Set sail with the Spinnaker Fleuss Chrono Watch
A timepiece worthy of being worn by King Triton
Spinnaker has earned a reputation as a high-quality watchmaker focused on the nautically-inclined: divers, sailors & other seafaring folks (frankly, a notoriously finicky crowd). With admirable sponsorships like world record-holding free divers & sailing teams competing in the World Match Series, along with the unquestionable quality of their timepieces, it’s no wonder Spinnaker has a growing fanbase.
Our crew got the opportunity to set our sights (and our wrist) on the FLEUSS CHRONOGRAPH by Spinnaker. While we have reviewed watches in the past, we were pumped to find one themed after the nautical vibe that is Spinnaker.
INITIAL IMPRESSIONS
The first thing you notice about this watch is its considerable heft. While we won’t call it heavy, when you mount this watch on your wrist you certainly can’t ignore that it’s there. But even more apparent than its weight is the undeniable craftsmanship and quality of its components. The sturdy clasp and thoughtful design make you feel like you’re wearing something substantial.
The Spinnaker Fleuss Chronograph has a lot of the features you’d expect from a much pricier watch.
Movement: Japan Quartz Chronograph with Date
Weight: 190 grams
Lug to Lug: 51mm
Case Material: Stainless Steel
Case Diameter: 43mm
Case Thickness: 13mm
Bezel: Unidirectional Bezel with Acrylic
Band Type: Stainless Steel
Band Width: 22mm
Buckle: Fold Over Buckle with Safety Lock & Push Button
Water Resistance: 15 ATM
Warranty: 2 years international
Our Initial crew Impression: Excellent craftsmanship in concert with precise manufacturing standards make this watch a true beauty.
TESTING IT OUT
Before we even had the opportunity to gaze upon the watch itself, our crew was caught off guard by the Apple-esque quality of box it comes in. Call it a character fault, but we are those people that are unusually enamored by a well-made box. Like some famous philosopher probably once said: “a good box is a terrible thing to waste”. And thus we added another box to our formidable collection.
Upon opening the box, we were pleasantly surprised by the care taken in wrapping the watch in protective plastic. Every millimeter of stainless steel, glass and acrylic was coated in a layer of easily removable film.
The watch face inherits a traditional chronograph layout that will be familiar to any watch enthusiast. The sharp, super precise text and tick marks play nicely with the finely-textured face and give the watch an undeniably high-end look.
Interacting with the dials, you’ll notice that a significant amount of force is needed to interact with them. While some might complain about that stiffness, we found it confidence-inspiring and ultimately a way to mitigate undesired setting changes. While the knobs are no smaller than most watches of this caliber, they may not be ideal for those of you with fat fingers…maybe your smaller fingered buddy can do you a solid?
The bezel has a reeded edge (much like a quarter) and a very pleasant click upon turning it. In fact, the click is so pleasant, our crew constantly was found turning the bezel to gift the occasional endorphin spike. Don’t judge us, we know our truth.
In our unscientific nighttime tests, we found the glow-in-the-dark features of this watch to be exceptionally brilliant. Divers, rejoice!
STANDOUT FEATURES
Our main crew tester on this watch is a lifelong swimmer. What did they have to say? Oh how about:
“The feature that stood out to me was the sheer insanity of 15 atmospheres of water resistance. 15 atmospheres is equivalent to 150m or 500ft. “
To put those numbers into perspective, only a handful of human beings in history have reached anywhere near 500ft while free diving. If you plan to scuba dive past 150m, make sure you have some PTO saved up because you’ll need to spent around 7 days in a decompression chamber to prevent the bends. The moral of this story is that you don’t casually make a watch with this level of water resistance, you must take extreme care with your engineering and manufacturing standards.
Another subtle feature that we have come to appreciate about this Spinnaker is the sheer silence of its operation. Hold it directly next to your ear and you’ll hear tiny ticks, but even 6 inches away from your ear and you won’t hear anything at all. For those who have issues with ticking clocks at night (yeah we are looking at you Captain Hook)- this watch is a sure fire hit.
Overall duuude Factor: Strap on your wetsuit and set sail with this legit, affordable timepiece!
BRAND INFO
“Man’s ability to traverse, discover and live among the waves of the open sea is a legacy of bravery, adventure, skill and ingenuity.
Whether it’s deep sea diving or a cutting edge mono-hulled catamaran zipping along the sea, our ability to command the blue world and our affinity for the open water is instinctive.
From the birth of the Scuba age in the 1950s to the modern day eco-efficient technologies of today, our ever-improving development of technology for the water is an unfolding narrative that continues.
It is the sea and crafts that glide and dive into her waters that inspire so much of our design. The spirit of aquatic influence lies at the heart of each Spinnaker collection.
Our timepieces, through a combination of material, design and craftsmanship, play tribute to both a technical command and for a life beneath, beyond and beside the sea.”
