domed crystal. The optical distortion these crystals introduce makes checking the time so much more enjoyable – the dial comes alive, it’s never the same. Now, add to this a sunburst dial and lume-filled stainless steel indexes and the party is on! The green has a unique hue, somewhere between teal and cyan, and because of the sunburst finish combined with the domed crystal, the watch looks like a semi-precious gem on a stainless steel bracelet. 

The painted minute marks are there, but they are mostly hidden, under the bezel, you have to look at the dial from an angle in order to see them magnified by the domed crystal. It’s a very interesting approach, this way the dial is not overcrowded, yet it has all the features you need for reading the time.

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The hours and minute hands are clearly visible and the orange second hand brings a bit of contrast to the green background.

In dark conditions, the Torpedo turns on the lights, generous amount of BGW9 lume is used on the bezel, the indexes and the hands. I was not expecting anything less from Niranjan, my fellow admin at the Microbrand Watches Facebook group, who is also a co-founder of Iridium. Dial making is one of his hobbies and he is passionate about luminous paints. The Iridium Torpedo is the proof. 

Under the hood, the Miyota 9015 automatic movement makes sure that everything runs smoothly and time is kept properly. There is not much to say about this movement, it is one of the most popular movements on the market. 

As I mentioned before, the Iridium Torpedo is a very interesting watch. It has this classic, timeless case, with a touch of vintage vibe. Very comfortable and of excellent quality! 

The Torpedo is still in the prototype phase and the crowdfunding for the production will go live later this month on Kickstarter. The pre-order price will start at $399 and the final retail price is US$549. Besides this green, there will be black and blue versions too. For more details about the brand visit https://www.iridiumwatches.com/