For those of you who know me, I don’t need to tell you how much of a fiend I am for online retail. From home appliances and phone accessories to pocket squares and colorful socks, I try to do it all online. And while e-commerce is a relatively new concept to the otherwise conservative world of high-end watches, I see more and more brands venturing into the unknown with their own official e-shops. But let’s face it, how many of us would be willing to shell out 4 or 5 figures on a luxury watch we’ve never tried on or even seen in the metal?
Luckily, Linde Werdelin have come up with what I consider the ideal solution: an obligation-free “test drive” service, where you can try any of the watches in their collection for five days at absolutely no cost. All they ask for is to authorize a guarantee of 30% of the timepiece’s price on your credit card as security, plus pay the shipping costs for those of you in more exotic locales.
As I’ve already reviewed their Spoidolite Tech II Green, I decided to give one of their dive watches a try, the Oktopus II Double Date in yellow. All I had to do was print out, sign and email back a few forms, plus provide my card details. In a few short days, the UPS man rang at my door with a substantial package from London (where LW’s head office is based).
My first impression was “wow, this definitely isn’t a Spidolite!”. Having had the pleasure of trying out the mind-numbingly light Spidolite Tech II in carbon and ceramic, I was taken away by just how much more hefty the Oktopus II looked and felt. Surprising really, as you’d expected the faceted Titanium case to be somewhat lightweight. And while I wouldn’t call the watch hulking, it felt far more solid and substantial than other Titanium cases I’ve come across.
The screwed-down caseback is laser-engraved with an octopus drawing, and offers the watch a water-resistance of up to 300 meters.
One of the things that drew me to the Oktopus II is the ceramic bezel. If you’ve ever owned a ceramic watch, you’ll know that it is perhaps the absolute perfect bezel material thanks to its hardness that renders it virtually scratchproof. I like how this is finished in a circular satin-brushed pattern, which contrasts nicely against the faceted satin and matte Titanium case.
Another detail I absolutely love that you’ll find on just about any LW piece is the tension disks found under the screws, often done in the same color tone as the other elements on the watch.
The crown guard, which sort of reminds me of a single-lens dive mask, is crafted from DLC-treated steel, protecting the screw-down crown engraved with an octopus.
The partially open dial reveals parts of the custom-made Dubois Depraz movement beneath, most noticeably the bid gate done in a skeleton bright yellow disk rather than a more traditional printed date wheel set. The dial features circular Côtes de Genève stripes around the circumference, with a central matte black element that faintly makes out an octopus. The dial is set with applied hour markers at th3 3.6 and 9 o’clock positions, filled with bright (almost neon in fact) yellow paint. And while I might have preferred some Super-Luminova, these are bright enough to stand out; even underwater I’m sure. The other hour markers and modern Dauphine hands are tipped with Super-Luminova however, so it’s not like the watch is totally unreadable in the dark.
One of the most surprising elements for me was the strap, a componenet we often take for granted. While I’ve come across and own my fair share of rubber straps, I have to say the Linde Werdelin rubber strap is one of the softest and most supple I’ve ever tried; which is especially remarkable given its thickness. I don’t know whether it’s because of the natural rubber used or some other additive (silicone perhaps?), but I like it.
On the wrist, the Oktopus II surpassed all my expectations. Given its generous proprtions, I expected to wear more clumsily on my dainty wrist; like an ingot of solid metal bobbing up and down my wrist (a bit like how my Reverso does). But given the choice of materials, the balanced weight and the absence of lugs, the Oktopus II fitted far better than I had anticipated. It has the kind of uncomfortable heft to never feel overbearing, just enough for you to know it’s there. Needless to say, sending it back to Linde Werdelin was a doleful occasion.
If you’re even remotely interested in a Linde Werdelin watch, I highly recommend giving their no-fuss “Try It” service a go. Just head to www.lindewerdelin.com, then go the “Shop” section. On the page of the watch you’re interested in, just hit “Try It”, fill out the forms and instructions, and you’re good to go.
